SMALL TOWN GIRL
US, 1953, 92 minutes, Colour.
Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller, S.Z. Sakall, Robert Keith, Fay Wray, Bobby Van, Chill Wills, Billie Burke, Nat King Cole.
Directed by Laszlo Kardos.
Small Town Girl is a minor musical of the 1950s, a star vehicle for Jane Powell who made such films as Two Weeks with Love, Rich, Young and Pretty, Athena. The next year she was to make Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Her heyday was in the era of the MGM musical and when it ended, she turned to television. She was a pleasing screen presence in her day.
Ann Miller was the star dancer at MGM at this time, the successor to Eleanor Powell. She was a strong presence and a strong dancer. She moved to the stage and was to appear in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive in 2001. Farley Granger starred in Rope and Strangers on a Train, but not usually in musicals. The supporting cast is strong, S. Z. .Sakall moving from Warner Brothers, Fay Wray from King Kong, and a song from Nat King Cole. The other bright presence was Bobby Van, a talented singer and dancer with his hopping performance.
The director was Laszlo Kardos, the brother-in-law of producer Joe Pasternak.
1. A small MGM musical of the 1950s? Star vehicle for Jane Powell, Ann Miller, Bobby Van?
2. The picture of the small town, picturesque New York State, town, homes, the church? Picture-perfect and everybody nice? The local store?
3. The musical program, songs in church, songs and the town square, Jane Powell in recital in New York? The contrast with the Broadway musical style,
Busby Berkeley choreography? Ann Miller singing and dancing? Bobby Van singing and dancing?
4. The hopping sequence with Bobby Van, exuberant, energetic, 3 to 4 minutes with only one editing cut?
5. Ann Miller’s Broadway dance, the instruments in the floor, spectacular tap dancing? The Latino dance?
6. The family, the introduction, nice, going to church, choir? And grace at meals? Law-abiding citizens? The judge? The pleasant wife? Son and daughter?
7. Rick and his speeding, arrogance, Lisa and the eloping? The sentence, increasing, Lisa’s plea? The later visit of Rick’s mother, her agreeing with the judge?
8. The prison cell, the discussions with Happy, cleaning up the town, lifting up Cindy for the photographers, the newspaper headlines? His hunger strike and the women bringing him meals?
9. The celebration in the town square, song and dance, the auction, with Rick bidding for Cindy? The antagonism between the two?
10. Ludwig and his father, the store, his wanting to go to Broadway, dancing, intended for Cindy, his not wanting to marry, the flowers and the proposal, his
father’s insistence, her turning him down, his happiness? His dancing, his hopping episode?
11. Ludwig’s father, the store, his customers, the boy with the duck, wanting his son to continue and stay?
12. Cindy, persuading happy to let Rick out, travelling to New York, the social, the music, the butler, Ricky getting out, going to the theatre, talking with Lisa, the gift, her eye on the man on the other side of the stage? The message, Rick returning, letting Cindy out of the closet? The fur?
13. The judge, letting Rick go? His return, the happy ending?
