SUMMER HOLIDAY
US, 1948, 92 minutes, Colour.
Walter Huston, Mickey Rooney, Frank Morgan, Agnes Moorehead, Butch Jenkins, Selena Royle, Marilyn Maxwell, Gloria de Haven, Anne Francis.
Directed by Rouben Mamoulian.
Summer Holiday is a pleasing musical version of Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness, filmed in 1935. In fact, this screenplay is a close adaptation of Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett’s original. The music is by Harry Warren and Ralph Blane - not tuneful melodies but rather songs about a small town and the American way of life. (Some comparisons night be made with Gene Kelly's treatment of similar themes in Hello Dolly.)
The film has a very warm cast led by Walter Huston as Nat and a very engaging performance by Frank Morgan as Uncle Sid (more genial than Wallace Beery's touch at hamming in the original). The film shifts some of the emphases for the sake of the stars, focusing on Mickey Rooney as Richard. (Rooney had appeared to some effect as Tommy in the earlier film.) Gloria de Haven is an attractive heroine. Agnes Moorehead is also engaging as Aunt Lily.
Choreography is by Charles Walters, about to begin his career with Good News and Easter Parade. Direction is by veteran Rouben Mamoulian. (M.G.M, executives did not think the film would be a success and held it up from release for two years.)
1. Entertaining piece of nostalgia, Eugene O'Neill's comedy of recollection? Musicalised?
2. The writings of Eugene O'Neill, this play in his canon of theatre? His grim themes? Happy recollections and 1906? A piece of Americana, the end of the school year, the summer, the 4th. of July holiday, family values, a boy, coming of age?
3. The songs and the choreography, the introduction to Our Town and the people? The romantic song between Richard and Muriel? The Danville High and the overtones of the American Gothic and rural paintings? The song about the car? The 4th of July song?.
4. The introduction to the town, the look at the town, its style? An introduction to all the people via the song and the early action?
5. The Millers as the ordinary American family: their house, Nat and his working at the paper, the mixture of stern and genial, his love for his wife and children? Essie and her motherliness? The children and their rowdiness, school, romances? Tommy and his plane? The meals and the comedy? The graduation, R.ichard's speech? The enjoyment of the picnic? Sid and his drinking, the attachment to Lily after 18 years? The evening meal on the 4th of July, the comedy, the sadness, Richard's night?
6. The portrait of Richard, his age, graduating, hopes for Yale? His love for Muriel? His revolutionary ideas and wanting to change the world, bringing Muriel out of her fear? His valedictory speech and the applause his drink of water and his father stopping him from the critical ideas? The dance, the social? Enjoying the picnic? The visit of Muriel's father, his writing out Swinburne's poems and Muriel's letter of reaction? Upset, his denunciation of Aunt Lily and women at the meal? His going out on the town, the chorus girls, meeting the girl and the encounter with her, the drinking. drunk, being thrown out of the bar? Returning home, the talk with his father about the facts of life? Muriel's message, going to meet her? The reconciliation with his father, kissing his father, the happy .ending?
7. Sid and his drinking, Frank Morgan's genial style, going away, the bonds With all the family, his return, going to the picnic, winning the drinking competition? Coming home, drank, the meal, the jokes, everybody laughing at him? Lily and her waiting 18 years, her outburst at the meal about everybody laughing at him? His offer to reform, drinking lemonade on the porch, the happy ending?
8. Arthur and his girlfriends, Mildred and her boyfriends? Tommy and his playing, eating, cowboys and Indians? The message from Muriel?
9. Muriel as attractive, listening to Tommy, the severity of her father, sending the message, the talk over the night on the town, the reconciliation?
10. Mr Peabody and the humour of his graduation speech and self-promotion?
11. The chorus girl, the sequence in the bar, talking with Richard, her leading him on, kicking him out? The letter to Richard's father?
12. The insertion of the songs, the spirit of the town, of the school, the driving of the car, the celebration, the choreography of the various groups at the picnic? The song by the chorus girl in the bar?
13. The quotation from Omar Khayyam? The American family, understanding, problems and mistakes, learning, the finale and being surrounded by love? Spring and Ah, Wilderness?
