Lady Be Good (1941 film)
| Lady Be Good | |
|---|---|
Fredrick Y. Smith | |
| Music by | Roger Edens Jerome Kern Oscar Hammerstein II George and Ira Gershwin |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date | September 1, 1941 (USA) |
Running time | 112 min |
| Language | English |
Lady Be Good is an
The film takes its title and theme song ("
This film's most notable sequence involves an epic tap dance routine by Powell, to the melody of Gershwin's "
Plot
The story is framed by testimony in the court of Judge Murdock, where Dixie Crane is seeking a divorce. He asks how the principals first met and the first flashback begins...Eddie Crane a young composer, is struggling with a tune he has just written. When his girlfriend, Dixie Donegan, provides words almost by accident, the song is published and is a great success. A few years later, now married and successful songwriters with a hit Broadway show behind them, Dixie realizes that Eddie is spending more time in rich New York society than composing. They divorce, but quickly realize they miss working together; their new work raises them to the top of the charts and they are honored at an industry banquet, where Dixie sings ”The Last Time I Saw Paris.” (The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for 1941, even though it was not written for the film.) Eddie becomes intensely jealous, and thanks to the machinations of their friends, they end up getting married again. Driving home after the ceremony, they discover that their plans are very different. Dixie wants to start writing the music for a big new show—their dream project—right away. Eddie plans a honeymoon in Bermuda first. Dixie not only refuses the honeymoon, she tells him they are going to have to continue to live apart while they write the new show. They separate, and Eddie quits the show. He begins composing a symphony under the aegis of Mrs. Wardley, a wealthy patron of the arts who has her eye on Eddie as well as his music. The opening of Dixie's show is represented by the legendary “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” production number featuring Eleanor Powell. Eddie disappears for 6 months and returns from South America too late to protest the second divorce, also in Judge Murdock’s court. Not realizing that this time the judge refused to grant it, he proposes to Dixie.
Cast
- Eddie Crane - Robert Young
- Dixie Donegan - Ann Sothern
- Marilyn Marsh - Eleanor Powell
- Joe 'Red' Willet - Red Skelton
- Judge Murdock - Lionel Barrymore
- Nightclub Compere - Phil Silvers
- Lull - Virginia O'Brien
- Buddy Crawford - John Carroll
- Bill Pattison - Dan Dailey
- Mrs. Wardley - Rose Hobart
- Singer - Connie Russell
Songs
- "You'll Never Know" (music & lyrics by Roger Edens)
- "Your Words and My Music" (music by Edens, lyrics by Arthur Freed)
- "Lady Be Good" (music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin)
- "The Last Time I Saw Paris" (music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II)
- "Fascinating Rhythm" (music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin)
Legacy
The name
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2004: AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
- "The Last Time I Saw Paris" – Nominated[2]
See also
- Lionel Barrymore filmography
References
- OCLC 31611854. Tape 2, side A.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-07-30.
External links
- Lady Be Good at IMDb
- Lady Be Good at AllMovie
- Lady Be Good at the TCM Movie Database
- Lady Be Good at the American Film Institute Catalog
- Lady Be Good on Family Friendly Movies
