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| Dan Dailey & Betty Grable shine as a showbiz couple in 1947’s “Mom Wore Tights.” |
The musical
comedy/drama Mom Wore Tights was
of Betty Grable’s biggest hits and the largest film for 20th
Century Fox in 1947, subsequent to Eternally
Amber. The Betty Grable car was a giant break for Dan Dailey, whose mugging
was excellent for this film’s main man character. Betty and Dan had such
sturdy chemistry that they had been re-teamed three extra instances.
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| “Mom Wore Tights” was the primary of 4 pairings of Betty Grable & Dan Dailey. |
Based mostly on a well-liked
memoir by Miriam Younger, Mom Wore
Tights had the identical taste as Cheaper
by the Dozen, a have a look at opposites-attract dad and mom, considered by the eyes
of their youngsters. Fox star Anne Baxter narrated the movie together with her insinuating
voice, because the grownup model of the oldest daughter.
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| Betty Grable’s real heat comes by within the scenes together with her film “household” in 1947’s “Mom Wore Tights.” With Mona Freeman as her oldest daughter. |
Grable is at her
likable greatest in Mom Wore Tights,
particularly the scenes the place she’s interacting together with her film household. As Myrtle
McKinley Burt, Betty’s character is bold and enjoys her profession, although she
prefers dwelling life. However husband Frank Burt, whereas he loves an viewers,
additionally enjoys his spouse as an on-stage associate. The 2 extrovert personalities
strike sparks and typically fireworks. However the Burts adore one another and their
stage act. It’s enjoyable to see a pair the place the spouse is the sensible, sensible
one—and right here, Dailey’s Frank looks like a giant child at instances—although a loveable
one.
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| Dan Dailey appears downright boyish because the hoofer with the hots for Betty Grable, in 1947’s “Mom Wore Tights.” Dailey & Grable make a successful workforce! |
Dan Dailey is a
terrific hoofer and musical performer right here. I normally discover Dailey slightly
repellent within the vein of Jerry Lewis and Milton Berle, however Dan remains to be younger
and recent right here, and his character is written to be a ham, so it really works. Dailey
is great in each the comedic and severe scenes, and he and Grable make a
most plausible movie couple. As with many golden period stars, I first noticed Dan
Dailey in his later years, when laborious dwelling made him look very tough. It was a
little bit of a jolt to see him as match and people blue eyes clear and alive. Dailey is
a really energetic dancer and Betty Grable offers her all, so their performing of
nostalgic vaudeville numbers are extremely entertaining.
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| A candy scene in “Mom Wore Tights,” when Grable’s Myrt informs Dailey’s Frank that their going to have an addition of their present biz household. |
Mom Wore Tights boasts an awesome again up forged: William Frawley as
the producer within the opening scenes; Veda Van Borg because the robust refrain woman pal
of Grable; and Sara Allgood as Betty’s no-nonsense grandmother. Lee Patrick
reveals up for an entertaining musical/comedy bit on the prepare, and Ruth Nelson,
who performed John Garfield’s mom so memorably in Humoresque, is the kindly faculty headmaster. These are only a few
of the various acquainted faces on this movie.
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| The Burt ladies are typically mortified by their extrovert dad and mom in “Mom Wore Tights.” |
Mona Freeman and
Connie Marshall are endearing as Iris and Mikie Burt, Myrtle and Frank’s
daughters. Whereas enjoying to the period’s “lovely” juvenile mildew, they’re nonetheless
fairly good and you actually care about them. Robert Arthur is completely lovely as
the younger man in love with Iris. After his performing profession, Arthur went on to
grow to be a homosexual activist, notably for seniors.
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| Robert Arthur was a charmer because the Burts’ eldest daughter’s beau in 1947’s “Mom Wore Tights.” |
It has been stated that
Betty did not need difficult materials or main males. I feel which may be
exaggerated. Whereas Betty did not wish to do heavy drama like The Razor’s Edge, which studio head
Darryl F. Zanuck needed her for, Grable could have welcomed selection inside the
system footage. Mom Wore Tights
is a good instance, and is claimed to be Betty’s favourite film. I can see why.
Betty was on the peak of her film stardom, and her new marriage to Harry
James was now blossoming right into a household. As for main males, normally feminine
stars that carried a movie did not get their equals as main males. Fox’s high
main males did heavy drama, like Dana Andrews and Henry Fonda. Energy had finished
his obligation in musicals within the ’30s. So Betty was typically paired with Don Ameche or
John Payne. That is why a pistol like Dan Dailey was a breath of recent
air.
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| “Mom Wore Tights” is forward-thinking for 1947 in depicting the showbiz couple mixing profession and household. |
The story in Mom Wore Tights goes to some attention-grabbing
locations for a ’40s film, like working dad and mom, and the way youngsters cope when their
present biz dad and mom aren’t round. The rapport between Betty and Dan actually
carries this image, and also you completely imagine them as this dynamic couple who
are additionally devoted dad and mom.
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| Betty Grable as a highschool senior at the beginning of “Mom Wore Tights” is a bit a lot, although Betty at 31 performs the mom of teenagers by half of the film. |
Although it was not
unusual for stars to play younger variations of themselves, Betty Grable as a excessive
faculty senior at 31 was maybe a little bit of a stretch. However Grable was not useless in
the least, and fortunately performed the mom of teenagers within the latter portion of the
film. Betty was pregnant throughout this film and I feel they might have filmed Mom Wore Tights in sequence as a lot
as doable; in Grable’s final huge quantity, her waist is noticeably bigger.
That’s how they rolled within the days of stars making a number of movies per yr. Orry-Kelly
shined when he designed for interval movies and has a subject day right here. Betty wears
some beautiful off-stage costumes particularly and in uncommon however flattering colours
for the blue-eyed blonde.
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| Betty Grable wears some fashionable Orry-Kelly costumes in “Mom Wore Tights.” |
Mom Wore Tights
is old school and nostalgic however in a pure approach, and is leavened by some
genuine moments about dad and mom and youngsters. A terrific forged, nostalgic songs, stable
story, and very good manufacturing all make for a feel-good film!
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| A young second on the finale of “Mom Wore Tights,” the Burts watching their daughter carry out their signature stage quantity. |
Here is my have a look at the film that made Betty a twentieth Century Fox star! https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2023/07/betty-grable-found-stardom-down.html
