Luxury Liner

MGM, 1948, Color, 98 minutes, ***½
Released September 1948

One of my favorite Jane Powell movies. Polly (Jane) is the daughter of a sealiner captain (George Brent). He has installed her in a girls school, and is away for long periods of time on sea cruises. Polly sneaks onboard as a stowaway in order to be near him, but he is unhappy that she's not in school, so he punishes her by making her work in the galley. Check out Jane's wonderful wardrobe! Musical highlights include a rousing rendition of "Alouette," sung by Jane and the kitchen staff, Jane and Melchior's "Spring Came Back to Vienna," and Jane's jazzy "The Peanut Vendor."

One of the many delights of this film is Jane Powell's wardrobe. What cute outfits!! My choice for best song is "Spring Came Back to Vienna," for best choreography "Alouette." Very entertaining and fun film!

"For good times, romance and sparkling musical variety, don't miss the boat. Sail a vivid and adventure-filled sea on a Luxury Liner!

Effervescent Jane Powell (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) leads the on-board festivities as Polly, daughter of the ship's captain (long-time Hollywood leading man George Brent). Captain Dad tells her she can't go on the cruise to Rio, but where there's a will there's a Polly. The spunky teen becomes a stowaway, setting in motion a plot in which she plays Cupid for some passengers (among them: Frances Gifford, star of the Jungle Girl series) and tries to convince an operatic star (Wagnerian tenor Lauritz Melchior) of her singing skills.

The talents are first class and so are the musical festivities. Book passage and enjoy a rich array of musical treasures that include a towering Aïda segment with Melchior, butter-smooth standards by the Pied Pipers, Powell's jaunty "Alouette" number and the persuasive" [from back of videotape sleeve, verbatim]


Produced by: Joe Pasternak
Directed by: Richard Whorf
Screen Play by: Gladys Lehman and Richard Connell
Musical Direction: Georgie Stoll
Choreography: Nick Castle
Art Directors: Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
   Associate: Arthur Krams
Women's Costumes by: Helen Rose
Men's Costumes by: Valles
Hair Styles Designed by: Sydney Guilaroff
Make-Up Created by: Jack Dawn
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Director of Photography: Robert Planck
Special Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie
   Associate: Donald Jahraus
Color by Technicolor
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
   Associate: James Gooch
Film Editor: Robert J. Kern

Cast:
George Brent ... Captain Jeremy Bradford
Jane Powell ... Polly Bradford
Lauritz Melchior ... Olaf Eriksen
Frances Gifford ... Laura Dene
Marina Koshetz ... Zita Romanka
Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra ... Themselves
Thomas E. Breen ... Denis Mulvy
Richard Derr ... Charles Worton
John Ridgely ... Chief Officer Carver
The Pied Pipers (Chuck Lowry, Harold Hopper, Clark Yocum and June Hutton) ... Themselves
Connie Gilchrist ... Bertha
Lee Tung Foo ... Fu Dong
Georgette Windsor ... Perdita
Romo Vincent ... Pierre
Michael Dugan ... Officer Whatshisname
Kay Norton ... Ship's Hostess
Shirley Johns ... Count Karper
Betty Blythe ... Miss Fenmoor
Juanita Quigley ... Jean
Roger Moore ... Waiter
Wesley Hopper ... Waiter
May McAvoy ... Woman

Songs:
[0:04] Spring Came Back to Vienna (sung by Jane Powell and Chorus)
[0:09] Finale from Act III (from the opera AÏDA, sung by Lauritz Melchior and Marina Koshetz)
[0:21] unidentified instrumental (played by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra)
[0:24] Alouette (sung and danced by Jane Powell and Kitchen Staff)
[0:35] Cugat's Nougat (played by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra)
[0:42] Yes, We Have No Bananas (sung by the Pied Pipers)
[0:46] Scandinavian drinking song (exact title unknown, sung by Lauritz Melchior, the Pied Pipers and audience)
[0:52] unidentified aria or song (sung by Lauritz Melchior)
[0:54] Obéissons quand leur voix appelle (gavotte from the opera MANON, sung by Jane Powell)
[0:58] Con Maracas (performed by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra)
[1:00] unidentified instrumental (played by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra)
[1:02] The Peanut Vendor (sung by Jane Powell with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra)
[1:16] I've Got You Under My Skin (sung by Marina Koshetz)
[1:24] Come Back to Sorrento ("Torna a Sorrrento") (excerpt sung by Lauritz Melchior)
[1:30] singing battle - unidentified arias (sung by Marina Koshetz and Lauritz Melchior)
[1:35] Spring Came Back to Vienna (sung by Jane Powell and Lauritz Melchior)