weezeralfalfa
The, at least, equally entertaining sequel to the story of the Winfield family, in "On Moonlight Bay". Most of the major characters are played by the same people who previously played them. However, Russell Arms replaces Jack Smith, as the character Hubert, now called Chester. Leon Ames reprises his role as family father, begun in the rather similar MGM hit: "Meet Me in St. Louis". The story takes place in Milburn , Indiana, as WWI is ending. Rosemary Decamp is the mother, while Doris Day and Gordon McRae are the sometimes lovey dove song birds, who become reunited upon Gordon's release from the army, with the end of the war. Their marriage plans, however, are still controversial, as the story develops. The songs are generally more memorable and more frequent than those in the prior "On Moonlight Bay". Also, Doris stars in a memorable musical skit. Billy Gray is the 12y.o. scene-stealing brat brother of (supposedly) 18y.o. Doris. Mary Wickes again is the family maid and cook, and introduces the family members at the beginning. Poor Chester is the nerdy, if pleasant, longtime wannabe boyfriend for Doris. Probably from a rich family, he is father Ames' choice. Despite being a good piano player, and decent singer, and song writer, Doris generally finds him boring and often too stuffy. But, with the on again, off again, nature of the Doris + Gordon romance, he never gives up hope......At the film's beginning, Doris, with grease-smeared face, is under the family car fixing something: an indication of the tomboy side of her personality. In "Calamity Jane", released the same year, she was an even more extreme example of a tomboy, finally learning to be feminine at times, in order to please her boyfriend, as in the present film. Later, Doris has to fix Gordon's car, stalled in the boonies, as he has no idea what is wrong. .....The family Thanksgiving turkey, thanks to Billy Gray's meddling, creates an embarrassing situation at Thanksgiving dinner......Miss Renee LaRue, wants to rent a theater owned by the bank that father Ames works for. A written communication between them is hijacked by delivery boy Billy Gray. He creates a complex of imaginary scandals that dominates the last half of the film, and is only resolved in the ending. An addition, he has become obsessed with Sherlock Holmes-style detective work. At one point, Miss LaRue is fingered as his imaginary Dangerous Dora, with hilarious results......A family outing in a horse-pulled sleigh, to celebrate the 20th wedding anniversary of the parents, turns up a few surprises, as they end up at a favored skating pond, with the film's ending in sight. .......Songs with lyrics sung include: "I'll Forget You", "Just One Girl", King Chanticleer", "If You Were the only Girl in the World", "On Moonlight Bay", "Ain't We Got Fun", and "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee", the latter supposedly composed by Chester, who plays and sings it.......I don't want to reveal any more details. Just see it if you can., Presently, it comes with "On Moonlight Bay, in a 2 DVD packet. Gordon and Doris went on to star in several more pictures together, including "Tea for Two".
moonspinner55
Bemused old-fashioned corn from Warners, pleasantly set in small town America over the Thanksgiving holiday. A sequel to 1951's "On Moonlight Bay", the film continues the love story of Doris Day (in her tomboy period) and soldier Gordon McRae, as well as Doris' trouble-making little brother Billy Gray, and father Leon Ames (who finds himself involved in a scandal). Extremely pleasant, but a little lax. Director David Butler and his likable cast don't push the saccharine, they stay somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and Mary Wickes is a blessing as the sarcastic maid. However all these elements and characters were better (and fresher) the first time around. ** from ****
