''Excuse My Dust'' is a 1951
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
starring
Red Skelton
Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...
. It was directed by
Roy Rowland and an uncredited
Edward Sedgwick
Edward Sedgwick (November 7, 1889 – March 7, 1953) was an American film director, writer, actor and producer.
Early life
He was born in Galveston, Texas, the son of Edward Sedgwick, Sr. and Josephine Walker, both stage actors. At the age ...
.
Plot
Amateur inventor Joe Belden has his Indiana hometown in a tizzy over his new "horseless carriage" in 1895. It runs on gasoline, but the townspeople aren't impressed and only Joe's mom and his sweetheart Liz Bullitt are supportive.
Mechanical breakdowns make Joe even more unpopular with some, including Liz's father, who prefers his daughter's other suitor, Ivy Leaguer Cyrus Ransom, Jr.
A $5,000 first prize in a road race attracts newfangled contraptions from all over the land. Cy enters one himself that runs on ether and cheats in every way he can to drive Joe off the road. He succeeds, but Liz comes to the rescue and joins Joe all the way to the finish line—well, almost all the way.
Cast
*
Red Skelton
Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...
as Joe Belden
*
Sally Forrest
Sally Forrest (born Katherine Feeney; May 28, 1928 – March 15, 2015), was an American film, stage and TV actress of the 1940s and 1950s. She studied dance from a young age and shortly out of high school was signed to a contract by Metro-Gol ...
as Liz Bullitt (singing voice dubbed by Gloria Gray)
*
Macdonald Carey as Cyrus Ransom, Jr.
*
William Demarest as Harvey Bullitt
*
Monica Lewis as Daisy Lou
*
Raymond Walburn as Mayor Fred Haskell
*
Jane Darwell as Mrs. Belden
*
Lillian Bronson as Mrs. Matilda Bullitt
*
Herbert Anderson
Herbert Anderson (March 30, 1917 – June 11, 1994) was an American character actor from Oakland, California, probably best remembered for his role as Henry Mitchell, the father, on the CBS television sitcom '' Dennis the Menace.''
Backg ...
as Ben Parrott
*
Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey Aurandt (September 4, 1918 – February 28, 2009) was an American radio broadcaster for ABC News Radio. He broadcast ''News and Comment'' on mornings and mid-days on weekdays and at noon on Saturdays and also his famous ''The Rest o ...
as Cyrus Random, Sr.
*
Marjorie Wood
Marjorie Wood (5 September 1882 – 9 November 1955) was a British-born American actress on stage and in film.
Early life
Marjorie Wood was born in Dublin (some sources give her birthplace as London ) on 5 September 1882.
Career
Wood's stage ...
as Mrs. Cyrus Random Sr.
*
Lee Scott as Horace Antler
*
Alex Gerry as Mr. Antler
*
Jim Hayward as Nick Tosca
*
Will Wright as Race judge
Production
The film was an original script by George Wells.
Van Johnson
Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II.
Johnson was described as the embodiment o ...
was at one stage intended to star.
Musical numbers
* I'd Like to Take You Out Dreaming
Performed by Macdonald Carey and Chorus
* Lorelei Brown
Performed by Monica Lewis and Chorus, introduced by Herbert Anderson and Sally Forrest
* Goin' Steady
Sung by Macdonald Carey, Monica Lewis, Sally Forrest, Red Skelton and Chorus
* Spring Has Sprung
Performed by Red Skelton and Sally Forrest (dubbed by Gloria Gray)
* Get a Horse
Performed by Macdonald Carey, William Demarest and Chorus
* That's for Children
Performed by Monica Lewis, Red Skelton and Chorus
* Lorelei Brown (reprise)
Danced by Sally Forrest and Chorus
* Spring Has Sprung (reprise)
Sung by Sally Forrest (dubbed by Gloria Gray)
Reception
According to MGM records, the film earned $1,645,000 in the US and Canada and $653,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $501,000.
References
External links
*
1951 films
1951 musical comedy films
American musical comedy films
American auto racing films
Films directed by Roy Rowland
Films set in Indiana
Films set in the 1890s
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Films with screenplays by George Wells
Films with screenplays by Buster Keaton
Films directed by Edward Sedgwick
1950s historical comedy films
American historical comedy films
American historical musical films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films
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