''Let's Be Happy'' is a

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

1957 British

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

starring Tony Martin, Vera-Ellen and

Robert Flemyng Benjamin Arthur Flemyng (3 January 1912 – 22 May 1995), known professionally as Robert Flemyng, was a British actor. The son of a doctor, and originally intended for a medical career, Flemyng learned his stagecraft in provincial repertory th ...

and directed by Henry Levin. It was written by Dorothy Cooper and Diana Morgan in

CinemaScope CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...

. This film was an updated remake of '' Jeannie'' (1941), starring

Barbara Mullen Barbara Mullen (9 June 19149 March 1979) was an American born actress well known in the UK for playing the part of Janet McPherson, the housekeeper in ''Dr. Finlay's Casebook''. Although the role of Janet brought her fame in later years, she alre ...

, which itself was based on the stage play ''Jeannie'' by Aimée Stuart. The film was Vera-Ellen's final film; she later withdrew from public life after the death of her daughter, Victoria Ellen Rothschild. The film is also Tony Martin's final appearance in a movie musical, although he later made a cameo appearance in ''

Dear Mr. Wonderful ''Dear Mr. Wonderful'' (also known as ''Ruby's Dream'' in some US video releases) is a 1982 German comedy-drama crime film starring Joe Pesci. Plot Ruby Dennis (Joe Pesci) is a small-time lounge singer who owns a bowling alley. The film follows h ...

'', a 1982 film. ''Let's Be Happy'' premiered in London on 9 May 1957.

Plot

Jeannie McLean lives in rural

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

and inherits some money from her Scottish-born grandfather whom she was looking after in his old age. She decides to travel to Scotland to see her ancestral country. On the journey by air and train, she finds herself continuously sitting near Stanley Smith, a brash washing-machine salesman, whose pushy ways help her through various difficulties. She finally reaches

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

(during the Festival). At her hotel, Jeannie is romanced by Lord James MacNairn, an impoverished landowner, who has heard that she has money. When she catches out Stanley in a lie, she breaks off their friendship and accepts James' attentions. Stanley still follows her around, with a pretty French redhead in tow, including taking seats right behind James and Jeannie at the ballet, and inviting them to join them in a restaurant. James takes Jeannie to see

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Ce ...

and to a family wedding and to his family home - a huge castle. However, he is restricted to a very small wing of the castle with his housekeeper Miss Cathie, with the rest of the castle open to the public. James asks Jeannie to marry him, but when he learns that she has spent all her inheritance, he confesses he originally wanted her for her money but now really does love her. But now knowing that he is also broke, she turns him down. Jeannie returns home to Vermont, but Stanley, having made a major sales coup, tracks her down and proposes to her.

Cast

* Vera-Ellen as Jeannie MacLean (singing voice was dubbed by Joan Small) * Tony Martin as Stanley Smith *

as Lord James MacNairn *

Zena Marshall Zena Moyra Marshall (1 January 1926 – 10 July 2009) was a British actress of film and television, who was born in Kenya. Early years Marshall was of English, Irish and (on her mother's side) French descent. Though born in Kenya, after her ...

as Helene *

Helen Horton Helen Virginia Horton (November 21, 1923 – September 28, 2007) was an American actress. She was born in Chicago and had a brief career in New York. She married Hamish Thomson and lived near London. She worked extensively in British television, ...

as Sadie Whitelaw *

Beckett Bould Beckett Bould (28 September 1880 – 25 September 1970) was a British actor. Partial filmography * ''Black Diamonds'' (1932) - John Morgan * ''The Outcast'' (1934) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' Wednesday's Luck'' (1936) - Minor Role (uncre ...

as Rev. MacDonald *

Alfred Burke Alfred Burke (28 February 1918 – 16 February 2011) was an English actor, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Frank Marker in the drama series '' Public Eye'', which ran on television for ten years. Early life Born in London's south-east ...

as French Ticket Clerk * Vernon Greeves as First Air France Steward *

Richard Molinas Richard Molinas (17 November 1911 – 1975) was a British stage and film actor. A character actor, he appeared in a number of supporting role A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline ...

as Bearded Man *

Eugene Deckers Eugene Francis Deckers (22 October 1917, in Antwerp – 1977, in Paris, France) was a Belgian actor. Career After establishing himself on the British stage, Deckers made his first English language film appearance in 1946. Formerly a romantic le ...

as Diner Car Attendant *

Russell Waters Russell Waters (born 10 June 1908, Glasgow, Lanarkshire – died 19 August 1982, Richmond, Surrey) was a Scottish film actor. Waters was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School, Glasgow and the University of Glasgow. He began acting with the ...

as Hotel Reception Clerk *

Paul Young Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. ...

as Page Boy, Bobby * Peter Sinclair as MacTavish *

Magda Miller Magda Miller (born Magdalena Ekaterina Antonina Vishinski Klastaites, in 1934) is a Scottish actress. Born in Strathblane, Stirlingshire, she is of Scottish, Russian and Lithuanian descent. She appeared in a number of films in the 1950s, notably ...

as Mrs. MacTavish *

Brian Oulton Brian Oulton (11 February 1908 – 13 April 1992) was an English character actor. Biography Born in Liverpool, Lancashire, Oulton made his acting debut in 1939 as a lead actor. During the Second World War he served in the British Army, and ret ...

as Hotel Valet *

Guy Middleton Guy Middleton Powell (14 December 1906 – 30 July 1973), better known as Guy Middleton, was an English character actor, film character actor. Biography Guy Middleton was born in Hove, Sussex, and originally worked in the London Stock Exch ...

as Mr. Fielding *

Katherine Kath Katherine Kath (born Rose Marie Lily Faess; 11 August 1920 – 17 November 2012) was a French prima ballerina at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, who became an actress after suffering from an injury which destroyed her chances of continuing he ...

as Mrs. Fielding * Charles Carson as Mr. Ferguson, Lawyer * Jock McKay as Elderly Dancer * Michael Anthony as Monsieur Fior * Jameson Clark as MacPhail *

Eric Pohlmann Eric Pohlmann (german: Erich Pohlmann; born Erich Pollak; 18 July 1913 – 25 July 1979) was an Austrian theatre, film and television character actor who worked mostly in the United Kingdom. He is known for voicing Ernst Stavro Blofeld, th ...

as Customs Official *

Carl Duering Gerald Percy Fox (29 May 1923 – 1 September 2018), better known as Carl Duering, was a German-born British actor whose best-known role is as Dr. Brodsky in Stanley Kubrick's ''A Clockwork Orange (film), A Clockwork Orange''. He died in London i ...

as Customs Inspector *

Molly Weir Mary Weir (17 March 1910 – 28 November 2004), known as Molly Weir, was a Scotland, Scottish actress. She appeared as the character Hazel the McWitch in the BBC TV series ''Rentaghost''. She was the sister of naturalist and broadcaster Tom We ...

as Flower Girl * Ewan Roberts as Hotel Porter *

Jean Cadell Jean Dunlop Cadell (13 September 1884 – 29 September 1967) was a Scottish character actress. Although her married name was Jean Dunlop Perceval-Clark she retained her maiden name in the context of acting. Life and career She was born at 4 ...

as Mrs. Cathie * Gordon Jackson as Dougal MacLean

Production

Location filming took place in

and other locations in Scotland,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, and

Thirlestane Castle Thirlestane Castle is a castle set in extensive parklands near Lauder in the Borders of Scotland. The site is aptly named Castle Hill, as it stands upon raised ground. However, the raised land is within Lauderdale, the valley of the Leader Water ...

which serves as Lord James' country house.

References

External links

* * {{Henry Levin 1957 films British romantic musical films Films shot at Associated British Studios 1950s English-language films 1957 musical comedy films Films directed by Henry Levin British films based on plays 1957 romantic comedy films British romantic comedy films 1950s romantic musical films Musical film remakes 1950s British films