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 ...
directed by
W.S. Van Dyke
Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II (Woody) (March 21, 1889 – February 5, 1943) was an American film director and writer who made several successful early sound films, including ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' in 1932, ''The Thin Man'' in 1934, ''San Franci ...
Frank Morgan
Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous soun ...
. An
adaptation
In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...
Cole Porter
Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film.
Born to ...
. The story involves the romantic entanglements of a princess in disguise and a West Point cadet.
Plot
Dick Thorpe ( Nelson Eddy) is a football star for the Army, and Rosalie ( Eleanor Powell), a Vassar student who is also a princess (Princess Rosalie of Romanza) in disguise, watches a football game. They are attracted to each other and agree to meet in her country in Europe. When Dick flies into her country, he is greeted as a hero by the king (
Frank Morgan
Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous soun ...
) and finds Rosalie is engaged to marry Prince Paul (Tom Rutherford), who actually is in love with Brenda (
Ilona Massey
Ilona Massey (born Ilona Hajmássy, June 16, 1910 – August 20, 1974) was a Hungarian-American film, stage and radio performer.
Early life and career
She was born in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary (now in Hungary). Billed as "the new Die ...
). Dick, not knowing of Prince Paul's affections, leaves the country. The king and his family are forced to leave their troubled country, and Dick and Rosalie are finally reunited at West Point.
Frank Morgan
Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous soun ...
Ray Bolger
Raymond Wallace Bolger (January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian and stage performer (particularly musical theatre) who started in the silent-film era.
Bolger was a major Broadway performer in ...
as Bill Delroy
*
Ilona Massey
Ilona Massey (born Ilona Hajmássy, June 16, 1910 – August 20, 1974) was a Hungarian-American film, stage and radio performer.
Early life and career
She was born in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary (now in Hungary). Billed as "the new Die ...
Clay Clement
Clay Clement (May 19, 1888 – October 20, 1956) was an American stage, film, and TV actor. He appeared in more than 80 films between 1918 and 1947. Clement was one of the earliest members of the Screen Actors Guild.Virginia Grey as Mary Callahan
*
George Zucco
George Zucco (11 January 1886 – 27 May 1960) was a British character actor who appeared in plays and 96 films, mostly American-made, during a career spanning over two decades, from the 1920s to 1951. In his films, he often played a suave ...
Tommy Bond
Thomas Ross Bond (September 16, 1926 – September 24, 2005) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He was best known for his work as a child actor for two nonconsecutive periods on ''Our Gang'' (''Little Rascals'') comedies (fir ...
as Mickey the Mascot
Reception
On December 31, 1937, Frank Nugent reviewed the film for '' The New York Times:'' “Deploying its formidable phalanxes of talent…in one of the most pretentious demonstrations of sheer mass and weight since the last Navy games, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer brings forth…"Rosalie"…. Eleanor Powell tap dances… among sets entirely divorced from reality, Nelson Eddy sings as well and as inopportunely as could be imagined, and expensive secondary people…try to compensate with personal mannerisms for all the bright things the dialogue and action fail to say or do… Ray Bolger bolges, sometimes amusingly, sometimes not. Frank Morgan, a ventriloquist-king, trots out the whole inventory of Morganantics. Edna May Oliver is more severely regal than any reigning queen would dare to be nowadays. Billy Gilbert is reduced to his most cataclysmic sneezes. Miss Powell dances, smiles, sings… is brought in on the top of a cake, while Mr. Eddy, meanwhile, sings, flies a plane across the Atlantic, returns to West Point..sings, looks handsome in a cadet uniform, and at last marries Miss Powell at a wedding comparable in size and attendance to the last Olympic meet. All this is not to deny to "Rosalie" the purely economic distinction of being a great deal of show for the money; it is, in fact, too much show,.. In sheer length, breadth, weight and thickness, it is wearying, and even if all of it were good (which it isn't) still, there might be some point in protesting at such an unholy surfeit.”
In 2005, music historians William H. Young and Nancy K. Young observed that the film "resembles the frothy operettas then so much in vogue, which means that ''Rosalie'' lacks much of a plot ... he ortermanaged to compose the memorable 'In the Still of the Night' and 'Who Knows?'."
The reviewer at allmovie.com calls the film an "overproduced musical extravaganza", and noted, "The flimsy plot all but collapses under the weight of Gibbons' enormous sets and dance director David Gould's ditto choreography."
Production
MGM's top tap dancer at the time, Eleanor Powell, was cast as the princess opposite Nelson Eddy as cadet Dick Thorpe (Lieutenant Richard Fay in the stage musical). Frank Morgan reprised his Broadway role as King Fredrick (King Cyril in the stage version). Also appearing in the film were Ray Bolger (Bill Delroy), Edna May Oliver (the queen), Ilona Massey (Brenda), Tom Rutherford (Prince Paul), and Reginald Owen (Chancellor).Green, Stanley; Schmidt, Elaine. "'Rosalie'" ''Hollywood Musicals Year By Year'', Hal Leonard Corporation, 2000, , p. 77, accessed January 14, 2011"'Rosalie' Cast, Crew, Production and Plot" tcm.com, accessed January 15, 2011 William Anthony McGuire was the producer, with direction by
W. S. Van Dyke
Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II (Woody) (March 21, 1889 – February 5, 1943) was an American film director and writer who made several successful early sound films, including ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' in 1932, ''The Thin Man'' in 1934, ''San Francis ...
, cinematography by Oliver Marsh, art direction by Cedric Gibbons, and choreography by Albertina Rasch.Marjorie Lane dubbed the singing voice for Powell. The dance director for the "Cadet routines" was Dave Gould.
To capitalize upon Powell's renown as a dancer, the film was retooled to allow her several showcase musical numbers, one of which is the title number with Powell dancing on top of a giant drum, one of the largest musical sequences ever filmed. Songs included "Who Knows?", "I've a Strange New Rhythm in My Heart", "Rosalie", " In the Still of the Night", and "Spring Love Is in the Air." An excerpt from this scene is included in '' That's Entertainment!'' (1974).Reid, John Howard. "'That's Entertainment'" ''More Movie Musicals'', Lulu.com, 2006, , p. 206
Songs
#"Who Knows?" - Dick
#"I've a Strange New Rhythm in My Heart" - Rosalie
#"Rosalie" - Dick
#"Why Should I Care?" - King Frederic
#"Spring Love is in the Air" - Brenda
#"Close" nstrumental#"In the Still of the Night" - Dick
#"It's All Over But the Shouting" - Dick
#"To Love or Not to Love" - Dick
References
*Green, Stanley (1999) Hollywood Musicals Year by Year (2nd ed.), pub. Hal Leonard Corporation page 77