''Shine On, Harvest Moon'' is a 1944

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 Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

–

biographical film A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from Docudrama, docudrama films ...

about the

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

team of

Nora Bayes Nora Bayes (born Rachel Eleonora "Dora" Goldberg; October 3, 1880March 19, 1928) was an American singer and vaudeville performer who was popular internationally between the 1900s and 1920s. She is credited with co-writing the song " Shine On, Har ...

and

Jack Norworth John Godfrey Knauff (January 5, 1879 – September 1, 1959), known professionally as Jack Norworth, was an American songwriter, singer and vaudeville performer. Biography Norworth is credited as writer of a number of Tin Pan Alley hits. He wr ...

, who wrote the popular song "

Shine On, Harvest Moon "Shine On, Harvest Moon" is a popular early-1900s song credited to the married vaudeville team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth. It was one of a series of moon-related Tin Pan Alley songs of the era. The song was debuted by Bayes and Norworth in the ...

." The film was directed by David Butler and stars

Ann Sheridan Clara Lou "Ann" Sheridan (February 21, 1915 – January 21, 1967) was an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in the films ''San Quentin'' (1937), '' Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938), '' They Drive by Night'' (1940), '' ...

and

Dennis Morgan Dennis Morgan (born Earl Stanley Morner; December 20, 1908 – September 7, 1994) was an American actor-singer. He used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting the name under which he gained his greatest fame. According to one ob ...

Sheridan's singing voice was dubbed by Lynn Martin. The film is in black and white until its

Technicolor Technicolor is a family of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes. The first version, Process 1, was introduced in 1916, and improved versions followed over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and ...

finale sequence.

Plot

In 1905, singer Nora Bayes (Ann Sheridan) impresses songwriter and performer Jack Norworth (Dennis Morgan) at a cabaret run by Dan Costello. Jack offers to get Nora an audition for vaudeville, unaware of Dan's feelings for her. After Nora rejects Dan's proposal, he purposely breaks up the audition, but Jack finds Nora another performing job. Eventually Jack and Nora team up successfully, but Dan continues to interfere any way that he can—including trying to steal Jack's best tune.

Cast

as Nora Bayes (singing voice dubbed by Lynn Martin) *

as Jack Norworth *

Jack Carson John Elmer Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 2, 1963), known as Jack Carson, was a Canadian-born American film actor. Carson often played the role of comedic friend in films of the 1940s and 1950s, including '' The Strawberry Blonde'' ...

as The Great Georgetti *

Irene Manning Irene Manning (born Inez Harvuot, July 17, 1912 – May 28, 2004) was an American actress and singer. Biography Manning was born as Inez Harvuot on July 17, 1912 in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of five siblings. Both of her parents were singers. Her fa ...

as Blanche Mallory * S. Z. Sakall as Poppa Carl * Marie Wilson as Margie *

Robert Shayne Robert Shayne (born Robert Shaen Dawe, October 4, 1900 – November 29, 1992) was an American actor whose career lasted for over 60 years. He was best known for portraying Inspector Bill Henderson in the American television series '' Adven ...

as Dan Costello * Bob Murphy as Police Sergeant *

The Four Step Brothers The Four Step Brothers were an African-American dance group. The group started out as a trio in 1925, with the original members, Maceo Anderson, Al Williams and Red Walker. Although their original name was the ''Step Brothers,'' because that ...

as Dance Team *

Philip Van Zandt Philip Van Zandt (October 4, 1904 – February 15, 1958), sometimes billed as Phil Van Zandt, was a Dutch-American actor of stage, film, and television. He made nearly 250 film and television appearances between 1939 and 1958. Life and career ...

as Cullen - Song Publisher (uncredited)

Musical numbers

1. "Overture" - Played by orchestra behind titles
2. "Shine On, Harvest Moon / Daisy / In My Merry Oldsmobile" - Chorus
3. "San Antonio" - Irene Manning
4. "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee" - Irene Manning
5. "My Own United States" - Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin) and chorus
6. "Time Waits for No One" - Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin).
7. "It Looks Like a Big Night Tonight" - Bob Murphy, Jack Carson, Dennis Morgan, Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin) and chorus.
8. "Time Waits for No One" (reprise) - Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin)
9. "We're Doing Our Best / Don't Let the Rainy Days Get You" - Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin) and Irene Manning.
10. "How Can They Tell That I'm Irish?" - Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin)
11. "Shine On, Harvest Moon" - Dennis Morgan and Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin)
12. "When It's Apple Blossom Time in Normandy / Take Me Out to the Ball Game / I've Got a Garden in Sweden / Breezin' Along with the Breeze / Who's Your Honey Lamb?" - Dennis Morgan and Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin)
13. "So Dumb but So Beautiful" - Jack Carson and Marie Wilson, dancing by the Ashburns
14. "Shine On, Harvest Moon" (reprise) - Dennis Morgan
15. "Thank You for the Dance" - Irene Manning and Chorus.
16. "Every Little Movement (Has a Meaning of Its Own)" - Irene Manning
17. "I Go for You" - Dennis Morgan and Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin).
18. "Just Like a Gypsy" - Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin)
19. "Just Like a Gypsy" (reprise) - Phyllis Kennedy.
20. Finale: * "Shine On, Harvest Moon" - Dennis Morgan and Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin) * "Time Waits for No One" - Dennis Morgan and chorus * "So Dumb but So Beautiful" - Jack Carson and Marie Wilson * "Shine On, Harvest Moon" - Chorus, with dancing by

the Four Step Brothers The Four Step Brothers were an African-American dance group. The group started out as a trio in 1925, with the original members, Maceo Anderson, Al Williams and Red Walker. Although their original name was the ''Step Brothers,'' because that ...

* "Shine On, Harvest Moon" - Dennis Morgan, Ann Sheridan (dubbed by Lynn Martin) and chorus

Reception

Bosley Crowther of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' wrote: "What is done in the name of biography in the Warner Brothers' 'Shine on Harvest Moon' is something which shouldn't be done to a burglar—let alone to the memory of the late Nora Bayes. For this musical film in which that lady and her second husband, Jack Norworth, are supposedly represented in their joint and devoted careers is no more veracious to the real thing than if it were a story of Alice Faye. It is simply another of those musicals which dig back into the past for a score of nostalgic ditties and some old-time vaudeville atmosphere; a film in which a songsmith falls in love with a honky-tonk girl and sticks with her through trials and tribulations until they finally emerge together on top. And if anyone goes expecting to see Ann Sheridan play Nora Bayes, or Dennis Morgan play Jack Norworth, this is to make it understood that you will not." According to Warner Bros. records, the film earned $2,557,000 domestically and $1,149,000 abroad.

References

External links

* * * {{David Butler 1944 films 1940s biographical films American biographical films American musical films Biographical films about singers Films directed by David Butler Films set in the 1900s Warner Bros. films Films scored by Heinz Roemheld Cultural depictions of pop musicians 1944 musical films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language musical films English-language biographical films