''Three Sailors and a Girl'' is a 1953

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 ...

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 brea ...

made by Warner Bros. It was directed by

Roy Del Ruth Roy Del Ruth (October 18, 1893, Delaware – April 27, 1961) was an American filmmaker. Early career Beginning his Hollywood career as a writer for Mack Sennett in 1915, Del Ruth later directed his first short film ''Hungry Lions'' (1919) ...

and written by

Devery Freeman Devery Freeman (February 13, 1913 – October 7, 2005) was a screenwriter, short-story writer, novelist, television producer, and union activist, who helped to establish the Writers Guild of America. His negotiations with studios resulted in the ...

and

Roland Kibbee Roland Kibbee (15 February 1914 in Monongahela, Pennsylvania – 5 August 1984 in Encino, California) was an award-winning American screenwriter and producer. He was a frequent collaborator and friend of actor-producer Burt Lancaster. Caree ...

, based on the

George S. Kaufman George Simon Kaufman (November 16, 1889June 2, 1961) was an American playwright, theater director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals for the Marx Brothers and other ...

play '' The Butter and Egg Man''. Ray Heindorf was the musical director, with orchestrations by Gus Levene, and vocal arrangements by Norman Luboff. Choreography was by LeRoy Prinz. The soundtrack features original songs with music composed by

Sammy Fain Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music. In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre ...

and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. As was the practice at the time, the soundtrack album was a studio recording apitol L-485 (10" LP) and FBF-485 (2 EP Box-Set) The

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...

album was released early in 1954, and featured eight of the songs from the Fein/Cahn songwriting team. The film's stars Jane Powell and

Gordon MacRae Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer and radio/television host who appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals '' Oklahoma!'' (1955) and ''Carousel'' (1956) and who p ...

are the featured vocalists. George Greeley conducted the orchestra and chorus. The album was re-issued and released on CD in 2006; it contained 12 more songs by MacRae.

Plot

While their submarine is docked in New York City, three sailors on liberty invest the money they've earned at sea in a Broadway musical and its up-and-coming star. Choirboy Jones (

) carries a gunnysack stuffed with $50,000 in cash from his fellow sailors. Joe Woods (

Sam Levene Sam Levene (born Scholem Lewin; August 28, 1905 – December 28, 1980) was a Russian Empire-born American Broadway, film, radio, and television actor and director. In a career spanning over five decades, he appeared in over 50 comedy and dr ...

), producing a new show starring the singer Emilio Rossi ( George Givot), is delighted to find a new investor, but female lead Penny Weston ( Jane Powell) is worried that the boys are in over their heads. After the show's out-of-town opening is a flop, Woods, Rossi and even the author want out. Penny consults some distinguished Broadway artists for their advice, which includes casting the talented singer Jones, dancer Twitch ( Gene Nelson) and comic Porky ( Jack E. Leonard) in key roles. The show is a smash and the sailors reap a handsome return on their investment, with Jones and Penny falling in love as a bonus.

Cast

* Jane Powell as Penny Weston *

as "Choirboy" Jones * Gene Nelson as Twitch *

as Joe Woods * Jack E. Leonard as Porky * George Givot as Emilio Rossi * Veda Ann Borg as Faye Foss * Archer MacDonald as Webster * Raymond Greenleaf as Morrow * Henry Slate as Hank the Sailor

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor and producer. Initially known for playing tough guys with a tender heart, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-yea ...

made an uncredited cameo appearance at the end, playing a Marine who hesitantly asks about taking over the starring role in the musical after Jones has to return to the Navy. Joe Woods brushes him off. When a woman asks why he was so brusque, Joe tells her that the Marine looked too much like Burt Lancaster. Merv Griffin also appeared uncredited as one of the sailors.

Jack Larson Jack Edward Larson (February 8, 1928 – September 20, 2015) was an American actor, librettist, screenwriter and producer best known for his portrayal of photographer/cub reporter Jimmy Olsen on the television series '' Adventures of Superm ...

who played

Jimmy Olsen Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Olsen is most often portrayed as a young photojournalist working for the '' Daily Planet''. He is close friends with Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and ha ...

in the TV series '' Adventures of Superman'' appeared uncredited as a sailor.

Soundtrack songs

* "Face to Face" - Music by

; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "You're But Oh Right" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "There Must Be a Reason" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "When It's Love" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "I Get Butterflies" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "Kiss Me or I'll Scream" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "The Lately Song" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "Show Me a Happy Woman (and I'll Show you a Miserable Man)" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "It's Going to Be a Big Hit" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "Home Is Where the Heart Is" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * "My Heart Is a Singing Heart" - Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn * " Embraceable You" - Music by

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

; Lyrics by

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

* "The Japanese Sandman" - Words and Music by Richard a Whiting (background in nightclub scene) * " The Marines' Hymn" - Music by Jacques Offenbach

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Three Sailors And A Girl 1950s English-language films 1953 films 1953 musical films American musical films Fictional quartets Films directed by Roy Del Ruth Films scored by Ray Heindorf Warner Bros. films 1950s American films