''Springtime in the Rockies'' is an American

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 ...

musical

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

released by

Twentieth Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

in 1942. It stars Betty Grable, with support from John Payne,

Carmen Miranda Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955), known professionally as Carmen Miranda (), was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", she was known for her signature ...

, Cesar Romero, Charlotte Greenwood, and Edward Everett Horton. Also appearing were Grable's future husband

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but ...

and his band. The director was

Irving Cummings Irving Cummings (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy (play), Diplomacy''. His Broadway theatre, Broadway, p ...

. The screenplay was based on the short story "Second Honeymoon" by

Philip Wylie Philip Gordon Wylie (May 12, 1902 – October 25, 1971) was an American writer of works ranging from pulp science fiction, mysteries, social diatribes and satire to ecology and the threat of nuclear holocaust. Early life and career Born in Bever ...

Plot

During the thirty-fourth week of their hit Broadway show, dancer Vicky Lane awaits the arrival of her partner, Dan Christy, but as usual, he is late. Vicky thinks that Dan is buying her an engagement ring and is infuriated to discover that he has been on a date with socialite Marilyn Crothers. Fed up with Dan's womanizing and insensitivity, Vicky quits the show and returns to her former dancing partner and beau, Victor Prince, who is still in love with her. Three months pass as Dan sinks into a depression and cannot find a backer for his new show. He sits in bars, drinking by himself. His agent, "the Commissioner", tells him that financiers Bickel and Brown will back his show, but only if he can get Vicky to return. Dan is pessimistic, for Vicky and Victor are beginning a new engagement with Harry James and His Music Makers at the Lake Louise resort in the Canadian Rockies. The Commissioner tells Dan to romance Vicky so that she will come back, and not tell her about Bickel and Brown until she arrives in New York. He then asks bartender McTavish to get the drunken Dan on the next plane to Lake Louise. When Dan awakens sometime later, he finds himself at the Canadian resort and learns that he has hired McTavish as his valet and Rosita Murphy, who was working in the souvenir shop at the Detroit airport, as his secretary. McTavish is an eccentric whose wealthy aunt bankrolled him to several college degrees. Dan meets Vicky, who happily shows off her engagement ring from Victor. Dan is discouraged but hits upon the scheme of making Vicky jealous by romancing Rosita. His plan appears to be working until Vicky learns the truth from Rosita, who has aroused the interest of Victor, although she prefers McTavish. Vicky's friend, Phoebe Gray, is also intrigued by McTavish, and the couples spend much time pursuing and arguing with each other. One evening, Dan barges into Vicky's room and refuses to leave even when she summons Victor. He hides, but is discovered by Victor, who accuses Vicky of being unfaithful, and she breaks off their engagement. Later that evening, Vicky and Dan reconcile. Dan proposes marriage and promises to be honest with her. He tries to tell her about the new show, but she rushes off to plan their departure the next morning. So instead he suggests a honeymoon in New York. As she is checking out in the morning, Vicky meets the Commissioner, and Bickel and Brown, who have just arrived. They spill the beans about the show. Thinking that Dan is using her once again, Vicky runs off in tears, but quick-thinking Rosita covers up for Dan, convincing Vicky that he intended to take her to California for their honeymoon. In the process, however, Bickel and Brown are lost as backers and Rosita must persuade McTavish to invest some of his inheritance in the show. The show opens with Vicky and Dan as the star performers, supported by Harry James, Rosita and Victor, and McTavish and Phoebe.

Cast

* Betty Grable as Vicky Lane * John Payne as Dan Christy *

as Rosita Murphy * Cesar Romero as Victor Prince * Charlotte Greenwood as Phoebe Gray * Edward Everett Horton as McTavish *

as Himself *

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

as "the Commissioner" (uncredited) *

Chick Chandler Fehmer Christy "Chick" Chandler (January 18, 1905 – September 30, 1988) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 130 films from 1925 through the mid-1950s. Chandler was known for his starring role as Toubo Smith in ...

as Stage Manager * Iron Eyes Cody as White Cloud *

Dick Elliott Richard Damon Elliott (April 30, 1886 – December 22, 1961) was an American character actor who played in over 240 films from the 1930s until the time of his death. Early years Elliott was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Career Elliott p ...

as Mr. Jeepers *

Bess Flowers Bess Flowers (November 23, 1898 – July 28, 1984) was an American actress best known for her work as an extra in hundreds of films. She was known as "The Queen of the Hollywood Extras," appearing in more than 350 feature films and numerous ...

as Mrs. Jeepers * Helen Forrest as Herself * Harry Hayden as Mr. Brown *

Russell Hicks Edward Russell Hicks (June 4, 1895 – June 1, 1957) was an American film character actor. Hicks was born in 1895 in Baltimore, Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the ...

as Man in Dark with Lighter * George Lloyd * Dona Massin * Carole Mathews * Jewel McGowan * Aloísio de Oliveira as Patrick Murphy, Jr. * Frank Orth as Mr. Bickel * John Roche * Mary Stuart * Charles Tannen as Backstage Call Boy (voice) * Margo Woode

Production

Although Wylie's story was published as "Second Honeymoon", it was purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox under the title "Worship the Sun". An article published by ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' noted that Frederick Jackson was working on the picture's script, but the extent of his contribution to the completed film has not been confirmed. According to a 20 December 1941 story outline, contained in the Twentieth Century-Fox Produced Scripts Collection at the UCLA Library,

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz, May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, musician, choreographer, and presenter, whose career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He is widely regarded as the "g ...

and

Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, saxophonist, bandleader, actor, and entertainer. He was the first male singer to rise from local radio broadcasts in New York Ci ...

were originally considered for the male leads. According to the Records of the Legal Department, also at UCLA, the studio paid $1,000 for a waiver from Villa Moret Inc., holders of the copyright to the song "When It's Springtime in the Rockies", for the use of the title. The legal records also reveal that Twentieth Century-Fox paid approximately $1,160 to

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures is currently an acquisition-only label owned by Paramount Pictures. Its history dates back to Republic Pictures Corporation, an American film studio that originally operated from 1935 to 1967, based in Los Angeles, California ...

, which had prior claim on the title for use on a

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

picture. That film was then released as '' Romance on the Range'' in 1942. A 22 June 1942 studio press release noted that the songs "Magazines" and "I Like to Be Loved by You", by

Mack Gordon Mack Gordon (born Morris Gittler; June 21, 1904 – February 28, 1959) was an American lyricist for the stage and film. He was nominated for the best original song Oscar nine times in 11 years, including five consecutive years between 1940 and 1 ...

and

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

, were to be included in the film, but they were not in the finished picture. According to a ''

'' news item, the studio intended to shoot the picture on location at Lake Louise in Canada due to "defense regulations hindering exterior shooting in the Hollywood area". Only background shots were filmed in Canada, however. " I Had the Craziest Dream", which is sung by

's band singer Helen Forrest in the film, became one of Betty Grable's signature songs. Grable and James were married in 1943, and according to modern sources, they named their first-born daughter, Victoria Elizabeth, after the character Grable played in this film. The couple were divorced in 1965.

Other versions

Twentieth Century-Fox first filmed Wylie's story in 1936 under the title ''Second Honeymoon''. That picture was directed by

Walter Lang Walter Lang (August 10, 1896 – February 7, 1972) was an American film director. Early life Walter Lang was born in Tennessee. As a young man he went to New York City where he found clerical work at a film production company. The business p ...

and starred

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

and

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Michaela Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1989. She received numerous honors including an Academy Awards ...

Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by the Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shirt and cap with ...

quacks a version of the song while bathing in the 1938 short ''

Mickey's Trailer ''Mickey's Trailer'' is a 1938 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The cartoon stars Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy on a near disastrous road trip in a travel trailer. It was ...

''. Grable starred with Dick Powell in the ''

Lux Radio Theatre ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a old-time radio, classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the Blue Network, NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of A ...

'' version of the story, broadcast on 22 May 1944. The legal records reveal that in 1946, the studio intended to film another remake, entitled ''Autumn in Acapulco'', but that version was never produced.

Box office

''Springtime in the Rockies'' was a big hit for Grable and for Fox: it grossed about $2 million, and was among the ten most successful films at the box office in 1942.

Critical views

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 that "aside from the settings and stunning costumes, practically everything in ''Springtime in the Rockies'' has a drearily familiar air."

Soundtracks

* ''Run, Little Raindrop, Run'' ** Music by

** Lyrics by

** Performed by Betty Grable and John Payne * '' I Had the Craziest Dream'' ** Music by Harry Warren ** Lyrics by Mack Gordon ** Played during the opening credits and often throughout the picture * '' Chattanooga Choo Choo'' ** Music by Harry Warren ** Lyrics by Mack Gordon ** Portuguese lyrics by Aloísio de Oliveira * ''A Poem Set to Music'' ** Music by Harry Warren ** Lyrics by Mack Gordon ** Performed by Harry James and His Orchestra * ''O 'Tic-Tac' do Meu Coração'' ** Written by Alcyr Pires Vermelho and Walfrido Silva ** Performed by Carmen Miranda with Bando da Lua * ''Pan American Jubilee'' ** Music by Harry Warren ** Lyrics by Mack Gordon ** Portuguese lyrics by Aloysio De Oliveira * '' Serenade in Blue'' ** Music by Harry Warren ** Played during the bar scene * ''Two O'Clock Jump'' ** Written by

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

and

** Performed by Harry James and His Orchestra * ''

You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It) "You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" is a popular song from 1913 composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. It was introduced by Al Jolson in the Broadway revue '' The Honeymoon Express'' (1913), and used in the ...

'' ** Music by James V. Monaco ** Performed by Harry James and His Orchestra * '' I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)'' ** Music by Harry Warren ** Played when Rosita is introduced * '' Chica Chica Boom Chic'' ** Music by Harry Warren ** Played by the band at the restaurant * '' At Last'' ** Music by Harry Warren ** Played by the band at the restaurant * '' Sleepy Lagoon'' ** Music by Eric Coates ** Heard during the hotel room scene with the roses * '' Ciribiribin'' ** Music by A. Pestalozza

References

External links

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Springtime in the Rockies
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Family Friendly Movies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Springtime In The Rockies 1942 films 1942 musical comedy films 20th Century Fox films American musical comedy films 1940s English-language films Films scored by Alfred Newman Films directed by Irving Cummings Films based on works by Philip Wylie 1940s American films English-language musical comedy films