''You're My Everything'' is a 1949 American

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

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

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 starring

Dan Dailey Daniel James Dailey Jr. (December 14, 1915 – October 16, 1978) was an American actor and dancer. He is best remembered for a series of popular musicals he made at 20th Century Fox such as '' Mother Wore Tights'' (1947). Biography Early life D ...

and

Anne Baxter Anne Baxter (May 7, 1923 – December 12, 1985) was an American actress, star of Hollywood films, Broadway theatre, Broadway productions, and television series. She won an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe, and t ...

Plot

In 1924

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, a starstruck Hannah Adams waits outside in the rain to meet Tim O'Connor, who has just performed in a musical on stage. She invites him home to meet her family, and soon they are in love and engaged to be married. Tim is offered a Hollywood

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. It is typically a secondary or later stage in the audition process. The performer is generally given a scene, or sel ...

, and Hannah is asked to read with him. However, it is she who is offered a contract following the test, and she becomes a star in

silent films A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

. At the advent of sound, she retires to have a baby and live with Tim on a farm. Tim takes their daughter Jane to studio chief Henry Mercer when a child's role in a film becomes available. Hannah hesitantly agrees to permit her daughter to appear in just one film, but Tim conceals the fact that Jane has been offered a three-film contract. The conflict threatens to fracture the family.

Cast

as Timothy O'Connor *

as Hannah Adams *

Anne Revere Anne Revere (June 25, 1903 – December 18, 1990) was an American actress and a liberal member of the board of the Screen Actors' Guild. She was best known for her work on Broadway and her portrayals of mothers in a series of critically accla ...

as Aunt Jane *

Stanley Ridges Stanley Charles Ridges (17 July 1890 – 22 April 1951) was an English-born American actor who made more than 100 appearances in theatre and movies from 1917 to 1951. After his American film debut in ''Success'' (1923), he appeared in films su ...

as Mr. Henry Mercer *Shari Robinson as Jane O'Connor *

Henry O'Neill Henry O'Neill (August 10, 1891 – May 18, 1961) was an American actor known for playing gray-haired fathers, lawyers, and similarly dignified roles on film during the 1930s and 1940s. Early life Henry O'Neill was born in Orange, New J ...

as Prof. Adams *

Selena Royle Selena Royle (November 6, 1904 – April 23, 1983) was an American actress of stage, radio, television and film and later, an author. Early life and career Actress Royle was born in New York City to playwright Edwin Milton Royle and actress Se ...

as Mrs. Adams *

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray MM (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army ...

as Joe Blanton * Robert Arthur as Harold *

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

as Butler

Production

Jeanne Crain Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her title role in ''Pinky (film), Pinky'' (1949). She also starred in the films ''In the Meantime, Da ...

and Dan Dailey were announced as the leads in August 1948, with filming scheduled for October, but Crain's pregnancy caused her to withdraw from the project in September, with her role given to Anne Baxter. However, Baxter had never danced in a feature film and took a rushed set of Charleston lessons to prepare. She also researched the professional and personal life of

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

, from whom the Hannah Adams character is patterned the film. By October, the role of Jane had not been cast and the producers were frantically searching for a child actress to play the part, but nine-year-old Shari Robinson was selected from among more than 100 girls who tested for the role. The search was considered the studio's effort to identify the next

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

, and Robinson's hair was lightened and curled for the film in order to resemble a young Temple. Although Twentieth Century-Fox insisted that the role of Jane was not intended to mimic Temple, Robinson performs Temple's signature song "

On the Good Ship Lollipop "On the Good Ship Lollipop" is a song composed by Richard A. Whiting with lyrics by Sidney Clare. It was the signature song of child actress Shirley Temple. Temple first sang it in the 1934 film '' Bright Eyes''. In the song, the "Good Ship L ...

" in the film. Production began in mid-November 1948 and wrapped in January 1949.

Release

''You're My Everything'' was afforded a lavish gala premiere at

Grauman's Chinese Theatre Grauman's Chinese Theatre, known as the Chinese colloquially and officially billed as TCL Chinese Theatre for sponsorship reasons, is a movie palace on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, Unite ...

on June 29, 1949, reportedly Hollywood's grandest premiere in 10 years, as the lavish premieres of the 1920s and 1930s had given way to quieter events during and after World War II. As part of the spectacle, Baxter drove down

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollyw ...

to the theater in the 1910 Ford seen in the film, and a 20-piece band played songs from the film in front of the theater.

Reception

In a contemporary review for ''The New York Times'', critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

wrote: "Having made itself famous and monotonous with its series of backstage musicals about

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 ...

hoofers, song-writers and

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she p ...

s who 'arrive' on Broadway, Twentieth Century-Fox suddenly figured to look behind its own scenes for the atmosphere and the makings of a nostalgic musical show. And, by George, it couldn't have done better, for it has come up in 'You're My Everything' with a bright spoof of Hollywood careerdom."

Radio adaptation

''You're My Everything'' was first presented on the radio in a one-hour adaptation starring Baxter and

Phil Harris Wonga Philip Harris (June 24, 1904 – August 11, 1995) was an American actor, bandleader, entertainer and singer. He was an orchestra leader and a pioneer in radio situation comedy, first with '' The Jack Benny Program'', then in '' The Phil ...

on ''

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 ...

'' on November 27, 1950. Harris was a last-minute replacement for Dailey, who was ill. The story was repeated on ''Lux Radio Theatre'' on February 23, 1953, starring Dailey and

References

External links

* {{Walter Lang 1949 films 1949 musical comedy films 20th Century Fox films American musical comedy films 1940s English-language films Films scored by Alfred Newman Films about actors Films directed by Walter Lang Films set in the 1920s Films with screenplays by Lamar Trotti 1940s American films English-language musical comedy films