Small Town Girl *** (1953, Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Bobby Van, Ann Miller, Robert Keith, Billie Burke, S Z Sakall, Fay Wray, Nat King Cole, Chill Wills) – Classic Movie Review 13,644

MGM’s 1953 Technicolor musical film Small Town Girl stars Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Bobby Van, Ann Miller, Robert Keith, Billie Burke, S Z Sakall, Fay Wray, Nat King Cole, and Chill Wills. There’s no arguing with the cast or the sense of fun.

Director Leslie Kardos’s 1953 MGM musical film Small Town Girl stars Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Bobby Van, Ann Miller, Robert Keith, Billie Burke, S Z Sakall, Fay Wray, Nat King Cole, and Chill Wills. There’s no arguing with the cast, that’s for sure.

MGM’s small-time musical version of their 1936 romantic comedy Small Town Girl (with Janet Gaynor, Robert Taylor and James Stewart) isn’t perhaps really very thrilling. But it is very nice, and lifted by the performances of Jane Powell, youngster Bobby Van (who jumps through a whole number), Miller (‘My Gaucho’ plus ‘I’ve Gotta Hear that Beat’), and Nat King Cole (‘My Flaming Heart’), as well as the sparkling stagings of several dance numbers by choreographer Busby Berkeley. Ann Miller, Billie Burke, S Z Sakall and Fay Wray give it further lift-off.

Granger makes a handsome hero and gives a rather appealing performance as Rick Belrow Livingston, the young playboy jailed by Judge Gordon Kimbell (Robert Keith) for speeding through a small town, where he meets and falls for the daughter of the judge, the feisty Cindy Kimbell (Jane Powell), who replaces bold and brassy self-obsessed Broadway showgirl star Lisa (Ann Miller) in his affections. This is ironic, as Rick was speeding on his way to elope with Lisa. 

Cindy starts to fall for Rick but Papa Schlemmer (S Z Sakall) wants her to marry his son (Bobby Van) who wants a Broadway show career.

Songs by Leo Robin (lyrics) and Nicholas Brodszky (music).

‘My Flaming Heart’, with music by Nicholas Brodszky and lyrics by Leo Robin, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. This, and Bobby Van’s ‘Street Dance’, in which he hops all around town, are the film’s most memorable highlights, though Billie Burke is deliciously amusing as Rick’s mother, Mrs Livingston, and so is S Z Sakall as Papa Schlemmer. They might not do much hopping or singing, but Burke are Sakall are delights.

Bobby Van’s ‘Street Dance’ number is featured in Jack Haley Jr’s 1985 film That’s Dancing!

It cost $1,438,000, and earned $2,127,000, but MGM recorded a loss of $287,000.

It is reworked do much that it bears little relation to the 1936 MGM film Small Town Girl other than the title.

Hungarian film director, screenwriter and editor László Kardos (October 8, 1905 – April 11, 1962) spent the latter part of his film career in the US, where he worked as Leslie Kardos.

Cast: Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Bobby Van, Ann Miller, Robert Keith, Billie Burke, S Z Sakall, Fay Wray, Nat King Cole, Chill Wills, Dean Miller, William Campbell, Philip Tonge, Jonathan Cott, Bobby Hyatt, Rudy Lee, Beverly Wills, Marie Blake.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,644

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