Songs: "Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya, Huh?" (Roy Smith, Roy Turk, Maceo Pinkard, sung by Piper Laurie), "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More" (Wendell Hall, sung by Charles Coburn and group), "Tiger Rag" (Jelly Roll Morton), "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue" (sung by college boys and girls), "When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along" (Harry Woods, sung by Coburn, Gigi Perreau, Lynn Bari).
Copyright 6 May 1952 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at the Mayfair: 4 July 1952. U.S. release: June 1952. U.K. release: August-September 1952. Australian release: 16 October 1952. 7,985 feet. 89 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Set in a small American town in 1928, this is a comedy about a struggling middle-class family who receive an unexpected gift of $100,000.
NOTES: Film debut of James Dean, and Douglas Sirk's first film in color.
COMMENT: An unexpected delight from start to finish. Hard to believe that gloomy old Sirk could fashion so vividly bright and valorously enjoyable a comedy of manners. True, the pace does slow down a mite after its screamingly screwball start when the action switches to Hilverton. But though the plot twists are expected, the script is so energetically played, it all seems ultra-fresh and vigorous.
Admittedly, it's hard to credit that our old aversion Rock Hudson could make so light and effervescently amusing a comedian. But he does. He's a riot. A pity he didn't pursue this vein. Of many chuckle-some scenes in which Rock figures, the most memorable is a wonderfully-timed sequence in which he attempts to teach Charles Coburn the art of mixing a strawberry surprise.
In fact the whole cast, led by the indomitable Coburn (who really has the star part, despite being placed third in the billing) is just perfection plus. If ever a screenplay was measured to order, this one is. Even Gigi Perreau is handed some side-splitting lines. Larry Gates has one of his best parts ever as the hard-pressed pharmacist, whilst Skip Homeier (who can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned) turns in a gloriously hissable study of the dark-dyed heavy.
Also to be especially lauded: Forrest Lewis as a grumpy druggist, Willard Waterman as a too-breezy doctor, Lynn Bari as the pushy wife, Piper Laurie as she-who-gets-pushed, and Laura La Plante (courtesy of a brief movie clip from the Universal archives) as an exercise enthusiast.
Superbly photographed and dressed in appropriately stylish Technicolor, "Has Anybody Seen My Gal" has an added nostalgia bonus in its inspired selection of contemporary songs. All given a nice, razzy. toe- tapping treatment too.
By the way, if you can spot James Dean, you're a more keen-eyed fan than I am.
Copyright 6 May 1952 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. New York opening at the Mayfair: 4 July 1952. U.S. release: June 1952. U.K. release: August-September 1952. Australian release: 16 October 1952. 7,985 feet. 89 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Set in a small American town in 1928, this is a comedy about a struggling middle-class family who receive an unexpected gift of $100,000.
NOTES: Film debut of James Dean, and Douglas Sirk's first film in color.
COMMENT: An unexpected delight from start to finish. Hard to believe that gloomy old Sirk could fashion so vividly bright and valorously enjoyable a comedy of manners. True, the pace does slow down a mite after its screamingly screwball start when the action switches to Hilverton. But though the plot twists are expected, the script is so energetically played, it all seems ultra-fresh and vigorous.
Admittedly, it's hard to credit that our old aversion Rock Hudson could make so light and effervescently amusing a comedian. But he does. He's a riot. A pity he didn't pursue this vein. Of many chuckle-some scenes in which Rock figures, the most memorable is a wonderfully-timed sequence in which he attempts to teach Charles Coburn the art of mixing a strawberry surprise.
In fact the whole cast, led by the indomitable Coburn (who really has the star part, despite being placed third in the billing) is just perfection plus. If ever a screenplay was measured to order, this one is. Even Gigi Perreau is handed some side-splitting lines. Larry Gates has one of his best parts ever as the hard-pressed pharmacist, whilst Skip Homeier (who can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned) turns in a gloriously hissable study of the dark-dyed heavy.
Also to be especially lauded: Forrest Lewis as a grumpy druggist, Willard Waterman as a too-breezy doctor, Lynn Bari as the pushy wife, Piper Laurie as she-who-gets-pushed, and Laura La Plante (courtesy of a brief movie clip from the Universal archives) as an exercise enthusiast.
Superbly photographed and dressed in appropriately stylish Technicolor, "Has Anybody Seen My Gal" has an added nostalgia bonus in its inspired selection of contemporary songs. All given a nice, razzy. toe- tapping treatment too.
By the way, if you can spot James Dean, you're a more keen-eyed fan than I am.