That's right, there is quite a lengthy minstrel production, with many faces heavily smeared with blackface grease. But, I for one, see nothing offensive about the production, for African Americans. Please, put away your knee -jerk reaction to blackface, and give it a chance!. This is supposed to be a biopic about notable Irish American actor, singer, and song writer Chauncey Olcott, and he went through his minstrel period. ............... Dennis Morgan(Not to be confused with Irish tenor and actor Dennis Day) was the perfect actor and singer to play Olcott, with his easy going, optimistic, manner, sparkling blue eyes gracing a handsome smiley face, and great singing voice that gave the impression that he was a true classic Irish tenor, although he was actually of Swedish ancestry. Incidentally, Dennis was supposedly the soloist in the lavish "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" production, in the award-winning "The Great Ziegfeld": his first Hollywood singing role. But, inexplicably, he was dubbed!...........This was the first Hollywood feature film role for Dennis's leading lady: Arlene Dahl, who sported a carrot top, in keeping with her characterization as an Irish American debutante. However, again, she was not actually of Irish ancestry, but Norwegian! She would become one of the leading 'red'heads of late '40s and early '50s Hollywood. After quitting acting, she took up writing books and columns on astrology and beauty. With the recent deaths of Doris Day, Marge Champion, Olivia de Havilland, and fellow redhead Rhonda Fleming(with whom she is often confused), at age 96, she is certainly one of the very few, and one of the oldest living Hollywood star of the '40s and early '50s! ................. Little -remembered Andrea King played the famous actress and singer Lillian Russell: Olcott's apparent girlfriend for a while, while she sponsored his introduction to Broadway, as her partner. Arlene, as Rose Donovan, became jealous of what she read in the newspaper about the two, and visited Lillian to stress her claim on Olcott. Lillian told her not to be too concerned, as her boss was moving her to another assignment, and Olcott wouldn't be following her. Like Lillian, Andrea had a great singing voice(assuming that was actually her voice!), although I could find no indication that she was ever billed as a singer. .............Pint-sized Ben Blue was included in the occasional musical, mostly for his supposed comedy value. However, he seldom impressed me with his attempts at physical comedy. However, he's more effective than usual here, serving as Dennis's often clumsy, dim-witted, sidekick, most of the time. Dennis was also capable of generating humor. ........... William Frawley(of later fame on the "I Love Lucy" TV series), played notable Irish American singer William Scanlon, who was now in trouble with his faltering voice and alcoholism. Olcott joined his troupe as his heir apparent. Scanlon was unable to perform a show, so Olcott took his place. Initially, booed, the crowd soon warmed up to Dennis's singing voice, and Scanlon gave him a plug as his replacement upon his imminent retirement............Don McGuire plays the handsome, presumably cultured, Terry O'Rourke: Olcott's rival for the affections of Rose. He seems a stuffed shirt, for lack of further characterization, and is quite jealous of Rose's attention to Olcott. Rose appears to favor Olcott, but her father, played by the charismatic Alan Hale, won't consider a minstrel player a viable suitor. O'Rourke arranges for a squad of toughs to rough up Olcott and warn him to keep away from Rose. But, Olcott, along with his roommates: Ben Blue, and the big, strong, George O'Brien, as 'Duke', eventually prevail and literally kick the thugs into the street! ........... Finally, Rose's father sees Olcott perform on the stage, for an Irish audience, and is impressed. After the show, he and Olcott retire to adjacent steam bath units. Olcott begins talking about what if the father of his current girlfriend won't let them marry. Hale recommends that they elope, not realizing that Olcott's girlfriend is his daughter. Olcott takes his advice, and the 2 soon elope. Hale demands that they have a conventional church wedding and Olcott agrees. Olcott and company put on a final musical show, with Olcott singing "My Wild Irish Rose", which he composed, although I detected nothing 'wild' about the prim and proper Rose, aside from her sudden elopement. ........... Olcott's widow wrote his biography after his death. Published in 1939, it's long been out of print, and the rare copies fetch a handsome premium. This was a historical source for some of the screenplay. Unfortunately, her name wasn't Rose.
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