George Sidney

Arthur Kipps, an orphan apprenticed to a tyrannical owner of a mercantile, has a sudden abrupt change of life when his wealthy grandfather dies and leaves him a pile of money. Arthur Kipps, an orphan apprenticed to a tyrannical owner of a mercantile, has a sudden abrupt change of life when his wealthy grandfather dies and leaves him a pile of money. —Suzanne Houghton <tpk@infonaut.com> As a young boy, Arthur Kipps becomes an orphan and is entrusted to a miserly shopkeeper who caters in ladies' fashion but keeps his knavish staff in Dickensian poverty. Arthur grows into a slick womanizing salesman, able to secure dates but utterly lacking the self-confidence to aspire proper relationships, feeling 'unworthy' of young ladies. That changes when his grandfather's testament leaves him a home and yearly income worthy of a proper gentleman. After diving into theater, London nightlife and traveling the world, he returns, missing his friends, and seeking his way into society, despite his utter lack of upper class education. As winner of the regatta the fancy Walsingham family sponsors, he is engaged to their posh daughter. However his childhood first love Ann, now a maid, turns up to scold his engagement, which he ultimately breaks because they socialites treat Ann badly. They get married instead, but her unwillingness to 'rise up in society' with him causes ever more tension, and financial trouble lurks. —KGF Vissers

A rock singer travels to a small Ohio town to make his "farewell" television performance and kiss his biggest fan before he is drafted. Conrad Birdie is the biggest rock & roll star of the 60's ever to be drafted. Aspiring chemist and song writer Albert is convinced he can make his fortune and marry his girlfriend Rosie if he gets Conrad on the Ed Sullivan show to kiss a high school girl goodbye. Albert's mother will do anything to break him up with Rosie. Kim and Hugo, the high school steadies, live in Sweet Apple, Ohio where most of the action takes place. —Lisa Grable <grable@unity.ncsu.edu> Conrad Birdie, arguably the biggest rock and roll superstar in the world, has just been drafted, which brings his legion of teen-aged female fans marching in the streets in protest. One other person not happy about Birdie being drafted is struggling songwriter Albert F. Peterson, a mama's boy of a man who was finally going to hit the big time when one of his songs was to be featured in a Birdie movie. Rosie DeLeon, Albert's long suffering secretary and fiancée of six years, pitches an idea to Ed Sullivan: have Birdie appear on his television program, The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) kissing one of his fans as a symbolic goodbye to all his fans, while he sings a yet to be written song by Albert to be called "One Last Kiss". Sullivan buys the idea. Rosie is hoping that this move will bring financial security to Albert, who will then be able to support his mama, ex-vaudevillian Mae Peterson who wanted Albert to go into show business instead of his want to become a bio-chemist, and marry her (of course if Mama allows the marriage, she who doesn't even know they're engaged). The fan chosen is Kim McAfee of Sweet Apple, Ohio. Up until being chosen as the recipient of Birdie's kiss, Kim's sole focus in life was being pinned by her boyfriend, Hugo Peabody. Birdie's presence in Sweet Apple brings up many issues which may thwart Rosie and Albert's plans, including a jealous Hugo, an exasperated Harry McAfee (Kim's father), and a ballooning line-up on the show, all these problems which Rosie and Albert try to manage. The ultimate problem may be outside of Rosie and Albert's control, except for a little assistance of some bio-chemistry hopefully to solve the problem. Regardless, Rosie, in the end, may only be able to take so much of Albert siding with Mama instead of her. —Huggo When the draft selects rock star Conrad Birdie (Pearson), his fans are devastated, but none more than struggling songwriter Albert Peterson (van Dyke), whose song Birdie was just about to record. Albert's longtime girlfriend, Rosie (Leigh), pushes Albert to write a new tune that Birdie will perform on television to a fan selected in a contest. The scheme works, with young Ohio teenager Kim McAfee (Ann-Margaret) declared the winner, but no one has counted on the jealous wrath of her boyfriend. None-too-successful songwriter Alberto Paterson hatches a plot with his secretary - and long-suffering girlfriend - to get rock-and-roll phenomenon Conrad Birdie to sing one of his songs on the Ed Sullivan show. The pop star would then symbolically sing goodbye to a young man chosen at random from the country's manhood, this being his last appearance before being drafted. Complicated to start with, things get more tricky as everyone including Alberto's clinging mother descend on the small town where the chosen man lives. Even Alberto's biological inventions come in useful. —Jeremy Perkins {J-26}

The life of 1920s actress Jeanne Eagels. A largely fictionalized account of the career of actress Jeanne Eagels, whose fame was both on stage and on the screen in the 1910s and 1920s, is presented. After losing in a rigged carnival beauty pageant, winning which she believed would be her first step to becoming a serious actress, Jeanne joins the traveling carnival itself under the guidance of the pageant organizer, Sal Satori, who features her in a variety of carnival stage shows. But it's when the carnival approaches New York City that Jeanne demonstrates how she truly mapped out her road to acting fame even before meeting Sal. Under the tutelage of renowned acting coach Nellie Neilson, Jeanne, who does possess true acting talent, is given her big acting break and does achieve fame on the Broadway stage, and ultimately also in Hollywood films. Jeanne is not averse to doing whatever is required to advance her career, even at the expense of others. Achieving fame so quickly takes its toll on Jeanne, who turns to alcohol and drugs which would lead to her tragic end. Although other men would come and go over her life, Sal, who ends up joining forces with his brother in operating lucrative Coney Island attractions, is one constant, he who fell in love with and wanted to marry her.

Joey Evans is a charming, handsome, funny, talented 1st class, A-Number 1 heel. When Joey meets the former chorus girl and now rich widow Vera Simpson, the pair of lecherous souls seem made for each other. Joey Evans is a charming, handsome, funny, talented 1st class, A Number One heel. When Joey meets the former chorus girl ("she used to be 'Vera...with the vanishing veils'") and now rich widow, Vera Simpson, the pair of lecherous souls seem made for each other. That is, until Linda English comes along. Linda's a "mouse on the chorus line" and built like there's no tomorrow. But she's the typical good little girl from a good little home - just the right ingredient to louse up Joey's set-up. —A.L.Beneteau <albl@inforamp.net>

The life story of the famous pianist and band leader of the 1930s and 1940s. In the late 20's, the talkative newly graduated in pharmacy and aspirant piano player Eddy Duchin comes from Boston to New York expecting to play with the orchestra of Leo Reisman at fancy New York's Central Park Casino. However he had misunderstood the invitation of the maestro and while leaving the place, he meets the wealthy socialite Marjorie Oelrichs that asks Leo Reisman to give a chance to Eddy. He plays in the intermission and becomes a successful piano showman. Two years later, Marjorie and Eddy get married and in the Christmas, Marjorie has a baby, Peter, but she dies after the delivery. Eddy rejects Peter blaming him for the death of Marjorie and only five years later he meets his son. With the World War II, Eddy Duchin breaks up his band and enlists to fight in the war. With the end of the war, Eddy returns to New York with the intention of getting closer to Peter but he sees the boy connected to his friend Chiquita. When Eddy discovers that he has a terminal disease, he proposes Chiquita and they get married. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil In the early 1930s, Bostonian Eddy Duchin, just having graduated from pharmacy school, decides instead to go to New York City to pursue his dream of becoming a rich and famous pianist, especially as he has a standing job offer from band leader Leo Reisman to play in his band which performs at the Central Park Casino. Reisman had heard Eddy's makeshift band play while Eddy was still in college. Despite Eddy's easy-going performing style and natural charisma on stage, the job offer is not as he believes. Eddy does, however, manage to rise to professional musical renown with the help of who becomes his biggest booster, New York socialite and interior designer Marjorie Oelrichs, who works because she does not want to be beholden to easy money. But Eddy's life in New York does not end up as he wants due primarily to a personal tragedy. He runs away from everything associated with that tragedy, which he believes was his own doing. It becomes easier to do so with the onset of WWII. But when Eddy decides to embrace life again - especially one specific outcome of that tragedy - Eddy finds that it is not as easy as he would like. He may be able to understand how to find that happiness he so desires the second time around with the help of Englishwoman, "Chiquita" Wynn, unless... —Huggo

Two mayors meet at a convention and, despite their contrasting personalities and views, find themselves attracted to one other. At a Mayor's convention in San Francisco, California, ex-longshoreman Steve Fisk meets Clarissa Standish from New England. Fisk is Mayor of Puget City, and is proud of his rough and tumble background. Standish is Mayor of Winona, Maine, and is equally proud of her education and dedication to the people who elected her. Thrown together, the two opposites attract, and their escapades during the convention get each of them in hot water back home. —Ron Kerrigan <mvg@whidbey.com> Steve (Clark Gable) and Clarissa (Loretta Young) inadvertantly get caught up in shenanigans in a series of adventures during a Mayor's convention in San Francisco, California. Frank Morgan is along to keep it light and fun. Raymond Burr tries to throw a monkey wrench into the works. —ksf-2

After eight months at sea, sailors Clarence Doolittle and Joseph Brady are granted a four-day shore leave in Hollywood, California. Joe, an incorrigible philanderer, plans to see one of his sweethearts while on leave, and later offers the shy and bookish Clarence advice on how to meet women. Clarence and Joe set out to find their shore leave romances but their plans are soon thwarted by a police sergeant, who demands that they help him with an unusual situation involving a young boy named Donald Martin. The police sergeant explains that Donald has run away from home to join the Navy and refuses to tell the police where he lives. Joe and Clarence easily win Donald's trust and agree to escort him home, where he lives with his widowed aunt, Susan Abbott. While Joe is eager to avoid any further involvement with the young boy, Clarence falls in love with Susan and promises to return the following day. When Joe and Clarence return to Susan's, they meet Bertram Kraler, a man Susan hopes will introduce her to the famous maestro José Iturbi. As Susan dresses for her date, Joe, convinced that Bertram is a new suitor who will only get in the way of Clarence's romantic pursuit of Susan, scares Bertram away by suggesting that Susan is a notorious Navy sweetheart. When Susan learns what Joe has done, she breaks down in tears and believes that her chances at breaking into show business are doomed. Joe tries to comfort Susan but only makes matters worse for himself when he tells her that Clarence and Iturbi are good friends and that he can arrange an audition for her. With her faith in Joe and Clarence restored, Susan takes them to a Mexican restaurant and sings a song for them. While Joe dances with Susan, Clarence meets a friendly waitress, whom he nicknames "Brooklyn," after their hometown. Realizing that he must honor Joe's promise to Susan for an audition with Iturbi, Clarence tries unsuccessfully to meet with Iturbi at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios. Meanwhile, Joe, who has become quite fond of Donald and Susan, tells Donald's classmates a story about his experience in a mythical kingdom populated by animals: In the kingdom, Joe discovers that the animals that live there are sad because their mouse king has prohibited them from singing. Determined to help the animals, Joe visits their unhappy king and shows him the beauty of song and dance. Joe's story concludes with the king repealing his edict and allowing the animals to sing. As a new romance develops between Clarence and Brooklyn, Joe falls in love with Susan. One day, Susan has a chance encounter with Iturbi and discovers that Joe and Clarence have been deceiving her and do not really know Iturbi. Feeling embarrassed and betrayed, Susan breaks down in tears. Iturbi, however, understands her situation and arranges a screen test for her. The test is a great success, and Iturbi soon presents Susan at one of his shows. Before returning to his ship, Joe makes amends with Susan, and Clarence and Brooklyn embrace.