best of: donald o'connor

There's No Business Like Show Business:


I Love Melvin


Call Me Madam


Anything Goes


and, of course, Singin' in the Rain

call me madam

the year: 1953

the genre: musical


the cast: Ethel Merman (Sally Adams); Donald O’Connor (Kenneth Gibson); Vera-Ellen (Princess Maria); George Sanders (General Cosmo Constantine); Billy De Wolfe (Pemberton Maxwell)




the plot: Sally Adams has made it her business to know everyone worth knowing in Washington D.C., and her penchant for parties pays off when she's appointed United States Ambassador to Lichtenburg. Once she is installed in her new position, she falls in love with suave Foreign Minister Cosmo Constantine, while Princess Maria has her head turned by Sally's press attaché, Kenneth.



don’t miss: Sally’s curtsy.



check out: another of my favorite “meet cutes” (see video below).


listen for: “Tell me - how does this reception differ from your famous Washington parties?” “Well we have a good time!”


did you know: Lichtenburg is actually a fictionalized name for Luxembourg. The character of Sally Adams is based on the real-life Perle Mesta (although the plot of the film is entirely fictional), and Perle Mesta was named Ambassador to Luxembourg by President Truman.



also check out: Sally’s promotion to Dame.

that funny feeling

the year: 1965

the genre: comedy


the cast: Sandra Dee (Joan Howell); Bobby Darin (Tom Milford); Donald O’Connor (Harvey Granson); Nita Talbot (Audrey); Larry Storch (Luther); Leo G. Carroll (Mr. O’Shea, the pawnbroker)


the plot: Joan Howell, a pretty maid-for-hire, meets and begins dating wealthy New York City businessman Tom Milford. Embarrassed about taking him back to the tiny apartment she shares with her roommate Audrey, Joan takes Tom to a fancy apartment that she cleans on a daily basis not knowing that it's his place. Tom plays along with the charade despite not knowing who Joan really is, especially at the insistence of his friend Harvey – who is hiding his priceless paintings at Tom’s house so his wife’s divorce lawyers won’t include them in the alimony equation.


count: how many wing-ding parties are held in Mr. Milford’s apartment.


don’t miss: the supporting characters – Audrey, Audrey’s boyfriend Luther, and Mr. O’Shea.


check out: the bartenders. Slightly reminiscent of I’d Rather Be Rich.


listen for: “This is the girl who took my place.” “Well, what's she doing in my place?” “She won't let me in my place so I had to call your place my place.”


extra bonus points: if you can name the other two movies in which Darin and Dee co-starred.

bits and pieces

No need to watch the whole movie, but you might enjoy this scene…

Gene Kelly dancing on rollerskates in It’s Always Fair Weather – complete with French subtitles -



Mitzi and Donald on deck in Anything Goes –



Fred and Ginger in The Berkleys of Broadway –



Dancing in the Dark from The Bandwagon –



Frank and Debbie in The Tender Trap –

singin' in the rain

the year: 1952

the genre: musical



the cast: Gene Kelly (Don Lockwood); Debbie Reynolds (Kathy Seldon); Donald O'Connor (Cosmo Brown); Jean Hagen (Lina Lamont)



the plot: It's 1927: Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the darlings of the silent silver screen. Offscreen, Don, aided by his happy-go-lucky friend and piano accompanist, Cosmo Brown, has to dodge Lina's romantic overtures, especially when he falls for chorus girl Kathy Selden. With the advent of sound in motion pictures, it is decided to turn Don and Lina's new film into a "talkie" and a musical at that. The only problem is Lina's voice, which words cannot describe. Kathy is brought on to dub her speaking and singing voice in secret, and Don's on top of the world - until Lina finds out...


count: the number of takes before R.F. pulls the rug (er, cord) out from under Lina.


don't miss: the diction lessons. Rrrrooooound tones.


check out: Cyd Charisse's role as the dancer in the Broadway Melody number. That role gave MGM the impetus to finally star her in pictures. Her next film was The Band Wagon (1953), starring Fred Astaire.


listen for: "People"? I ain't 'people.' I am a - 'a shimmering, glowing star in the cinema firmament.'"



also listen for: "Dignity. Always, dignity."



extra bonus points: if you can name the actress who played Zelda Zanders. She would later go on to star in The King and I and West Side Story.



did you know: Gene Kelly insulted Debbie Reynolds for not being able to dance. Fred Astaire, who was hanging around the studio, found her crying under a piano and helped her with her dancing.

i wanna...

Ride Vesapa scooters around Rome (from Roman Holiday).


Go on a cruise and visit beautiful tropical isles (from An Affair to Remember).


Dance in the rain (from Finian's Rainbow).


Tap dance with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor (from Singin' in the Rain).


And attend cooking school in Paris (from Sabrina).



Maybe we'll call it "I Wanna Wednesdays."