state fair

the year: 1945

the genre: musical


the cast: Jeanne Crain (Margy Frake); Dana Andrews (Pat Gilbert); Dick Haymes (Wayne Frake); Vivian Blaine (Emily Edwards); Charles Winniger (Abel Frake); Fay Bainter (Melissa Frake)



the plot: a glimpse into the life of the farming Frake family and their three-day adventure at the Iowa State Fair. While parents Abel and Melissa are hoping to win a few blue ribbons, siblings Margy and Wayne are more interested in finding romance on the midway.



count: how many blue ribbons the Frakes bring home.


don't miss: the mincemeat judge (hic!) or Harry Morgan as the dishonest carnival barker.



watch for: another of my favorite meet-cutes. Hmmmm...maybe I should try riding another roller coaster.



listen for: "One shoe off and the other shoe off. Diddle diddle dumpling my son John. Hey, that don't rhyme like it used to."


did you know: Dana Andrews was a trained opera singer but his voice was dubbed because the studio was unaware of that fact. He later explained that he didn't correct their mistake because he felt the singer dubbing him probably needed the money and he didn't want to put anyone out of work.


extra bonus points: if you can name the movie Vivian Blaine would star in ten years later. (Hint: it also starred Frank Sinatra.)


also listen for: "Biggest boar in the world, I bet." "All depends on how you spell it."

the best years of our lives

the year: 1946

the genre: drama


the cast: Myrna Loy (Milly Stephenson); Fredric March (Al Stephenson); Dana Andrews (Fred Derry); Teresa Wright (Peggy Stephenson); Virginia Mayo (Marie Derry); Hoagy Carmichael (Butch Engle); Harold Russell (Homer Parrish)


the plot: At the end of World War II, a soldier, a sailor and an airman return to their hometown and must re-adjust to the society they left several years before.

Al Stephenson returns home to find that his children have grown up and he has to re-establish the relationship with his loving wife. He also finds it difficult to be the hardhearted banker he seemingly once was.

Fred Derry was an Air Force Officer and Bombardier uring the war, but realizes upon his return that he has no marketable skills. He finds himself pigeonholed into his old job as a soda jerk at the drugstore, and realizes that he married in haste during the war and his wife isn't quite as enamored with him now that he's out of uniform.

Homer Parrish lost both of his hands in a shipboard fire. He's become quite adept at using the prosthetics the Navy has provided him but resents the pity he sees in others eyes. He had hoped to marry his childhood sweetheart but is no longer sure he can burden her with his own physical limitations.

All three men become fast friends and in the end, find ways to move forward with their lives.



count: how many Academy Awards this film won.


check out: famous composer Hoagy Carmichael as Butch. In the scene at Butch's bar when Homer asks Butch if he would play a song for him, the song he picks ('Lazy River') was composed by Carmichael.


listen for: “You see, Mr. Milton, in the Army I've had to be with men when they were stripped of everything in the way of property except what they carried around with them and inside them. I saw them being tested. Now some of them stood up to it and some didn't. But you got so you could tell which ones you could count on. I tell you this man Novak is okay. His 'collateral' is in his hands, in his heart and his guts. It's in his right as a citizen.”


also listen for: “They trained me to use these things. I can dial telephones, I can drive a car, I can even put nickels in the jukebox. I'm all right, but... well, you see, I've got a girl.”


did you know: Director William Wyler was furious when he learned that Samuel Goldwyn had sent Harold Russell for acting lessons; he preferred Russell's untrained, natural acting.


hankie rating: 2. But not because it's sad.


extra bonus points: if you know what all the crew members (props, grips, mixers, etc.) from the film had in common.

ball of fire

the year: 1941

the genre: comedy


the cast: Barbara Stanwyck (Sugarpuss O’Shea); Gary Cooper (Professor Bertram Potts); S. Z. Sakall (Professor Magenbruch); Dana Andrews (Joe Lilac)




the plot: Sexy, wisecracking nightclub singer Sugarpuss O'Shea is a hot tomato who needs to be kept on ice: mobster boyfriend Joe Lilac is suspected of murder and her testimony could put him away. Naive Professor Bertram Potts is working with his seven colleagues on the 9th year of a 12-year encyclopedia writing project. When Professor Potts discovers that his section on slang is outdated, he sets out to research the topic. He happens upon Miss O'Shea and in true romantic comedy fashion the two worlds collide. When Miss O'Shea hides out with Potts and his fellow professors, the professors learn how to conga and Potts learns the meaning of "yum-yum"! Just when things are humming along nicely, Joe resurfaces with other plans for Miss O’Shea.


count: the number of times Miss Bragg splits an infinitive.


don’t miss: how the professors get Pastrami to sing like a canary.


check out: the theater marquee in the background when Pottsy is taking notes of the newsboy’s slang. It advertises Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – referring to the inspiration for the Ball of Fire script.




listen for: “I love him because he's the kind of guy who gets drunk on a glass of buttermilk, and I love the way he blushes right up over his ears. I love him because he doesn't know how to kiss, the jerk!”




also listen for: “Well, I certainly am obliged to ya. I could use a bundle a scratch right now on account of I met me a mouse last week. What a pair o’gams! A little in, a little out, and a little more out. Well, with this dish on my hands and them given out twenty five smackaroos on that quizzola…we’ll be stubbin’, me and the smooch – I mean the dish – I mean the mouse. You know, hit the jiggles for a little Rhumboogie? Brother, we’re gonna have some hoy-toy-toy!”

i wanna...

dance on the penthouse balcony with Fred Astaire (from Daddy Long Legs).


have Dana Andrews fall asleep on my shoulder (from The Best Years of Our Lives).


attend Juliette Binoche's dinner party in Chocolat.


have dinner with Cary Grant (from The Bachelor and the Bobby-soxer).


have Frank Sinatra sing to me (from High Society).


What do you wanna?