Sweet Rosie O'Grady (1943) User Reviews

Grable is delightful showing good comic flair along with her famous legs...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 23 November 2011]

SWEET ROSIE O'GRADY is typical of the Fox musicals Betty Grable made during her long reign as Queen of the Technicolor musicals, zooming to popularity at the box office during the '40s. Robert Young is the writer at the Police Gazette who churns up stories on her past as a burlesque queen, much to her dismay. She's the fiancé of a stuffed shirt (Reginald Gardiner) and for awhile Young is the cause of a rift in all three relationships.

Forget the paper-thin plot, the kind that Fox used all the time to display Grable in pretty costumes, given the chance to warble a few undistinguished song-and-dance routines in pleasant style.

With a supporting cast that includes Adolphe Menjou, Sig Ruman and Virginia Grey, it passes the time pleasantly but is the sort of film that is quickly forgotten after seeing it once.

Grable fans will appreciate the warmth and humor she brings to a basically one-dimensional role as a showgirl.

Enjoyable fluff

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 3 November 2019]

"Sweet Rosie O'Grady" is enjoyable fluff...a light time passer that isn't particularly demanding. Betty Grable and Robert Young give it their best and apart from one or two too many songs (which isn't surprising considering it's a Grable flick) it's worth seeing.

The story is set during the Gay 90s and Rosie (Grable) is a stage sensation in both Britain and the States. She has every reason to be happy, as not only is she popular but she's engaged to some minor member of the British royalty. However, all this is stood on its head when she arrives back in America. An unscrupulous reporter', Sam Magee (Young), tricks her into an interview and she is so angry she decides to turn the tables on him--telling the other reporters that she is engaged to Magee--and that he is essentially a kept man! Back in the day, that was a shameful thing in this sexist world....now folks would just think Magee was a lucky guy. Regardless, she and Magee exchange barbs throughout this musical comedy until its very expected finale.

As I said, there were a few too many songs...part of the genre...but a part that definitely slowed down the comedy. Still, it's enjoyable and worth seeing if you love classic films.

...Betty Grable at her loveliest...

[Richard-23 · 28 September 1998]

...."Sweet Rosie O'Grady" and "Mother Wore Tights" were Betty Grable's favorites of her films. It is easy to see why they are. "Sweet Rosie" is just possibly Betty at her peak. To give credit where credit is due, Betty's peak lasted a remarkably long time. In this Betty is an established star in England returning to the United States. Robert Young is a newspaper reporter who dredges up her less than glamorous beginnings as a singer in a beer garden. They then proceed to scrap and humiliate each other right through the whole film. Reginald Gardnier is the guy who loses Betty. He must have liked Betty a whole lot. He lost her in a total of six films. Certainly no one could call him a quitter. He does get Betty's maid as a sort of consolation prize. Betty and Robert Young do finally resolve their differences and admit they like each other a lot. The whole thing is brisk and colorful--and like all Betty Grable films: a lot of fun.

An Actress Instead Of An Heiress, But My Steady Lady

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 23 November 2011]

Although Sweet Rosie O'Grady is set in the past and that might not make it apparent at first, the film is a remake of the Tyrone Power-Don Ameche-Loretta Young classic Love Is News. Set in the gaslight era of the 1880s it's the same plot involving an actress instead of an heiress.

The actress is Betty Grable who has just scored a big triumph on the London stage and is the toast of two continents. She's also about to marry a title in the person of Reginald Gardiner, but she's gotten wind that that notorious scandal sheet, the Police Gazette has uncovered her past as a burlesque queen. The reporter with the nose for news is Robert Young and his editor is Adolphe Menjou.

If you've seen Love Is News and That Wonderful Urge than you know exactly how this will all end up. But along the way with several musical numbers you'll see Betty Grable probably at the height of her career when she and Rita Hayworth vied to be the GI's number one pin-up girl of the barracks.

Harry Warren and Mack Gordon wrote a beautiful ballad My Heart Tells Me which Betty and Phil Regan sing during the film. Sadly Darryl Zanuck banned her from a commercial recording so others made hit records and money off the song she introduced. Robert Young got to sing the title song and he was not going to be a threat to Bing Crosby or that new singer from Hoboken that was coming up at the time.

The film was significant in another way for Betty Grable. During the production it was shut down for a bit when Betty ran off and married Harry James. Apparently that was cause for great happiness, even Darryl Zanuck didn't mind the production delay.

If you're a Betty Grable fan Sweet Rosie O'Grady is an absolute must.

It drags

[AAdaSC · 4/10 · 11 July 2009]

A Music Hall star, Madeleine Marlowe (Betty Grable) returns from London to America where she has wowed society and is romantically linked with a Duke, Charles (Reginald Gardiner). On her return, a reporter Sam (Robert Young) exposes her as a former Burlesque Queen, Rosie O'Grady. The film then follows the tricks that Rosie and Sam play against one another in order to get the upper hand. At the end, love is in the air.

Unfortunately, the songs and dances in this film aren't any good and this lets the film down as the story doesn't have the strength to carry the film alone. The scenes with Betty Grable are good, but when she is not on screen, there are some pretty dull moments. Its not that the cast are bad, although there is a poor scene where Sam and Charles get drunk which could have been edited out, its just that the overall film isn't quite good enough. The music needed to be better in order to make this film passable or even good. Its a better story than her other offering "Coney Island" from the same year, but that film is better because of the music numbers that it contains.

Its OK but it doesn't need to be seen again.

Marvelous fun

[herbqedi · 9/10 · 6 September 2006]

Robert Young is perfectly cast as a wise-guy reporter writing for a pre-Enquirer rag called the Police Gazette who is assigned by his crusty Editor, played perfectly by Adolph Menjou (Walter Burns from the original Front Page), to write a series of expose-type articles on returning stage star Betty Grable's burlesque beginnings. The Technicolor is luscious throughout. Reginald Gardiner is a stitch, as usual, playing Betty's British betrothed who breaks off the engagement as a result of the scandal. Virginia Grey is perky and decorative as Grable's maid. Byron Folger also lends support as a perfectly prissy prig (what else?).

Betty, of course, is the star. She sings and dances with aplomb. The added delight is her comic timing and chemistry with Young. We enjoy and believe them at each others throats which makes the inevitable payoff in each others arms that much more enjoyable.

"If you think the '90s were gay, you should have seen the '80s!"

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 9 December 2016]

Newspaper reporter makes a name for himself by scandalizing in print a beloved showgirl, known abroad as "The Yankee Sensation". She counteracts by telling his rivals it's all a publicity stunt and that she and the reporter are actually in love. Musical remake by 20th Century-Fox of their 1937 hit "Love is News", which starred Loretta Young; this version, filmed in gloppy Technicolor, is just an excuse to show-off their latest find, Betty Grable, who has presence but no funny lines (and a dearth of memorable songs). As the reporter, Robert Young doesn't even have presence. Fox tried again with this story in 1948 under the title "That Wonderful Urge", starring Gene Tierney. Strictly for Grable-buffs. ** from ****

Return Of The Native

[GManfred · 26 November 2011]

At 74 minutes, "Sweet Rosie O'Grady" is just long enough and does not wear out its welcome. But it is so good good-humored and good-natured that it is tough to dislike. It must have been a B musical when it came out and there is only one memorable song in the score, "My Heart Tells Me", sung by Betty Grable. The male lead, Robert Young, is a stranger to musicals but does, in fact, get to sing the title song - and was amazingly good.

The story is outlandish, about a saloon singer from Brooklyn who becomes an international sensation and returns, hopefully in triumph. Young is a reporter who spills the beans about her humble beginnings, and she vows revenge. From there they each try to outdo the other in revenge mode, and from here the plot goes far afield.

It is all harmless fun, and as bright and glossy as Fox could make it. The surprise, as noted above, is Young, who I didn't consider as either particularly funny or as a singer, but who proves he can be both here. Good support from Adolph Menjou and Reginald Gardner helps the cause. Leonard Maltin raved about Menjou in his review, and he gave a workmanlike but unspectacular performance. Makes you wonder if he ever sees any of these oldies he reviews.

Betty Grable and Robert Young in a musical battle of the sexes

[weezeralfalfa · 9/10 · 9 August 2017]

1943 was a bang up year for Betty Grable musical comedies, following the popular '42 "Springtime in the Rockies". First, there was the popular "Coney Island". Then, the present offering which, at only 75 min., appears to have been meant as a B picture, with A stars. Although not as popular as "Coney Island", it certainly is an entertaining film, both the music and dialogue. Robert Young is Betty's male counterpart, as they carryout a version of the battle of the sexes, with Young as a reporter for the scandal sheet The Police Gazette. He exposes Betty's origins as a burlesque queen, to her embarrassment, as she is currently the darling of the legitimate theater. Thus, Madge Marlow of the legitimate theater is the same person as Rosie O'Grady, previously of Flugleman's burlesque house. The screenplay is essentially taken from "Love is News", only the female lead is characterized as a rich showgirl rather than a rich heiress. It would be done yet again in 1948's "That Wonderful Urge"

The first 2 songs: "Where, oh, Where is the Groom", and "Waiting at the Church", were sung by Betty as part of the London musical comedy "Belle of Bond Street." Duke Charles Trippingham(Reginald Gardiner) whom Betty has been flirting with, is in the audience. She asks him if he will marry her, as she would like to be a duchess. He says yes , but only when he arrives in the US, about a month later. Meanwhile, Betty is going to the US to do a tour. While in transit, she comes upon a copy of The Police Gazette, with Young's article about her past. When, she arrives, Young ,using a pseudonym, greets her, warning her about the overeager reporters. She soon discovers his real identity, and tells reporters that she has dumped the Duke for him, embarrassing him. This initiates a continuing war between them for the rest of the picture. Eventually, it's evident that they have really fallen for each other, although she sometimes still teases him. The Duke shows up unexpectedly early, and is sent on his way. Eventually, the Duke is paired with Betty's maid(Virginia Grey)(This seems a strange turn of events. Apparently, Betty found Young more interesting than the stuffy Duke, and decided to forgo the royalty title).

The musical numbers are rather evenly divided between traditional songs and new songs composed by the prolific team of Harry Warren and Mack Gordon. There are two songs we might consider theme songs: the traditional title song, which Young is said to have composed,(This being 1880). Then, there is the Warren/Gordon song "My Heart Tells Me". Both are sung on at least 2 occasions.

The finale show is "Sweet Rosie O'Grady", in which Betty sings and dances to the title song. The other main song of the show is "Going to the County Fair", also good. Previously, while riding in a coach and slightly inebriated, Betty and Young sing "Two Little Girls in Blue" and "Little Anne Rooney".

A must see for Betty and Young fans. See it in glorious Technicolor at YouTube. I give it a 9, one point taken off for Betty's excessive lipstick and over the top(literally) sophisticated hairdo, which I find distracting.

In 1950, Fox released "The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady", which can be thought of as sort of a sequel to this film. June Haver, rather than Betty, took the title role.

Better than Most MGM Musicals of the Decade

[tr-83495 · 9/10 · 17 September 2019]

Much better than many of the acclaimed MGM musicals. Take a look at "Summer Stock" and compare it to this. "Rosie O'Grady" wins by a mile. Voters and reviewers have not been privy to seeing this classic because movie networks continuously show film product from MGM, Warners, and RKO, but they do not own the movie rights to Fox. Thus, the public has rarely seen these movies. I am 70 years old, have heard of Betty Grable before, but this is the first Grable film I've ever seen. I saw it courtesy of FXM. In years to come as all movies are put up to critical comparison, it won't be only MGM vs. MGM like it is now... there are many great musicals, from every era, from several studios, that the general public has rarely seen. This is one of them. Not spectacular, but better than the average MGM musical of the 40s. Grable had personality, style, and she could sing.

Thoroughly Enjoyable; Grable, Young, Menjou at Their Best

[takegoodcare · 10/10 · 8 March 2020]

Awesome vehicle for Betty Grable and Robert Young. Filmed in bright technicolor, it was the quality type of musical that MGM could seldom pull off. This film is rarely seen today and gets no breaks because it was a 20th Century Fox property, instead of being in endless repetitive repeats as the MGM lesser-quality films of the era are on TCM.

Regardless, when you get the chance, this is one to sit back and enjoy. Grable is magnificent and Young is surprisingly good. The music is outstanding.