An excellent cast keeps this western musical comedy rolling. The 5 main characters are all played by actors instantly recognizable by anyone with reasonable knowledge of '40s films and '50s TV. Although the relationship between Vincent Price's character, Tracy Holland, and Eve Arden's Lily Martin is never established, they clearly are the dominant people in this little traveling theatrical troupe. They were, in fact, 10-15 years older than Gale Storm and Donald O'Connor, who play the young set, as Julie Martin and Eddie Timmons, respectively.
Julie keeps pressing Eddie to marry her, but Eddie, as the overworked all purpose stage hand, keeps turning her down, as he feels he is still a nobody who couldn't support her. Veteran character actor Walter Brennan, as outlaw Rimrock Thomas, fills out the lead characters. His gang and the theater troupe happen to land in this small Texas town the same day. Rimrock is excited to learn that Lily: a famous eastern actress, is aboard. This is very reminiscent of the infatuation of Judge Roy Bean, played by Walter in the '40 "The Westerner", with the famous European actress Lily Langtry. Rimrock is also interested in this troupe as a possible diversion for most of the town folk, while his gang make an evening bank heist. During the evening show, Rimrock watches, from a hiding place backstage, the doings of the energetic Eddie, and takes a liking to him. Later, he tries to talk Eddie into becoming his heir as the leader of his outlaw gang. But Eddie balks. Conversely, Eddie tries to talk Rimrock into taking over his job, so he can escape Julie's constant pressure to marry her. There is a strange sequence, apparently a daydream, where Eddie leads a bank robbery, is caught by a cavalry detachment and executed.. Rimrock agrees to help Eddie with the behind the scenes work, and pulls a gun on snobbish Shakespeare-spouting Holland, having him tied up so Eddie has a chance to demonstrate his acting and musical talents in stage productions. The sheriff then locks Eddie up as a suspected member of the outlaw gang, but Rimrod springs him out. Unfortunately, Eddie's borrowed horse leads him and the posse to the outlaw's hideout, so they have to flee. Rimrock confronts Eddie about why he did this and accepts his explanation. Rimrock sees the sheriff approaching and stages his capture by Eddie, so Eddie will be seen as a hero and get the reward money for his capture. Rimrock is sentenced to 3 years in jail, but is paroled as long as he serves as the stage prop man for the theater troupe. Snobbish Holland is reduced to the walking billboard, as Eddie is now the lead actor/singer.
The musical stage productions feature mostly early 20th century vaudeville or music hall standards, such as "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee", "Waiting at the Church", "Nola" and "Are You From Dixie?', some done in vaudeville style. In contrast, the traditional pioneer standard "Sweet Betsy from Pike" is several times associated with westerner Rimrock.The non-musical stage productions are done in the pre-vaudeville style of late 19th century. Lily gets the lead in several productions and sings "Waiting at the Church". Julie eventually supplants Lily as the lead in several musicals, with Eddie.
The finale blackface minstrel routine to "Are You from Dixie" may seem anachronistic. But,remember that this story supposedly takes place in the late 19th century, when blackface productions were standard. Their faces are so heavily blackened that we can't tell who is behind them. Presumably, Don and Gale, initially, later joined by Walter, as a robust mammy, as the 3 main leads take their final curtain call, in the tradition of musicals. Don would do his last film blackface routine 3 years later in "Walking My Baby Back Home"
Don gets to do some comedy here and there, a few song and dances, and a short tap dance exhibition in a vain attempt to impress the close-minded Holland, who regards such entertainment as unworthy of his theatrical troupe. However, he doesn't really do anything to build on his previous considerable comedic and musical exhibitions(as in "Are You with It" and "Feudin, Fussin' and A-Fightin'"). Interstingly, his losing control of the geese to ruin one show is very similar to Red Skelton's similar mishap as Fred Astaire's assistant for his magic show, in "Three Little Words", also released in '50.
Vincent, with his tall robust physique and blueblood background, makes quite a convincing dominating snob. Only Rimrock's revolver stuck in his face intimidates him. Eve Arden is fine, with her trademark sarcastic takes on situations and characters, and knockout looks. Gale Storm is OK in her role as Eddie's confident and romantic interest, and in various stage productions.
Walter Brennan has the most complex, and rather bewildering role, as a soft-hearted outlaw leader, who is perhaps thinking of retiring to a more legitimate life. I noticed that his character's name, Rimrock, was also the name of the small town where Don landed in his previous western musical comedy "Feudin', Fussin' and A-fightin'"! In "The Milkman",also released in '50, veteran entertainer Jimmy Durante serves in a similar fatherly role to Don's character as Walter does in this film.
Currently viewable at You Tube
Julie keeps pressing Eddie to marry her, but Eddie, as the overworked all purpose stage hand, keeps turning her down, as he feels he is still a nobody who couldn't support her. Veteran character actor Walter Brennan, as outlaw Rimrock Thomas, fills out the lead characters. His gang and the theater troupe happen to land in this small Texas town the same day. Rimrock is excited to learn that Lily: a famous eastern actress, is aboard. This is very reminiscent of the infatuation of Judge Roy Bean, played by Walter in the '40 "The Westerner", with the famous European actress Lily Langtry. Rimrock is also interested in this troupe as a possible diversion for most of the town folk, while his gang make an evening bank heist. During the evening show, Rimrock watches, from a hiding place backstage, the doings of the energetic Eddie, and takes a liking to him. Later, he tries to talk Eddie into becoming his heir as the leader of his outlaw gang. But Eddie balks. Conversely, Eddie tries to talk Rimrock into taking over his job, so he can escape Julie's constant pressure to marry her. There is a strange sequence, apparently a daydream, where Eddie leads a bank robbery, is caught by a cavalry detachment and executed.. Rimrock agrees to help Eddie with the behind the scenes work, and pulls a gun on snobbish Shakespeare-spouting Holland, having him tied up so Eddie has a chance to demonstrate his acting and musical talents in stage productions. The sheriff then locks Eddie up as a suspected member of the outlaw gang, but Rimrod springs him out. Unfortunately, Eddie's borrowed horse leads him and the posse to the outlaw's hideout, so they have to flee. Rimrock confronts Eddie about why he did this and accepts his explanation. Rimrock sees the sheriff approaching and stages his capture by Eddie, so Eddie will be seen as a hero and get the reward money for his capture. Rimrock is sentenced to 3 years in jail, but is paroled as long as he serves as the stage prop man for the theater troupe. Snobbish Holland is reduced to the walking billboard, as Eddie is now the lead actor/singer.
The musical stage productions feature mostly early 20th century vaudeville or music hall standards, such as "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee", "Waiting at the Church", "Nola" and "Are You From Dixie?', some done in vaudeville style. In contrast, the traditional pioneer standard "Sweet Betsy from Pike" is several times associated with westerner Rimrock.The non-musical stage productions are done in the pre-vaudeville style of late 19th century. Lily gets the lead in several productions and sings "Waiting at the Church". Julie eventually supplants Lily as the lead in several musicals, with Eddie.
The finale blackface minstrel routine to "Are You from Dixie" may seem anachronistic. But,remember that this story supposedly takes place in the late 19th century, when blackface productions were standard. Their faces are so heavily blackened that we can't tell who is behind them. Presumably, Don and Gale, initially, later joined by Walter, as a robust mammy, as the 3 main leads take their final curtain call, in the tradition of musicals. Don would do his last film blackface routine 3 years later in "Walking My Baby Back Home"
Don gets to do some comedy here and there, a few song and dances, and a short tap dance exhibition in a vain attempt to impress the close-minded Holland, who regards such entertainment as unworthy of his theatrical troupe. However, he doesn't really do anything to build on his previous considerable comedic and musical exhibitions(as in "Are You with It" and "Feudin, Fussin' and A-Fightin'"). Interstingly, his losing control of the geese to ruin one show is very similar to Red Skelton's similar mishap as Fred Astaire's assistant for his magic show, in "Three Little Words", also released in '50.
Vincent, with his tall robust physique and blueblood background, makes quite a convincing dominating snob. Only Rimrock's revolver stuck in his face intimidates him. Eve Arden is fine, with her trademark sarcastic takes on situations and characters, and knockout looks. Gale Storm is OK in her role as Eddie's confident and romantic interest, and in various stage productions.
Walter Brennan has the most complex, and rather bewildering role, as a soft-hearted outlaw leader, who is perhaps thinking of retiring to a more legitimate life. I noticed that his character's name, Rimrock, was also the name of the small town where Don landed in his previous western musical comedy "Feudin', Fussin' and A-fightin'"! In "The Milkman",also released in '50, veteran entertainer Jimmy Durante serves in a similar fatherly role to Don's character as Walter does in this film.
Currently viewable at You Tube