Small Town Girl (1953 film)

Small Town Girl

Theatrical release poster
Directed by László Kardos
Produced by Joe Pasternak
Written by Dorothy Cooper
(story and screenplay)
Dorothy Kingsley (screenplay)
Starring Jane Powell
Farley Granger
Ann Miller
Music by Nicholas Brodszky
André Previn
Albert Sendrey
Cinematography Joseph Ruttenberg
Edited by Albert Akst
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • April 10, 1953 (1953-04-10)
Running time
92 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1,438,000[1]
Box office $2,127,000[1][2]

Small Town Girl is a 1953 musical film directed by László Kardos and starring Jane Powell, Farley Granger, and Ann Miller. Busby Berkeley choreographed several dance numbers. Bobby Van performed the memorable "Street Dance", in which he hopped all around town. The film features song performances by Nat King Cole. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, "My Flaming Heart", with music by Nicholas Brodszky and lyrics by Leo Robin.


Plot

Rick Belrow Livingston (Farley Granger), in love with self-obsessed Broadway star Lisa (Ann Miller), is sentenced to 30 days in jail for speeding through a small town. Quite by accident, he meets the daughter of the judge, Cindy Kimbell (Jane Powell). He persuades her to let him out for one night, so that he can visit Lisa on the premise he is seeing his "poor sick mother" (Billie Burke) on her birthday. After tracking him down and bringing him back to town, Cindy starts to fall for Livingston, but Dr. Schlemmer (S.Z. Sakall) wants her to marry his son (Bobby Van) even though he desperately wants a career on Broadway.

Cast

Jane Powell as Cindy Kimbell

Reception

According to MGM records the film made $1,365,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $762,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $287,000.[1]

Legacy

In recent years, the "Jumping Song" performed by Bobby Van has been referenced in commercials and music videos, including one for Goldfrapp's song "Happiness", in which a happy man jumps through the streets, shaking hands with people and playing with garbage can lids. Peter Wolf also recreated the scene the music video for his 1987 song "Come As You Are". Hugh Jackman, in the 2014 Tony Awards, hopped in his intro and referenced Bobby Van's dance by viewing it on a TV backstage.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, January 13, 1954
  3. Linda Holmes (June 9, 2014). "Hugh Jackman Jumps; Tony Viewers Say, 'What?'". NPR.


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