Here Comes the Groom (1951)

Director:

Frank Capra

Writers:

Robert Riskin (story) and
Liam O'Brien (story) ...

Release Date:

20 September 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Plot:

Foreign correspondent Pete Garvey has 5 days to win back his former fiancée, or he'll lose the orphans he adopted.

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Bing Crosby	...	Peter 'Pete' Garvey
Jane Wyman	...	Emmadel Jones
Alexis Smith	...	Winifred Stanley
Franchot Tone	...	Wilbur Stanley
James Barton	...	William 'Pa' Jones
Robert Keith	...	George Degnan
Jacques Gencel	...	Bobby (as Jacky Gencel)
H.B. Warner	...	Uncle Elihu
Beverly Washburn	...	Suzi
Nicholas Joy	...	Uncle Prentiss
Connie Gilchrist	...	Ma Jones
Ian Wolfe	...	Uncle Adam
Walter Catlett	...	Mr. McGonigle
Ellen Corby	...	Mrs. McGonigle
Alan Reed	...	Walter Godfrey

Also Known As:

You Belong to Me (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Bing Crosby sang "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" written by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer which went on to win an Academy Award for Best Song. Crosby sang four different Oscar winning songs in his films.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Winifred seeks shelter in Garvey's home, George is on the phone. In a close-up, the phone is to his ear, but in the next medium shot, the phone is hung up, and he picks up the receiver again.

Quotes:

Emmadel Jones: No, I'm not going to live Ma's life all over again, waiting on shore for a sailor who comes to land every three years. It's like being married to a salmon!

Soundtrack:

MISTO CRISTOFO COLUMBO

Alexis Smith--another talent underused and abused by Hollywood

"Here Comes the Groom" is a better than usual musical. It's overriding virtue is the cast. Crosby is, as usual good. Wyman is extremely good as a musical star--after "Johnny Belinda," she here shows she can play virtually anything. Franchot Tone is also quite good.

However, the best performance comes from Alexis Smith, looking more glorious than ever and displaying a wonderfully relaxed and natural talent for comedy. Too bad she didn't really come into her own until 1971 and the legendary Broadway show "Follies."

"In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" is the best and best-known song in the score. I wonder what Wyman could have done in a good Broadway musical.