There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)

Director:

Walter Lang

Writers:

Phoebe Ephron (screenplay) and
Henry Ephron (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 December 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Romance

Plot:

Molly and Terry Donahue, plus their three children, are The Five Donahues. Son Tim meets hat-check girl Vicky and the family act begins to fall apart.

Plot Keywords:

Hat Check Girl | Reference To Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard | Cinemascope | Miami Florida | Dysfunctional Family

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Ethel Merman	...	Molly Donahue
Donald O'Connor	...	Tim Donahue
Marilyn Monroe	...	Vicky Parker
Dan Dailey	...	Terence Donahue
Johnnie Ray	...	Steve Donahue
Mitzi Gaynor	...	Katy Donahue
Richard Eastham	...	Lew Harris
Hugh O'Brian	...	Charles Gibbs
Frank McHugh	...	Eddie Dugan, Vicky's Agent
Rhys Williams	...	Father Dineen
Lee Patrick	...	Marge
Eve Miller	...	Helen - Hatcheck Girl
Robin Raymond	...	Lillian Sawyer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Abbott	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Dorothy Adams	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Robert Adler	...	Night Watchman (uncredited)
Aladdin	...	Orchestra Violinist (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Private Detective (uncredited)
Charlotte Austin	...	Lorna (uncredited)
Jimmy Baird	...	Steve - Age 6 (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
George Chakiris	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Chick Chandler	...	Harry (uncredited)
Billy Chapin	...	Steve - Age 10 (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Carmen Clifford	...	(uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
John Doucette	...	Stage Manager (uncredited)
Elaine DuPont	...	(uncredited)
Isabelle Dwan	...	Sophie Tucker (uncredited)
Dominic Frontiere	...	Musician (uncredited)
Donald Gamble	...	Young Tim (uncredited)
Mimi Gibson	...	Katy - Age 4 (uncredited)
Paul Glass	...	Trombonist (uncredited)
Gavin Gordon	...	Geoffrey (uncredited)
Stanley Hall	...	Dancer with Vicky (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Man Talking to Sophie (uncredited)
Doris Kemper	...	Lottie (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Priest on Altar (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Bobby Clark (uncredited)
Linda Lowell	...	Katy - Age 8 (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Booking Agent (uncredited)
Jimmie Maddin	...	Bandleader (uncredited)
Thomas Martin	...	Gallagher's Roof Waiter (uncredited)
Matt Mattox	...	Dancer (uncredited)
George Melford	...	Kelly (uncredited)
Buzz Miller	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Alvy Moore	...	Katy's Date (uncredited)
Duke Morgan	...	Musician (uncredited)
Barry Norton	...	Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Ron Nyman	...	Tattooed Sailor (uncredited)
Eddie Oliver	...	Bandleader (uncredited)
Howard Parker	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Louis Quinn	...	Cabbie (uncredited)
Fred Rapport	...	Gallagher's Roof Headwaiter (uncredited)
Henry Slate	...	Dance Director (uncredited)
Sandra Spence	...	Girl at Railroad Station (uncredited)
Mary Stewart	...	Funhouse Witch (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Booking Agent (uncredited)
Lyle Talbot	...	Stage Manager (uncredited)
Charles Tannen	...	EmCee / Orchestra Leader (voice) (uncredited)
Tommy Walker	...	(uncredited)
Walter Winchell	...	Walter Winchell (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Lang

Writing credits
Phoebe Ephron		(screenplay) and
Henry Ephron		(screenplay)
Lamar Trotti		(story)

Produced by
Sol C. Siegel	....	producer

Original Music by
Earle Hagen		(uncredited)
Bernard Mayers		(uncredited)
Alfred Newman		(uncredited)
Lionel Newman		(uncredited)
Hal Schaefer		(uncredited)
Herbert W. Spencer		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Robert L. Simpson		(as Robert Simpson)

Art Direction by
John DeCuir		(as John De Cuir)
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Stuart A. Reiss		(as Stuart Reiss)
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Travilla
Miles White

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist
Allan Snyder	....	makeup artist: Miss Monroe (uncredited)

Production Management
Gaston Glass	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer	....	assistant director
Joseph E. Rickards	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Murray Spivack	....	sound
E. Clayton Ward	....	sound
Ray Bomba	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Etter D'Orazio	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Robert O'Brien	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	playback operator (uncredited)
Bob Weatherford	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Emmett Schoenbaum	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Clyde Taylor	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Leonard Doss	....	color consultant

Music Department
Robert Alton	....	dances and musical numbers staged by
Ken Darby	....	music arranger: vocals
Ken Darby	....	vocal supervisor
Earle Hagen	....	orchestrator
Bernard Mayers	....	orchestrator
Alfred Newman	....	conductor
Alfred Newman	....	music supervisor
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Lionel Newman	....	music supervisor
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (as Edward B.Powell)
Hal Schaefer	....	music arranger: vocals
Herbert W. Spencer	....	orchestrator (as Herbert Spencer)

Other crew
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	presenter
Hal Bell	....	assistant choreographer (uncredited)
Jerry Bryan	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Jack Cole	....	choreographer (uncredited)
John Devlin	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Rose Steinberg	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1961) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Fox Films (1955) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1955) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• FS Film Oy (2002) (Finland) (DVD) (11-disc Marilyn Monroe: The Diamond Collection)
• FS Film Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD) (1-disc edition)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1970) (1997) (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Irving Berlin's There's No Business Like Show Business" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (magnetic prints)

Certification:

Finland:S | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #17074) | West Germany:12 (nf) | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Canada:G (video rating) | Japan:G (2009) | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Stage 9, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

During the filming of the scene where Donald O'Connor and Marilyn Monroe were kissing, there were over 1,000 onlookers who had drifted over from other sets.

Goofs:

Continuity: On the billboard on opening night the Donohue daughter's name is spelled "Katie"; on the poster for "34th week" it is spelled "Katy".

Quotes:

Molly Donahue:You start worrying about your kids the day they're born, and you never stop. Even after they bury you, I bet you never stop worrying.

Movie Connections:

References Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Soundtrack:

Alexander's Ragtime Band

One of my favorites

This is one of my favorite movies. It's a nice portrait of a show business family. It's a little on the corny side, but that's what's great about it. This is a great look at a family that began in Vaudeville, and worked their way up to headliners in their own act. The Film does a good job portraying the families closeness, and while it's a little hard to swallow a good looking actor like Dan Daily with someone like Ethel Merman for a wife, the two share a definite chemistry and a lot of humor.

This is probably the best that Ethel Merman ever looked and she is fantastic as the family matriarch and her comic talents work great with her hard-to-handle brood.

Although her part is pretty much left to singing and dancing, Mitzi Gaynor gives a spirited performance that we later see her give in the hit movie "South Pacific" as Nellie Forbush.

Donald O'Connor takes a more dramatic turn as the troubled son Tim. I have to admit, while some of his attempts to act like a drunk are a little hard to believe, his performance is one of his best, and his dancing in the film is almost as good as it was in "Singing In The Rain".

The odd duck out is the eldest brother Johnny Ray, who could certainly belt out a song with all the flamboyance and gusto that made him a star in the fifties. However, his acting skills left a lot to be desired. Still, his bad acting works for the character who was struggling to find his own identity when he decides becomes a priest. Perhaps Johnnie projected his own struggles with his bisexuality to guide him.

The most memorable aspect of this movie is Marilyn Monroe, who star was at it's zenith when this movie was being made. In a smart move, Monroe agreed to star in the film if the studio allowed her to also star in "The Seven Year Itch", but in a lot of ways, I feel this is one of her best movies.

First of all, she was clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the cast in terms of molten sexuality.

An example is in the number "Heatwave", which was initially intended for Mitzi Gaynor. The studio made a wise decision handing it over to Monroe who performed the number with so much heat that it's hard to envision the sweet Gaynor conveying that kind of performance.

The number "After you get what you want you don't want it" was also a standout and Marylin's costume was amazing and a precursor to the outfit Britney Spears would later make famous.

Marilyn also brings her tremendous vulnerability that no other comic actress could convey with believability, Marilyn could play wounded characters, perhaps because she was so wounded herself.

Watching her character suffer over her love for Tim and her desire for a career is very believable.

For me, the most amazing part of this movie are the gorgeous costumes. This movie, surprisingly has fantastic costumes made by the famous Travilla, who had already worked with Marilyn in almost all of her films including "River Of No Return", "Monkey Business" as well as "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" and "The Seven Year Itch".

Every costume seemed tailor made for every character.

This is a treat of a movie, with great music, great dancing, wonderful costumes and mostly Marilyn, who proves she could make anything work. It ranks right up there with some of her greatest work.