The Seven Little Foys (1955)

After the young wife of vaudevillian Eddie Foy passes away, he incorporates their seven children into the act and takes it on the road.

Director:

Melville Shavelson

Writers:

Melville Shavelson (written for the screen by), Jack Rose (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Bob Hope, Milly Vitale, George Tobias

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bob Hope	...	Eddie Foy
Milly Vitale	...	Madeleine Morando Foy
George Tobias	...	Barney Green
Angela Clarke	...	Clara Morando
Herbert Heyes	...	Judge
Richard Shannon	...	Stage Manager
Billy Gray	...	Bryan Lincoln Foy, as a teen
Lee Erickson	...	Charley Foy
Paul De Rolf	...	Richard Foy
Lydia Reed	...	Mary Foy
Linda Bennett	...	Madeleine Foy
Jimmy Baird	...	Eddie Foy Jr.
Tommy Duran	...	Irving Foy
James Cagney	...	George M. Cohan
Charley Foy	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

Vaudeville entertainer Eddie Foy, who has vowed to forever keep his act a solo, falls in love with and marries Italian ballerina Madeleine. While they continue to tour the circuit, they begin a family and before long have seven little Foys to clutter the wings. After tragedy threatens to stall Eddie's career, he comes to realize that his little terrors are worth their weight in gold.

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Plot Keywords:

eddie foy | vaudeville | italian | ballerina | children | 

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Taglines:

The story of a husband who didn't have time to come home! Daddy couldn't get home, so the kids all trouped down to Broadway and got into the act. The incredible, incomparable story of America's most fabulous family!

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Family | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 1955 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Komödiantenkinder

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Hope Enterprises, Scribe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Cagney won an Oscar for playing Broadway producer George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy. He agreed to play Cohan again in this film on condition that he would not be paid for the role. He did the role as a tribute to Eddie Foy, who had generously provided occasional meals for struggling young actors, including Cagney, in 1920s New York.

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Quotes

Madeleine Morando Foy: I love him when he gets angry. And he gets angry all the time. How many women can love their husband all the time?

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Connections

Featured in Bob Hope at 100 (2003)

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Soundtracks

"Yankee Doodle Dandy"
(uncredited)
Written by George M. Cohan
Danced by James Cagney

User Reviews

"7 Little Foys" Are Great and So Is the Picture

***1/2 for this Bob Hope vehicle made in 1955.

The biography details the life of song and dance man Eddie Foy. Hope has the usual right wit and sarcastic blend to produce a wonderful performance. His dancing is exactly the right step as well.

He meets and marries a ballerina played by Millie Vitale. The children start coming real fast. Each time, Vitale's sister, a tough-looking strong woman named Clara, announces: "We're pregnant!"

7 little Foys enter the world. Eddie is too busy in his show business career and is rarely home. Go know that Vitale's cough is more serious than a cold. One night he arrives home to the news that his beloved wife had died during the day. Stricken with disbelief and sadness, Eddie vows to keep the family together and engages the children to appear in his act.

Meanwhile, Aunt Clara schemes to have Eddie declared unsuitable so that she can gain control of the children.

A fine musical and dance sequence with James Cagney reprising his role of George M. Cowan is shown in this delightful film.