Tammy and the Bachelor (1957)

An unsophisticated young woman from the Mississippi swamps falls in love with an unconventional southern gentleman.

Director:

Joseph Pevney

Writers:

Oscar Brodney (screenplay), Cid Ricketts Sumner (novel)

Stars:

Debbie Reynolds, Walter Brennan, Leslie Nielsen

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Debbie Reynolds	...	Tammy
Leslie Nielsen	...	Peter Brent
Walter Brennan	...	Grandpa
Mala Powers	...	Barbara
Sidney Blackmer	...	Professor Brent
Mildred Natwick	...	Aunt Renie
Fay Wray	...	Mrs. Brent
Philip Ober	...	Alfred Bissle
Craig Hill	...	Ernie
Louise Beavers	...	Osia
April Kent	...	Tina

Storyline

When Pete's plane crashes in the swamp, he's rescued by young Tammy, an unsophisticated backwoods girl who lives with her lay-preacher-cum-moonshiner grandfather. When Pete's well, he goes back home to his fiancée. But then Grampa gets sent to jail and he sends Tammy to stay with Pete. At Pete's house, Tammy's home cooking, enthusiasm and quaint sunshiny personality bring about changes in Pete's family and in Pete himself.

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Plot Keywords:

swamp | louisiana | rural setting | country girl | southern u.s. | 

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Taglines:

All about a little Mississippi riverboat gal who taught a sophisticated bachelor about love!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the American Film Institute's 2000 list of the 500 movies nominated for the Top 100 Funniest American Movies.

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Quotes

Tambey 'Tammy' Tyree: [continues the recitation] We came a-walkin' all the way / With the wagon creakin' loud and the oxen movin' slow / We come over the mountains and down by the trace / Mammy an' Pappy an' and me, an' one crawlin' baby that had to be toted / And some odd-size sisters, two or three / That's how we come.
Party Guest: Please go on. What happened?

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Connections

Featured in The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2015)

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Soundtracks

Tammy
Music and Lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
Sung by The Ames Brothers (over the opening credits)
Later sung by Debbie Reynolds (at her bedroom windowsill)

User Reviews

Not as unctuous as you might remember...

Debbie Reynolds plays a 17-year-old girl from the bayou who goes to stay with a friendly pilot (Leslie Nielsen) and his society folks after her grandfather gets thrown into jail. Corny, yet also surprisingly sensitive growing-pains comedy-drama is silly and trite only in retrospect. The film treats its protagonist and her emotions quite sympathetically and the film is sweet without being nauseating. Good support from Walter Brennan, Fay Wray, and the always fun Mildred Natwick. Followed by two sequels in 1961 and 1963, with Sandra Dee taking over the role of Tammy, as well as a failed mid-'60s television series. **1/2 from ****

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 August 1957 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Tammy and the Bachelor

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1