Dennis Day in "Golden Girl"

[Maxwell]

This forum has caused all kinds of neurons to fire off in my head. I started thinking about a movie I remember seeing as a teenager close to 40 years ago, starring Mitzi Gaynor, Dale Robertson, and Dennis Day called "Golden Girl." (I actually had to do a web search to remember both Robertson and the title.) It was a biopic about a 19th Century entertainer named Lotta Crabtree.

Does anybody remember this film? It apparently was the movie that made Gaynor a star. All I can remember is that she was in love with Robertson, and Dennis was in love with her. I seem to remember that the final shot was Dennis singing through the tears as Gaynor went off with Robertson.

The song "Never," which I may or may not remember was nominated for an Oscar. I guess what I'm looking for are a couple of things. Is my recollection of the plot right? Was "Never" the song that Day sang at the end of the film, and if not, what was it? And I guess I have a third question. The film was produced by George Jessel. I also seem to remember him narrating it. Is this correct?

[bboswell]

Although I'd love to say I have this information at the top of my brain, I must admit I got all of this information from imdb.com:

I guess what I'm looking for are a couple of things. Is my recollection of the plot right?

Plot Summary for Golden Girl (1951)
Against the background of the Civil War, sixteen-year-old song-and-dance artiste Lotta Crabtree works her way across America, becoming ever more popular.

Was "Never" the song that Day sang at the end of the film, and if not, what was it?

It looks like that song was sung in the film by Mitzi Gaynor, but as often happens in musicals, a song might pop up in more than one place. Perhaps Dennis did sing it TOO, at the end of the film. Here is the soundtrack listing:

"California Moon" Music by Joe Cooper with Lyrics by George Jessel and Samuel Lerner (as Sam Lerner) Sung and danced by Mitzi Gaynor
"Never" Music by Lionel Newman with Lyrics by Eliot Daniel Sung and danced by Mitzi Gaynor
"Sunday Morning" Music by Ken Darby with Lyrics by Ken Darby and Eliot Daniel Sung and danced by Mitzi Gaynor
"Little Brown Jug" Sung by Mitzi Gaynor
"Dixie"
"Kiss Me Quick and Go" Sung by Mitzi Gaynor
"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" Sung by Mitzi Gaynor
"Oh, Dem Golden Slippers" Sung by Mitzi Gaynor
"Join the Party Chillun"
"San Francisco"
"Yankee Doodle"
"Carry Me Back To Old Virginny"
"Beautiful Dreamer"
"Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me"

Hopefully one of those might ring a bell with you, or give you something to go on!

The film was produced by George Jessel. I also seem to remember him narrating it. Is this correct?

There is no information listed for the narrator, even though the website lists every minor character, even ones that were uncredited in the film itself. Including the fact that one of the band members was Jimmie Dodd, (singer, guitarist, and he composed the Mickey Mouse Club song!)

[Maxwell]

I guess I'll just have to find someone who has a DVD (I hope it's available in that format) and rent it. I've only seen the movie once in my life, and the main reason I think I watched it was because I saw Dennis Day in it. I'm amazed I remember anything about it after 40 years!

[David47Jens]

I, too, saw 1951's "Golden Girl" -- once -- on television, roughly forty years ago, when I was somewhere between 8 and 10. I was a bit young to recognize and/or recall the actors and actresses in it, even 'though I should have remembered Dale Robertson from TV's "Tales of Wells Fargo" and "The Iron Horse." In fact, until I found more information on the 'net many years later, I couldn't even recall the title. I only knew it was the story of Lotta Crabtree, an 1800s entertainer who sang "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers," and that I'd liked it enough then so that I wanted to eventually own the film.

Coincidentally, about a week before Maxwell's original posting, I had purchased an "unauthorized" DVD of the flick from an eBay dealer. (To my knowledge, there have ben no legitimate releases of this movie.)There's a glitch in either the DVD or my DVD player itself which has prevented my watching the film to its end, so I couldn't answer the question about whether or not Dennis Day sang "Never" during the film... at first.

However, just a few minutes ago, while searching an eBay dealer's soundtrack offerings, I found a listing for a Dennis Day 45 of the song "Golden Girl." Gee, I wonder if the B-side could be... ? Yup. "Never!" Guess that answers that question!

Now, the question of the George Jessel narration gets a bit complicated, but I have a theory. Just bear with me here...

"Golden Girl" had no narration per se, but there is an introductory voice-over at the film's beginning. But whoever the uncredited voice-over artist was, it definitely wasn't Jessel.

However, somewhere around that same period in my '60s TV watching, I saw another film, 1953's "The I Don't Care Girl," yet another show-biz bio, this time featuring the life of early vaudevillian Eva Tanguay. I also added this film to my mental "want list" years ago.

Coincidentally, like "Golden Girl," this film also starred Mitzi Gaynor, and it was also produced by George Jessel! Eva's life story was told in flashback. The film's framing sequences featured Jessel as himself, interviewing people from Eva's past as he tried to put the movie's story together. I'm not sure if he literally narrated the film itself, but the set-up framing sequences came pretty close to "narration" anyway.

Now, here's my own somewhat loopy theory, Maxwell: As I implied above, I didn't recognize actors & actresses back then as I can now, so (as a child) I didn't realize that Mitzi Gaynor starred in both films. Maybe you (who saw "Golden Girl" at a later age than I did) saw both films when you were younger, and your youthful memory confused the two (possibly because of the Gaynor/biopic connection)? This would explain your question about the Jessel narration...

Hey, if I'm right, that could answer a lot. And if I'm wrong... well, it wouldn't be the first time!

[Maxwell]

Now, the question of the George Jessel narration gets a bit complicated, but I have a theory. Just bear with me here...

"Golden Girl" had no narration per se, but there is an introductory voice-over at the film's beginning. But whoever the uncredited voice-over artist was, it definitely wasn't Jessel.

However, somewhere around that same period in my '60s TV watching, I saw another film, 1953's "The I Don't Care Girl," yet another show-biz bio, this time featuring the life of early vaudevillian Eva Tanguay. I also added this film to my mental "want list" years ago.

Coincidentally, like "Golden Girl," this film also starred Mitzi Gaynor, and it was also produced by George Jessel! Eva's life story was told in flashback. The film's framing sequences featured Jessel as himself, interviewing people from Eva's past as he tried to put the movie's story together. I'm not sure if he literally narrated the film itself, but the set-up framing sequences came pretty close to "narration" anyway.

Now, here's my own somewhat loopy theory, Maxwell: As I implied above, I didn't recognize actors & actresses back then as I can now, so (as a child) I didn't realize that Mitzi Gaynor starred in both films. Maybe you (who saw "Golden Girl" at a later age than I did) saw both films when you were younger, and your youthful memory confused the two (possibly because of the Gaynor/biopic connection)? This would explain your question about the Jessel narration...

Hey, if I'm right, that could answer a lot. And if I'm wrong... well, it wouldn't be the first time!

I'm willing to bet this theory is right, and the odds are that both movies were shown relatively near the same time so my memory played that little trick on me.

It wouldn't be the first time.

[scottp]

For the benefit of Mitzi Gaynor fans, you might not know that she does three numbers in the February 16, 1964 Ed Sullivan Show which is included in the Beatles on Ed Sullivan DVD.
After "Golden Girl" and "The I Don't Care Girl," this one could be called "Miami Beach Humidity Girl"!!! She definitely glistens in this one!

[Maxwell]

For the benefit of Mitzi Gaynor fans, you might not know that she does three numbers in the February 16, 1964 Ed Sullivan Show which is included in the Beatles on Ed Sullivan DVD.
After "Golden Girl" and "The I Don't Care Girl," this one could be called "Miami Beach Humidity Girl"!!! She definitely glistens in this one!

Now you've really brought back a funny memory. It must have come from this show because I remember my mom and dad talking about Mitzi Gaynor sweating. (This conversation ranks right up there with the one they always had about Martha Raye on her TV show always wearing black tights.)

[Maxwell]

Six months later:

Well, I finally saw "Golden Girl" today for the first time in about 40 years. Boy was my memory messed up! Dennis Day's song "Never" wasn't the final shot, but it is the song I remembered. Not a bad tune.

As he's singing, they cut to Lotta Crabtree and her mother in the dressing room while Dennis is singing, the mother says, "He's singing to you...but you don't hear him." I remembered that instantly from the other time I had seen the movie. Boy did I have the timing in the film wrong, though. It wasn't the final shot. I was at least 15-20 minutes from the end of the movie.

I'm a sucker for Irish tenors, and Dennis Day is one of my favorites. I'm glad I watched the movie.