Luxury Liner

Luxury Liner
MGM, 1948, Color, 98 minutes, ***½
Released September, 1948

One of my favorite Jane Powell movies. Polly (Jane) is the daughter of a sealiner captain (George Brent). He has installed her in a girls school, and is away for long periods of time on sea cruises. Polly sneaks onboard as a stowaway in order to be near him, but he is unhappy that she's not in school, so he punishes her by making her work in the galley. Check out Jane's wonderful wardrobe! Musical highlights include a rousing rendition of "Alouette," sung by Jane and the kitchen staff, Jane and Melchior's "Spring Came Back to Vienna," and Jane's jazzy rendition of "The Peanut Vendor."

One of the many delights of this film is Jane Powell's wardrobe. What cute outfits!! My choice for best song is "Spring Came Back to Vienna," for best choreography "Alouette." Very entertaining and fun film!

Produced by: Joe Pasternak
Directed by: Richard Whorf
Screen Play by: Gladys Lehman and Richard Connell
Musical Direction: Georgie Stoll
Choreography: Nick Castle
Art Directors: Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
Associate: Arthur Krams
Women's Costumes by: Helen Rose
Men's Costumes by: Valles
Hair Styles Designed by: Sydney Guilaroff
Make-Up Created by: Jack Dawn
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Director of Photography: Robert Planck
Special Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie
Associate: Donald Jahraus
Color by Technicolor
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
Associate: James Gooch
Film Editor: Robert J. Kern

Cast: George Brent [Capt. Jeremy Bradford], Jane Powell [Polly Bradford], Lauritz Melchior [Olaf Eriksen], Frances Gifford [Laura Dene], Marina Koshetz [Zita Romanka], Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra [Themselves], Thomas E. Breen [Denis Mulvy], Richard Derr [Charles Worton], John Ridgely [Chief Officer Carver], The Pied Pipers (Chuck Lowry, Harold Hopper, Clark Yocum and June Hutton) [Themselves], Connie Gilchrist [Bertha], Lee Tung Foo [Fu Dong], Georgette Windsor [Perdita], Romo Vincent [Pierre], Michael Dugan [Officer], Kay Norton [Ship's Hostess], Shirley Johns [Count Karper], Betty Blythe [Miss Fenmoor], Juanita Quigley [Jean], Roger Moore [Waiter], Wesley Hopper [Waiter], May McAvoy [Woman]

Musical Program: [0:04] Spring Came Back to Vienna (sung by Jane Powell and Chorus); [0:09] Finale from Act III (from the opera AÏDA, sung by Lauritz Melchior and Marina Koshetz); [0:21] unidentified instrumental (played by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra); [0:24] Alouette (sung and danced by Jane Powell and Kitchen Staff); [0:35] Cugat's Nougat (played by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra); [0:42] Yes, We Have No Bananas (sung by the Pied Pipers); [0:46] Scandinavian drinking song (exact title unknown, sung by Lauritz Melchior, the Pied Pipers and audience); [0:52] unidentified aria or song (sung by Lauritz Melchior); [0:54] Obéissons quand leur voix appelle (gavotte from the opera MANON, sung by Jane Powell); [0:58] Con Maracas (performed by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra); [1:00] unidentified instrumental (played by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra); [1:02] The Peanut Vendor (sung by Jane Powell with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra); [1:16] I've Got You Under My Skin (sung by Marina Koshetz); [1:24] Come Back to Sorrento ("Torna a Sorrrento") (excerpt sung by Lauritz Melchior); [1:30] singing battle - unidentified arias (sung by Marina Koshetz and Lauritz Melchior); [1:35] Spring Came Back to Vienna (sung by Jane Powell and Lauritz Melchior)