Two Sisters from Boston 1946

Two Sisters from Boston


MGM, 1946, 112 minutes, ***½

Released April, 1946


It's the scandal of the century! Abigail is from a wealthy and influential Boston family, and she's the Belle of the Bowery, High-C Susie in New York! Her family thinks she's taking singing lessons - and she is - but she needs more money than her allowance provides, and she doesn't want to bother father.



The family hears rumors of Abigail "showing her limbs" and travels to New York to investigate the matter. Durante, the half-owner of the night club where Abigail works, manages to sneak Abigail into a real opera for one performance so her family can see that she is, indeed, an opera singer.



Lawford thinks Abigail got the opera part because she's having an affair with his father, who is a member of the board of directors. Things get pretty messy for Abigail before prudish sister June sacrifices herself to save the day by posing as High-C Susie.



A really fun film! Musical highlights include Grayson's "There Are Two Sides to Every Girl" (with the back of her dress missing!); the "His Masters Voice" scene, in which Melchior is recording a Victrola record; and June Allyson's "After the Show," - just to name a few.


Produced by: Joe Pasternak

Directed by: Henry Koster

Orifinal Screen Play by: Myles Connolly

Additional Dialogue by: James O'Hanlon and Harry Crane

Musical Direction: Charles Previn

Songs by: Sammy Fain, Ralph Freed

Operatic Sequences Adapted from Liszt and Mendelsshohn by Charles Previn and William Wymetal

Dance Direction: Jack Donohue

Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Daniel B. Cathcart

Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis

Costume Supervision: Irene

Costumes Designed by: Helen Rose

Men's Costumes: Valles

Hair Designs for Miss Grayson by: Sydney Guilaroff

Make-Up Created by: Jack Dawn

Recording Director: Douglas Shearer

Director of Photography: Robert Surtees

Film Editor: Douglass Biggs



Cast: Kathryn Grayson [Abigail Chandler], June Allyson [Martha Canford Chandler], Lauritz Melchior [Olstrum], Jimmy Durante ["Spike"], Peter Lawford [Lawrence Tyburt Patterson, Jr.], Ben Blue [Wrigley], Isobel Elsom [Aunt Jennifer], Harry Hayden [Uncle Jonathan], Thurston Hall [Mr. Lawrence Tyburt Patterson, Sr.], Nella Walker [Mrs. Lawrence Tyburt Patterson, Sr.], Gino Corrado [Ossifish], Almira Sessions [Bit]



Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:03] unidentified chamber music (June Allyson at the piano); [0:07] Hello, Hello, Hello (sung by Jimmy Durante); [0:08] There Are Two Sides to Every Girl (sung by Kathryn Grayson, Jimmy Durante and Chorus Girls); [0:12] Nellie Martin (sung by Jackson Brothers Quartet, fades into background); [0:21] G'wan Home, Your Mudder's Callin' (rehearsal sung by Chorus Girls); [0:37] Opera Sequence (sung by Lauritz Melchior and Ensemble); [0:50] Opera rehearsal (sung by Lauritz Melchior); [1:08] The Prize Song ("Preislied" from Wagner's DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG; Lauritz Melchior making a Victor recording - "His Master's Voice" scene); [1:14] G'wan Home, Your Mudder's Callin' (sung and danced by Chorus Girls); [1:16] Down by the Ocean (sung and danced by Jimmy Durante and Kathryn Grayson); [1:26] When Romance Passes By (sung by Kathryn Grayson); [1:35] After the Show (sung by June Allyson and Chorus Girls); [1:45] Opera Sequence (sung by Kathryn Grayson, Lauritz Melchior and Ensemble)