Themes: Otherwise Engaged, Love Triangles, Class Differences
Main Cast: Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller, S.Z. Sakall, Robert Keith, Bobby Van
Release Year: 1953
Country: US
Run Time: 93 minutes
Plot
A remake of the 1936 Janet Gaynor vehicle of the same name, Small Town Girl stars Jane Powell in the title role. Powell plays Cindy Kimball, daughter of village judge Gordon Kimball (Robert Keith). When wealthy playboy Rick Livingston (Farley Granger) is arrested for speeding, Judge Kimball sentences the arrogant young sprout to 30 days to teach him a lesson. Taking it upon herself to "reform" the prodigal Rick, Cindy tricks him into marriage, and then the fun begins. Ann Miller co-stars as a musical comedy star with whom Rick had planned to elope; her presence in the film is justified by several well-staged Busby Berkeley dance numbers. Also on hand as Jane Powell's hometown sweetheart is Bobby Van, who performs the film's best and most memorable musical setpiece, "Street Dance," in which Van hops around town like a human pogo stick. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Small Town Girl is the sort of musical that would not have been out of place in 1943 but was beginning to feel a bit passé by 1953. The characters have all been seen before, and the story is a mere thread upon which to hang a series of musical numbers and incidental scenes. To really work, those numbers need to be real knock-outs, and most of Girl's score is nothing special. However, several of the numbers benefit from Busby Berkeley's unique staging ideas. Bobby Van's "pogo" dance through the streets of the town perfectly captures the innocent joyousness that much of the film artificially strives for, and the "I've Got to Hear That Beat" number -- with dozens of disembodied hands playing instruments as Ann Miller dances perilously around them -- is one of the great moments in cinematic musicals. Miller also excels in "My Gaucho," and Van has some nice moments in "Take Me to Broadway"; had he come along ten years earlier, Van would have had a real career as a song-and-dance man. Jane Powell is fine if a bit dull; there's not a lot for her to work with here. Perfectly adequate and acceptable entertainment, Girl's slender plot keeps it from being more than moderately successful. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Chill Wills - Jailer; Billie Burke - Mrs. Livingston; Fay Wray - Mrs. Gordon Kimbell; Nat "King" Cole - Himself; Dean Miller - Mac; William Campbell - Ted; Philip Tonge - Hemmingway; Jonathan Cott - Jim the Cop; Bobby Hyatt - Dennis; Rudy Lee - Jimmy; Beverly Wills - Deidre; Jane Liddell - Betty; Nancy Valentine - Mary; Janet Stewart - Sandra; Virginia Hall - Girl Friend; Marie Blake
Rick Belrow Livingston (Farley Granger), in love with self-obsessed Broadway star Lisa, (Ann Miller), is sentenced to 30 days in jail for speeding through a small town. Quite by accident, he meets the daughter of the judge, Cindy Kimbell (Jane Powell). He persuades her to let him out for one night, so that he can visit Lisa on the premise he is seeing his "poor sick mother" (Billie Burke) on her birthday. After tracking him down and bringing him back to town, Cindy starts to fall for Livingston, but Dr. Schlemmer (S.Z. Sakall) wants her to marry his son (Bobby Van) even though he desperately wants a career on Broadway.
In recent years, the "Jumping Song" performed by Bobby Van has been referenced in commercials and music videos, including one for Goldfrapp's song "Happiness", in which a happy man jumps through the streets, shaking hands with people and playing with garbage can lids. Peter Wolf also recreated the scene the music video for his 1987 song "Come As You Are".
