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MGM, 1941. Directed by
Norman Z. McLeod. Camera: George Folsey. With
Eleanor Powell,
Ann Sothern,
Robert Young,
Lionel Barrymore, John Carroll, Red Skelton, Virginia O'Brien, Tom
Conway, Dan Dailey, Reginald Owen, Rose Hobart, Phil Silvers, James Berry,
Warren Berry, Nyas Berry, Connie Russell, Harold Miller, Doris Day, Dorothy
Fay, Edward Gargan, Ben Hall, Ernie Alexander, Frank Darien, Six Hits and a
Miss, Harvey Karels, Charles Teske, Hattie Noel, Robert Bradford, J.W. Cody,
Patsy Shaw, Don Sullivan, Ludovico Tomarchino, Paul White, Willie Wong. |
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Lyricist Dixie Donegan testifies at her
divorce hearing that she first met her husband, Eddie Crane, when
she was a waitress in a diner and he was a struggling composer:
Although Eddie's current lyricist does not like his new song, Dixie
is inspired to write some words and the song becomes the first of a
string of hits. After Dixie testifies that they soon married,
her friend, Broadway dancing star Marilyn Marsh, testifies that the
couple was very happy until success caused Eddie to go "Park
Avenue." Dixie, on the other hand, prefers their loyal friends, such
as Marilyn, music publisher Max Milton, song plugger Joe "Red"
Willet and singer Buddy Crawford.
One night, after a party at which the
differences between what Dixie and Eddie want become very obvious,
Dixie suggests that they divorce, and he agrees. As Eddie does
not contest the divorce, after Marilyn's testimony, Judge Murdock
grants the decree. Dixie then moves in with Marilyn and tries
to find a new partner, while Eddie continues to entertain his
society friends.
One day, Eddie calls Dixie and asks her
to come over, and she rushes to their old apartment, only to
discover that, instead of a reconciliation, Eddie wants her to help
him replace the servants who have just quit. Dixie then goads
him into finishing a song, and she adds lyrics. Soon Eddie
becomes jealous of Buddy, who is seeing Dixie, and gets into a fight
with him at their club. Later, after Buddy sings the new song
on a radio program broadcast from a nightclub, Eddie joins their
friends, but leaves when Dixie pays too much attention to Buddy.
Feeling remorseful the next day, Eddie takes flowers to Dixie, but
finds that Buddy has already filled the apartment with blooms.
Eddie then suggests that they continue to be a team, and after they
write the tune, "Lady Be Good," it becomes the number one song on
the Hit Parade for weeks.
Some time later, after attending a
banquet in their honor, Eddie asks to reconcile, but Dixie refuses
and he incorrectly assumes that it is because of Buddy. Hoping
to help a reconciliation along, Marilyn suggests to Buddy, who is
actually in love with her, that he try to make Eddie jealous by
sending Dixie a diamond ring. When Dixie receives the huge
ring, she thinks that Eddie sent it and is embarrassed when Buddy
arrives and says that they are now engaged. Meanwhile, Marilyn
calls Eddie to tell him about the ring and he threatens to bring a
gun over. After he arrives, the mixup is eventually sorted out
and when Dixie and Eddie are finally alone, they admit their love
for each other and decide to marry again that night.
Driving back from the ceremony, in the
back seat of the car, Marilyn finally lets Buddy know that she also
loves him and they become engaged. Meanwhile, in the front
seat, Dixie realizes that Eddie has not changed and tells him that
they can be partners, but not live together as husband and wife
until after they finish their new show. Eddie refuses, and six
months later, Dixie is again before Judge Murdock, relating the
details of her most recent separation from Eddie. This time,
Murdock refuses to grant the divorce because he knows that Eddie and
Dixie are still in love.
After Marilyn, Buddy and Dixie leave,
Eddie rushes into the courtroom to contest the divorce, and Murdock
leads him to believe that the divorce was granted. Accompanied
by Red and his girl friend Lull, Eddie follows the others to an inn,
then finds Dixie alone on the terrace. He begs her to marry
him again and is shocked when she says that she will never remarry
but will live with him. She then embraces Eddie and tells him
just to keep thinking that they aren't really married.
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