Expert: Jim Kason - 3/14/2008

Question
Hi. I'm only 24 but I've been watching older movies my whole life and I love musicals. There are a few movies I remember watching when I was younger and I can't figure out what they are called.

Plot 1: I remember a dinner theatre and the 2 women performers have decided to "take off" before their show for some reason, 2 guys that are there decide to help them. They help them sneak out the window and then they put on their costumes and then they play a recording with their songs and go on stage and pretend to be them while holding big fans to keep their faces from showing. There is a possiblity that Bob Hope or Bing Crosby played in this but I'm not sure.

Plot 2 : A famous actress is announcing her engagement when her husband who she thought was dead shows up. He was marooned on an island or something like that. She has to choose between the 2. Meanwhile her now fiance falls in love with a less famous actress. Someone said they think it's Doris Day who plays in it, but I think I would remember if it was her.

Plot 3: This one was not a musical. But it was a comedy. I remember a hotel or an apartment building. The woman that ran it looked for tenants who had little family or friends. This one young woman rents the room and the older woman who runs the building tries to spray sleeping gas in the young womans room to make her fall asleep... then she intends to kidnap her and sell her for slavery or something like that. But instead the older woman knocks herself out and ends up falling asleep in the younger womans room.

If you can help me out with any of these that would be great!! Thank you!

Answer
Hi Alisha,

I think I can help you with all three movies!

Plot 1:  This has to be the delightful Irving Berlin (songs) musical, "White Christmas". And
you're right about Bing Crosby being in it;  but he co-starred with Danny Kaye in the film.
The two women were Rosemary Clooney (wonderful singing star) and Vera-Ellen (great
dancer).  Bing and Danny help the gals (who played sisters) get out of a tight situation by doing Their song routine, while they dashed away.  You can get this on DVD.

Plot 2:  This was another musical, called "Three For The Show".  Betty Grable (the famed
"pin-up girl" of the 1940's) played the Musical Star who announced her engagement to Gower Champion (terrific dancer/choreographer),..when her "lost" husband Jack Lemmon shows up.  She can't decide between the two of them.  But she ends up with Jack,...and Gower ends up with Marge Champion (who was his actual wife in real life.)  I think it's on videotape.
I think your friend was thinking of a similar plot,...only reversed.   In it,  James Garner is
marrying Polly Bergen, when HIS long lost wife Doris Day shows up.  It was called "Move Over
Darling".

Plot 3:  This was a musical too,...but also a comedy.  It was called "Thoroughly Modern Millie"
and starred Julie Andrews.   Bea Lillie plays the "landlady" of the hotel, who sells the girls into slavery, and Mary Tyler Moore was the girl she tries to kidnap.  This is on DVD too.