The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady

Rosie O'Grady's daughters (Marsha Jones as Katie, June Haver as Patricia, Debbie Reynolds as Maureen) live with their father (James Barton), a former vaudevilian who is still in mourning for their mother and harbouring a grudge against the theatre.

Really the interest of the film is in the musical sequences, featuring Haver with co-stars Gordon MacRae and Gene Nelson, but the story, although entertaining in parts, is so slight as to be nonexistent. It is a pleasant enough way to pass the time, though.

After Look For The Silver Lining Gordon MacRae and June Haver were teamed again for The Daughter Of Rosie O'Grady another period musical. This one is set in 1898 the year of the Spanish-American War and MacRae plays the real life vaudeville entertainer and impresario Tony Pastor who falls for one of the daughters of Rosie O'Grady.

MacRae looked remarkably well I have to say because in 1898 the real Tony Pastor was 61 years old and the objections of James Barton the husband and father of the daughters of Rosie O'Grady might well have been understood as cradle robbing.

June is only one of the daughters, but she's the one with the stage ambitions. Marcia Mae Jones is the oldest and is secretly married to returning Spanish American War veteran and policeman Sean McClory. But they're keeping it a secret from Barton though something is on the way that will blow the secret wide open.

Barton plays your blustering Irish American father, the part usually reserved for Barry Fitzgerald. He's got some objection to McClory so Jones and McClory are trying to work up nerve to tell him. Barton and his late wife were a vaudeville team back in the day, but her early death has soured him on show business. He has forbidden his daughters to even think about the stage and wants them to make marriages to men of substance.

The youngest daughter is Debbie Reynolds who is her usual perky self, but really hasn't a whole lot to do in this film. It might have been nice to team her with Gene Nelson who is one of the performers at Tony Pastor's. Nelson of course shows again why he came along just a tad too late to musicals.

Nothing special in The Daughter Of Rosie O'Grady, but the cast performs well and there's a nice Christmas finale to the film.

The men are returning after the Spanish American War. Patricia O'Grady (June Haver) is the daughter of Irish Vaudeville performer Dennis O'Grady (James Barton). He fears that his wife legendary star Rosie was lost to the rigors of performing. He doesn't want any of his three daughters to follow in her footsteps. Despite that, Patricia falls for star performer Tony Pastor (Gordon MacRae). Debbie Reynolds plays younger sister Maureen O'Grady.

I'm only watching this to catch glimpses of Debbie Reynolds in one of her earliest roles. It's a side character, but it's still a main side. The movie itself is a rather standard musical. It's light drama and slightly charming. It's very harmless and perfectly nice. The dancing and songs are all fine if not excelling. This is fair for what it is.

A pleasure to see such a great team as Gordon McRae and June Haver on the big screen together. Debbie Reynolds, as her little sister, added a delightful touch (her first speaking role, I believe). June and Debbie's Irish Dad, Barton McLane, did a great nostalgic song and dance ("My Own True Love And I") that would break any Irish person's heart. Gordon played the part of Tony Pastor in his own bright inimitable way. His singing was particularly terrific. Always liked the man. No one else I can think of sang the gay nineties songs as well as he. June and Gene Nelson's (whom I can usually do without) presentation of the title song "The Daughter Of Rosie O'Grady", was a gem, and added much to the show. You came out of the theater humming this tune.

Any time the movie appears on TV, I will try very hard not to miss it. It is a 'feel good about the world' musical and one of the great "escape" pieces of it's day. In my opinion, no MGM musical (including "Singing In The Rain") can make it take a back seat. My lord, how I envied that man (Gordon). He could fall off a shelf and come up singing right on the beat. Strangely enough, I cannot remember S.Z. Sakall's part in the movie; although he appears on the credits. When I track down the video (and I will track it down) I'll come back and update this. Of course, he was a street car conductor.

Nobody can sing a song like Gordon MacRae. If you like nothing else about the movie it is worth the time just to hear him sing. I think the movie was really good. It takes you back to a time that no longer exist and it has a good story line too. June Haver is beautiful and one of the best for song and dance. She and Gene Nelson trip the light fantastic in several numbers. I think they are just fun to watch. I may be a little over the top for some of you but one of my passions are the old musicals. Then you add in Debbie Reynolds as the cute innocent little sister and the movie just keeps getting better.

I have never seen a movie that S.Z. Sakall was in that wasn't very funny. He is without a doubt one of my very favorite actors. He made appearances in so many of the old musicals and as always was great. He and James Barton who played Dennis O'Grady were really good together. All in all if you like old musicals you should love this one. I just wish they would blow off the dust and get this one out on DVD, soon!