Golden Girl

This is a film I went to the cinema and watched on its release.... Throughout the 51 years since then this is the film that has stayed in my memory.

I found the plot quite enthralling - the action criss crossed from the Civil War to the theatre and the lives of all those involved. The drama and the joys were all there. The cast were all good in the roles and there was a wide range of Hollywood names of that era. The musical numbers were toe tapping and will run through your mind after you have watched it ... main numbers are Golden Slippers and Dixie which you sing for days afterwards (in my case 51 years afterwards).

The costumes were what you expected of a large Hollywood musical of the era - colourful and glorious.

Sadly it seems to be a film that is lying in the vaults forgotten but it would be nice if it could be re-released....if only to see a young Dale Robertson...

THe role that made Mitzi Gaynor a star. As musical formulas go, this is as formulaic as it gets. But formula hath not make a bad picture. As with any musical, no matter how mundane or pedestrian the plot, good songs and singing can always save it. That is the case here, especially one song I can't get out of my head. You'll know it. It's played again and again as hollywood pro Lloyd Bacon uses it as a transitional device. All scenes are shot and edited well and all acting is good and Mitzi Gaynor delivers a star performance.

Although the plot plays fast and loose with history, the film is based on the early stage career of 19th century singer Lotta Crabtree, as played with gusto by Mitzi Gaynor, who shows herself to be one of the great dancers of 20th century cinema. Under the guidance of her stage mother, 16-year-old Crabtree began performing for sex-starved California miners and later wealthy city slickers across America, earning a fortune for her family. Set against the background of the Civil War, the melodrama centers on her romance with a South spy and her relationship with her brother-like partner, played by Dale Robertson and Dennis Day, respectively. The beauty of the film is its music, with Gaynor irresistibly innocent and vivacious, Day in his best tenor form, and Carmen D'Antonio as European stage entertainer Loa Montez, Crabtree's inspiration. Top among the cute songs is "Kiss Me Quick and Go." Curiously, "Oh Dem Golden Slippers," which repeats throughout the film, was not written until 1879, many years after the Civil War.

I saw this movie back when I was a young teenage girl of about 13 years, and it has stuck in my memory for 50 years now. It was a sort of Cinderella story to me in it's purest form. I would love to own this movie to let my grandchildren watch it as I feel they would really get something from it! Movies today just don't compare in my opinion. Most are just watched and forgotten, but since I've not been able to get this one out of my head for 50 years must say something about it? The stars, both Mitz Gaynor and Dale Robertson were superb! Her songs and dances were wonderful, and the acting was of the best quality. I'm sure this movie boosted both their careers a great deal. I could watch it a thousand times and not tire of it. Would love to find it available somewhere out there. Thanks for reading my review.

In common with a fellow reviewer I saw this movie as a teenager.I remember it vividly, probably THE FILM which made the deepest impression on my young mind. I would really love for my grown children to see it.Yes I have moved on to appreciate much more sophisticated movies,in fact have little time for the majority of films made today. GOLDEN GIRL is-was a really good feel movie that has stayed with me for fifty years. I may add that few persons have seen anything like the number of films I have devoured in my lifetime.To films every day, three-hundred and sixty days a year. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to order a DVD of this movie or if anyone would part with their copy? Lets form a Golden Girl fan club? Lyn Kristensen Oslo Norway