...E os Anos Passaram

A rollicking, cheerful musical about a vaudeville family and their adventures.

A classic and must see. Ask TCM or AMC to bring this back. You'll be glad you did. It is guaranteed to bring smiles and thoughts of simpler, happier times. Happy New Year.

I was a youngster when I first saw this and sadly it is never reshown on the cable networks, yhis was made when hollywood was at it;s best. warm,family musicals that you left the theatre feeling good. how un fortunate my grandchildren with all the cgi films of today never get to see the simple realistic and romantic movies of that era..everything seems served up on this imaginary sterile techno story that your imagination never gets utilised,

"Mother Wore Tights" is an easy going, easy-to-take musical comedy/drama of the kind Hollywood no longer makes. It is quintessential family fare with something for everyone, with two attractive and talented stars playing off one another and exhibiting the necessary chemistry required for most successful movie match-ups. Especially good are the song-and-dance numbers with Betty Grable and Dan Dailey, who play a married vaudeville team who separate when she finds she is expecting. They are surrounded by a good supporting cast, including William Frawley, Sara Allgood and with Mona Freeman and Connie Marshall as the daughters of the vaudeville duo... and when was the last time you saw Senor Wences? (I think I'm talking to older reviewers now).

This one has all the usual trappings of a Fox musical except that it lacks good songs. The big production number, "You Do", got an Oscar nomination but is just passable, and is delivered heavy on the syrup. The better song is "Kokomo, Indiana", which I thought was the best song and dance number in the picture and is Grable and Dailey at their best.

This picture is still a good example of 'G' rated movie entertainment and should appeal to moviegoers of all ages. It just needed 1 blockbuster number to make it a great movie - as is, it is good enough for a rating of seven.

While BETTY GRABLE was never in the same league with Ginger Rogers or Rita Hayworth as a dancer, she does manage to keep up nicely with DAN DAILEY in this pleasant backstage musical of a vaudeville couple who become a dance team, marry and raise a family. The voice-over narration is by none other than ANNE BAXTER, although MONA FREEMAN and CONNIE MARSHALL play the couple's children.

Grable is still at the height of her box-office popularity here, charming in the song-and-dance routines that show off her shapely figure and modest talents as a dancer, while Dailey is at his breezy best as her highly confident partner.

By today's standards, it's no doubt going to find some who find it too schmaltzy and corny but fans of the escapist movies of the '40s will no doubt succumb to its charms.

Alfred Newman's musical score won a Best Musical Score Oscar and the film had two nominations for Color Cinematography and the song "You Do". The musical numbers are light and entertaining, my personal favorite being the "Kokomo, Indiana" song-and-dance, although the Oscar winning ballad is nice enough.

But there's nothing special here. Grable fans might be disappointed that the musical numbers aren't more lavish (or as garish as they usually are in a Grable film), but the story has some warm appeal that makes up for the neglected gaudier aspects.

Trivia note: An actor named STEPHEN DUNNE (as Roy), bears a remarkable resemblance to GEORGE MONTGOMERY. Could be his twin brother!!

This beautiful treatment of a show business family has become for me THE movie musical memory of my formative years. All cast members provide excellent performances, especially Dan Dailey and Betty Grable, with an unforgettable score that still resonates in my memory. Would love to purchase a copy of this classic for my home film library.