User reviews

On Moonlight Bay proved so popular with audiences looking for entertainment and tales of what they thought was a simpler era, that By The Light Of The Silvery Moon was almost demanded to be made. Repeating their roles from the previous Warner Brothers hit were Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Billy Gray, Leon Ames, Rosemary DeCamp and the trenchant Mary Wickes as the indispensable maid of the Wingfield Family.

The last film was set in 1916-1917 and ended with Gordon MacRae going off to World War I after graduating college with Doris Day promising to wait for him. The armistice has happened and its 1919 and the dough-boys are returning home, in MacRae's case to Indiana.

Of course there are a few bumps in the road including Russell Arms who's been trying to score with Doris while Gordon's away. And a French actress who's taking a lease on a theater that banker Ames's employer has had title defaulted to. Through some dumb errors worthy of an Astaire-Rogers film everyone thinks Ames is stepping out with Maria Palmer playing the actress.

No original songs were written for this film set in 1919. The songs were all in keeping with the period when the Roaring Twenties Jazz Age hadn't taken hold yet. The earliest copyrighted song from the score is Just One Girl which Gordon does with a nice little buck and wing thrown in. It's my favorite number from the film.

If you liked On Moonlight Bay there is no reason you won't like By The Light Of The Silvery Moon. Doris and Gordon certainly made some beautiful music together.

BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON is a continuation of "On Moonlight Bay", the previous flick featuring DORIS DAY and GORDON MacRAE as sweethearts during the early 1900s who get to croon some pretty wonderful songs of that period. It's strictly family stuff, nostalgic and as prettily pictured as a postcard of an Americana that never really existed except in Hollywood's imagination and Norman Rockwell paintings.

The delightful supporting cast has LEON AMES (who was also Judy Garland's father in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS), MARY WICKE (as the sharp-tongued housekeeper), ROSEMARY DeCAMP as the patient wife and RUSSELL ARMS as Doris' nerdy other love.

The wholesome story (from a Booth Tarkington tale) has Doris' bratty brother letting his childish imagination running away from him when he suspects his father is having an affair with a French actress.

The skating ring sequence closes the story on a happy note--and after a nice bunch of songs by Day and MacRae (including "Be My Little Baby Bumble-Bee", "If You Were the Only Girl in the World" and "By the Light of the Silvery Moon"), you'll feel yourself back in those innocent times wishing life could imitate the movies.

I happen to be a fan of Doris Day's so I tend to watch anything of hers I can manage to snag on television or rent from the video store. When I saw this, I was not disappointed. It was cute, funny and some of the songs in the movie were great (like Be My Baby Bumblebee..haha). Gordon McRae, as always, has a wonderful voice and it was nice to see him paired up w/ Doris. Billy Gray as Welsey made me chuckle with the turkey scene..and Mary Wickes as Stella the housekeeper even threw in a few lines that made me chuckle as well. I love watching it any time of the year, but it happens to air around the holidays more..which actually appeals to me. It's nice to be able to relate to a movie especially when it is based around the same time of the year that you are experiencing at that moment. If you have a chance to see it, I would definitely recommend it.

Following World War I, and "On Moonlight Bay" (1951), shapely tomboy Doris Day (as Marjorie Winfield) plans to marry returning soldier sweetheart Gordon MacRae (as William "Bill" Sherman), but he gets cold feet. The pair have misadventures and misunderstandings until Ms. Day finds Mr. MacRae back on his feet again. Day's family from the earlier film returns, imaginative little brother Billy Gray (as Wesley), father Leon Ames (as George), mother Rosemary DeCamp (as Alice), and housekeeper Mary Wickes (as Stella) return. Day and MacRae sing a bunch of standards (very well). Piano teacher Russell Arms (as Chester Finley) and French actress Maria Palmer (as Renee La Rue) provide innocent romantic fluff. "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" is an immaculate production; it's sweet and old-fashioned, with music to match.

******* By the Light of the Silvery Moon (3/26/53) David Butler ~ Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Billy Gray, Leon Ames

I saw this again recently on British TV. It's a great film, with plenty of nostalgia, nice period atmosphere, and the lovely Doris Day. One slight oddity, though: her boy-friend returns from World War 1 in time for Thanksgiving (23rd November?), and says the Germans surrendered the day his unit got to Paris (11th November), so he must have got on a boat back to the States & been demobilised pretty quick to be home in less than 2 weeks (unless it took a year for that to happen!). Nonetheless, I recommend this very much to anyone interested in the Golden Age of American film musicals, the decade from 1945 to 1955, and the wonderful stars who beguiled us with their gentle escapism.

If I have to make a choice between all the movies Doris Day has made, I cannot make that choice. She is my favorite and that is because of my mother. We used to sing several songs in the kitchen doing the dishes, or making food. Lots of my friends who are the same age as me, don't have that feeling with the movies of Doris Day. But when I see those movies, it is making me relaxed, happy or sad sometimes. Most of all I like the way she is singing the songs with such a emotion, you cannot find in every singer. I wish I could sing that way or dance like in Calamity Jane. Unfortunately they don't make that kind of movies anymore, but we have the most of those movies on DVD bought her in The Netherlands. Great singers, great actors, love it

Doris Day and Gordon MacRae star in this film about a soldier coming back from war and the impending nuptials soon to follow. The nuptials get put on hold and from there the calamities begin. Everyone buts their noses into everyone else's business, wrongly assumes things and then spreads the falsehoods to more town folk. At some point this became an increasing annoying plot point. The music does save it, but the viewer will most likely get frustrated at some point.

Tomboy Marjorie Winfield (Doris Day) is excited that William 'Bill' Sherman (Gordon MacRae) is returning home after WWI. She fully expects to marry him right away and meets him in her wedding dress. He intends to make it big before proposing to her.

This may be old fashion even during its time. That's fine by me. There is a relentless wholesomeness to the movie starting with Doris Day. This is a sequel to On Moonlight Bay (1951). Honestly, I don't remember that much from that first movie even though I saw it only a year ago. It's all wholesome light entertainment. It's not meant to be revolutionary or ground-breaking. The songs are all lovely like this movie. The throwaway love triangle is treated as a joke until it becomes useful. I like the little brother's imagination detours. They give the movie chaos which the movie badly needs.

Bemused old-fashioned corn from Warners, pleasantly set in small town America over the Thanksgiving holiday. A sequel to 1951's "On Moonlight Bay", the film continues the love story of Doris Day (in her tomboy period) and soldier Gordon McRae, as well as Doris' trouble-making little brother Billy Gray, and father Leon Ames (who finds himself involved in a scandal). Extremely pleasant, but a little lax. Director David Butler and his likable cast don't push the saccharine, they stay somewhat tongue-in-cheek, and Mary Wickes is a blessing as the sarcastic maid. However all these elements and characters were better (and fresher) the first time around. ** from ****

I have seen this film along with On Moonlight Bay many times on TV, not when they originally came out in the cinema, I wasn't a big fan of musicals then and I can't say I'm a big fan of Doris Day, but these two films are so uplifting and fun they are excellent to watch. It's something to do with the balance of light drama/comedy to songs, the songs don't intrude and seem to help the plot along. If I had to choose, it would probably be this film out of the two because of the great feel good factor with everyone enjoying themselves at the end out at the pond. My favourite scene is right at the end when Leon Ames seems to be the only one who hasn't got a clue what's going on, and says to his wife ..."and what did you think.... and she's just as puzzled as he his and the music comes up.........

By The Light of the Silvery Moon is at times quite cloying with its mostly formulaic and predictable story, perfectly artificial set-pieces representing a world that never really existed. And yet there is something kind of fun about the whole thing. The entire cast does a fine job creating their own, unique characters. MacRae is particularly good with both his acting and velvety singing voice. I found the young brother Welsey's turkey loving, would be detective character the most fun of all. Despite its many weaknesses, By the Light of the Silvery Moon does offer enough delights worth checking out.

By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (1953) : Brief Review -

David Butler couldn't match Roy Del Ruth's predecessor, but he made a watchable sequel for sure. A couple of months ago, I saw Ruth's "On Moonlight Bay" (1951) and found it very nice. It's one of the most underrated films ever made by Roy Del Ruth. Now, coming to the sequel, I don't know why they changed the director, but if this was the kind of film he would have made, then I am glad that Ruth did not do it. It's not a bad or even average flick; it's very enjoyable. The problem is that you can't get over the impact of its predecessor. It was a rom-com with family drama and a few very intelligent thoughts attached to it at the end. The sequel is again a rom-com and a family drama, but it misses that intelligent part in the end because it wanted to be 'funny'. The plot continues from where we left On Moonlight Bay as Marjorie awaits the return of Bill from war. He comes back but wants to delay the wedding until he is well settled, while Marjorie wants to get married right away. One letter creates a problem between them and between her father, George, and his family members (except Alice). There is nothing to it, actually, but it's a decent conflict to carry the story, and you kind of enjoy it too. On one or two occasions, it all looked very funny. Wesley's turkey and detective plots are hilarious. The performances are fine too. Doris Day has several songs in which she excels, and she looks very beautiful. Gordon MacRae has good chemistry with her, while Leon Ames and Rosemary DeCamp's couple look great yet again. Billy Gray is funny, and so is Russell Arms. Mary Wickes is apt for her role, and gorgeous Maria Palmer fits well for the cameo role. The musical numbers are enchanting, especially the title song. David Butler gave a Calamity Jane with Day, but this was 2 years before. Maybe they were practicing a bit, and that's why the film couldn't come out as a sensational flick. Nonetheless, it's certainly watchable.

RATING - 6/10*

By - #samthebestest.

The 1953 sequel to On Moonlight Bay stars Doris Day & Gordon MacRae as a courting couple in smalltown America just after WW1. MacRae returns from his stint in the war to marry his sweetheart (even though a friend of the family who's giving Day's brother piano lessons hopes for his chance at bat) Day but her pragmatic ways (she knows how to use the business end of a wrench when it comes to car repair) & his reluctance to marry right away infuriates all concerned parties. When her father is called upon to handle the upcoming divorce of a visiting French actress, wires are crossed (due to a found letter stating marital discontent) w/his children fearing the worse for their parents union. Peppered throughout w/simple smile inducing ditties (especially the title song), this easygoing musical charms in every frame w/Day's brother, who fancies himself a detective in the making, driving the miscommunication to hilarious heights. The King Chanticleer sequence (Day along w/other townsfolk performing a stage revue) is a triumphant highlight.

With former campus radical Gordon MacRae back from saving the world for Democracy, he and Doris Day delay their marriage while he gets money working at the bank, the feeble rivalry of Russell Arms, and a tempest-in-a-teapot crisis because people imagine father Leon Ames and actress Maria Palmer are having an affair in this sequel to ON MOONLIGHT BAY.

Once again we have the same family as in the other movie. Although this is a remake of the Penrod movies Warner Brothers made in the 1920s and early 1930s, again the serial numbers are rubbed off and there is more emphasis on the young adults. The musical numbers are delightful. MacRae is very engaging, and Miss Day's singing and dancing a delight. However something has gone amiss with Ames' performance, as he declaims his lines rather than speaks them, and the various plots and crises that fill the movie are played for feeble laughs, underscored by musical stings that undercut them. With Rosemary DeCamp, Billy Gray, and Mary Wickes.

This is the second of two movies about the same characters. Doris Day and Gordon MacRae play young newlyweds who are separated by WWI in this turn of the century inspired by the stories of Booth Tarkington. The story is told from her point of view and her home life with her mother, father and bratty brother are central to the film. Of the family members, the most memorable is Billy Gray ("Bud" from FATHER KNOWS BEST), as he is a terrible little brat that is a lot like Dennis the Menace and the Problem Child all rolled up into one.

While this film is so similar to the first that you might just mix them up in your mind after you see them, the movies are so pleasant and fun that you really don't mind. A wonderful romantic slice of life movie with a wonderful blend of comedy and heart.

"By the Light of the Silvery Moon" is the sequel to "On Moonlight Bay" and though it can be enjoyed independently it's still better to have seen the first film which establishes the characters and their relationships. The first film was so popular that the sequel was immediately approved. This allowed Warner Brothers to keep the same cast in the same roles with one notable exception. The nerdy piano teacher who pursues Marjorie (Day) is here played by Russell Arms, later to be popular on the television show, "Your Hit Parade". The character (who is otherwise basically the same, including glasses), has a new name, Chester Finley. Singer Jack Smith had played a similar character in the first film but neither he nor his fans thought the nerdiness went with his image and he turned it down for the second film.

Sequels can be pale shadows of the originals, but this film is just as good as "On Moonlight Bay" and I thought, actually funnier. The delightfully sarcastic Mary Wickes as housekeeper Stella has her part expanded, breaking the fourth wall to give droll introductions of the characters at the beginning of the film. She even does a little singing and dancing in the "Ain't We Got Fun" number, sung while making Thanksgiving dinner. Leon Ames is the affably befuddled father and Rosemary DeCamp is made up to look convincingly matronly as Day's mother even though she was only eleven years older. Their upcoming wedding anniversary plays a big role in the plot. There seems to be a continuity error with Day's Marjorie. In the first film, specifically set in 1916-1917, Marjorie's age is said to be eighteen; in this film, set in 1919, Marjorie is said to be eighteen. It doesn't matter, but it should have been spotted.

It's the latter part of 1919 and Thanksgiving dinner is the theme of the first part of the film, setting up one of son Wesleys' (Billy Gray) comic misadventures. Marjorie and Bill (Day and MacRae) are on again, off again about their wedding plans but still have plenty of time for singing and get two romantic duets, "Your Eyes Have Told Me So" and "If You Were the Only Girl In the World". Unlike the first film in which many songs were written after its stated date and new songs were also written for it, there were no new songs added and only two songs were written after 1919 Day and Arms sing "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee", a novelty number from a 1912 Ziegfeld show in a way that seems to encourage Arms and infuriate MacRae. "King Chanticleer" is given a show within a show setting with Day onstage with male dancers costumed as chickens. For once a film doesn't turn it into an elaborate number that would have been impossible to stage, though this small Indiana town does seem to have more talented male dancers than one would expect.

Marjorie may have become more ladylike in the first film to win Bill's attention and affection but she hasn't totally given up her tomboy ways. Here she's introduced working on the Winfield's car from beneath it in overalls and later gets to show what a good mechanic she is. Little Brother Wesley now imagines himself to be detective "Fearless Flanagan" creating more trouble when a theater troupe led by beautiful actress Renee LaRue (Maria Palmer) comes to town. Wesley's comic adventures were all based on Booth Tarkington's "Penrod" stories, literally in the first film. Here the fantasy of being a detective is from the third book, "Penrod Jashber", but how it plays out is totally original. This time he suspects visiting actress Larue of having an affair with his father due to a misunderstanding. Austrian actress Palmer had been in a number of American war and noir films that had required a young actress with a European accent. The Day-MacRae romance plot is not as turbulent as before but still has its own little problems. This time Wesley's plotline ends up involving everyone around and is central in the film. This was the fourth and last musical that teamed Day and MacRae. Look quickly during the finale's skating scene and with one line, it's Merv Griffin as the bandleader. This is a nostalgic look back at American small town life in the late 1910s, complete with a telephone gossip scene straight out of Norman Rockwell. Nice and sweet. Don't miss it.

It is not often that a follow-up is every bit as good and actually on the same level as its predecessor, but 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon', a follow-up to the immensely charming and warm-hearted 'On Moonlight Bay', manages it.

Both are among Doris Day's best musical films and in the top end of her filmography. Anybody who is a fan of Day and Gordon McRae (have always loved Day and consider McRae immensely talented) will get huge pleasure from both and will find it difficult to decide which is better. Like 'On Moonlight Bay', the story in 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon' is very slight. Again, like 'On Moonlight Bay' it doesn't feel that big a problem with everything else executed so well.

Visually, 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon' captivates. The Technicolor styling is superb and rich in colour, the production design is lavish and leaves a warm and cosy feeling from head to toe.

The songs are terrific and the treatment of these standards truly enchant. Standouts are the title song, "Be My Little Baby Bumble-Bee" and "If You Were the Only Girl in the World".

'By the Light of the Silvery Moon's' writing is witty and warm-hearted and few will mind the slightness of the story with it warming the heart so much, being so consistently entertaining and making one feel so cosy and relaxed with its innocence. The ice skating sequence epitomises all this.

Day sings beautifully and has such an endearing and fresh approach to her acting, while McRae is a dashing presence with his warm baritone voice being one of the best and most beautiful on film. Their chemistry once again is irresistible and a huge part of the film's appeal.

Leon Ames has the memorability factor, Rosemary DeCamp is a sympathetic presence, Billy Gray makes a potentially annoying character appealing and Russell Arms charms as a nerd. Mary Wickes' sharp-tongued but well meaning housekeeper is particularly fun.

Overall, a musical delight. 9/10 Bethany Cox

If you were that one person in the world who enjoyed watching On Moonlight Bay, you'll be glad to hear they made a sequel! By the Light of the Silvery Moon continues the romance between Doris Day and Gordon MacRae, as well as Doris's family dynamics, led by Leon Ames and Rosemary DeCamp.

Just as in the first movie, the title song is the main one plugged throughout the film, with a few very silly songs sprinkled in-between. It has just as watery a romance as the first movie had, and you'll find yourself groaning several times throughout Doris and Gordon's corny, campy scenes. It just goes to show you that two stars with beautiful smiles and beautiful voices can be shepherded into several lousy movies together. It's too bad, really, that none of their five onscreen pairings were very good. You're better off watching Oklahoma! and Romance on the High Seas instead for a fun, but separate, Doris and Gordon marathon.

I like this film. It was well done with Doris and Gordon in the lead as small time sweet hearts. I watch this every Christmas! It gets me in the mood for ice-skating! I love the songs. The plot involved a small town family and how the children think their father is having an affair with an actress. The father is the same father in Meet Me In St. Louis. JUST WATCH IT!!!