La maîtresse de papa

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.

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.

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.........

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!!!

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.