Friday, August 13, 2010

Moon Over Miami(1941).


Moon Over Miami (1941). Directed by Walter Lang. Cast: Betty Grable and Don Ameche, Robert Cummings, Carole Landis, Jack Haley, and Charlotte Greenwood. It was one of Haley's last appearances in a major, film. After 1943 he began making mostly B-pictures. (Haley is most noted for playing the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz).

Sisters Kay and Barbara are working and singing as car hops in a Texas drive-in restaurant with their aunt Susan, who is flipping burgers. When they receive an inheritance of $55,000 which turns out to be only $4,000 after taxes and fees. Looking to marry a millionaires, Kay talks Barbara and Susan into spending the money on a trip to Miami, where she hopes to find a rich man.

With Barbara acting as Kay's secretary and Susan as her maid, the three women check into the Flamingo Hotel. There they meet Jack O'Hara, a bartender who promises to protect them from gold diggers.

Kay gets herself invited to a party hosted by rich Jeffrey Bolton, where she also meets Phil McNeil, heir to the McNeil Mines. Boyhood friends Jeff and Phil begin a fun filled rivalry for Kay, who cannot make up her mind between the two friends. She also does not notice that Barbara has fallen in love with Jeff.

At the end of three weeks, the girls are in financial trouble because they need $150 to pay their hotel bill. Susan borrows the money from Jack, who has already proposed to her.

Kay brings Barbara along to a dance to keep Jeff busy while she talks with Phil, with whom she has fallen in love. When Phil admits that he is broke, and that the McNeil Mines will not be profitable again for at least five years. Kay confesses that she, too, came to Miami to find a rich spouse, and they both decide to move on to other partners. Phil tells Jeff that Kay loves him, and she then accepts Jeff's proposal.

As the girls are packing to leave for Jeff's families island, Jack overhears them talking about their Gold Digging plans, and threatens to tell Jeff. Jack finds himself locked in the bathroom, while the girls quickly leave for the island.

Phil, decides he can not live without Kay, and comes up with a plan to stop the wedding. The girls are surprised to see Jack, who came to inform Jeff that Kay, is not really love him. Will Phil get there in time to stop the wedding, or ...Will Jack ruin the girls plans?

I really enjoyed watching Betty Grable sing and dance in this fun/colorful movie. I also really enjoyed the location scenes of Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs. This movie is the way they used to make movies. I'm so glad that I have, Moon over Miami, in my DVD collection.

2 comments:

  1. This is one of my favorite Betty Grable movies...a great cast,great music, and great fun!

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