Mister Big (1943 film)
Encyclopedia
Mister Big is a 1943 musical directed by Charles Lamont
, starring Donald O'Connor
, Gloria Jean
and Peggy Ryan
. The film features the song "Rude, Crude, and Unattractive".
) has written a musical comedy for the school play, but the owner of the school, Mrs. Davis (Florence Bates
)(whose niece, played by Gloria Jean
, secretly has a crush on Donald), disapproves and insists that they do a play by Sophocles instead. The students manage to change the play into a musical while Mrs. Davis is traveling to New York. Their triumph is short lived, however, for Mrs. Davis comes back from New York on opening night. At first she becomes quite angry at the students, but changes her tune when a Broadway producer agrees to finance the show and produce it in New York.
Charles Lamont
Charles Lamont was a prolific film director of over 200 titles, and the producer and writer of many others. He was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and died in Los Angeles, California, USA.-Career:...
, starring Donald O'Connor
Donald O'Connor
Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
, Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean is an American singer and actress who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films between 1939 and 1959. She also made radio, television, stage, and nightclub appearances.-Career:...
and Peggy Ryan
Peggy Ryan
Margaret O'Rene "Peggy" Ryan was an American dancer, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean....
. The film features the song "Rude, Crude, and Unattractive".
Synopsis
The story takes place in a school for the dramatic arts called the Davis School of the Theatre, which is run by a man named Jeremy Taswell. Donald (Donald O'ConnorDonald O'Connor
Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
) has written a musical comedy for the school play, but the owner of the school, Mrs. Davis (Florence Bates
Florence Bates
Florence Bates was an American character actress who often played grande dame characters in her films.Born Florence Rabe in San Antonio, Texas, the second child of Jewish immigrants, Bates showed musical talent as a child, but a hand injury inhibited her from continuing her piano studies...
)(whose niece, played by Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean
Gloria Jean is an American singer and actress who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films between 1939 and 1959. She also made radio, television, stage, and nightclub appearances.-Career:...
, secretly has a crush on Donald), disapproves and insists that they do a play by Sophocles instead. The students manage to change the play into a musical while Mrs. Davis is traveling to New York. Their triumph is short lived, however, for Mrs. Davis comes back from New York on opening night. At first she becomes quite angry at the students, but changes her tune when a Broadway producer agrees to finance the show and produce it in New York.
Cast
- Gloria JeanGloria JeanGloria Jean is an American singer and actress who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films between 1939 and 1959. She also made radio, television, stage, and nightclub appearances.-Career:...
- Patricia - Donald O'ConnorDonald O'ConnorDonald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
- Donald - Peggy RyanPeggy RyanMargaret O'Rene "Peggy" Ryan was an American dancer, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean....
- Peggy - Robert PaigeRobert PaigeRobert Paige was a TV star and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime and was the only actor ever allowed to sing on film with Deanna Durbin...
- Johnny Hanley - Elyse KnoxElyse Knox-Early life:Born Elsie Lillian Kornbrath to Frederick and Elizabeth Kornbrath in Hartford, Connecticut, she studied at the Traphagen School of Fashion in Manhattan then embarked on a career in fashion design...
- Alice Taswell - Samuel S. HindsSamuel S. HindsSamuel Southey Hinds was an American actor who is perhaps best remembered for playing Peter Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life and for his part in You Can't Take It With You , both films by Frank Capra...
- Jeremy Taswell - Florence BatesFlorence BatesFlorence Bates was an American character actress who often played grande dame characters in her films.Born Florence Rabe in San Antonio, Texas, the second child of Jewish immigrants, Bates showed musical talent as a child, but a hand injury inhibited her from continuing her piano studies...
- Mrs. Mary Davis - Mary Eleanor Donahue- Muggsy
Songs
- Serenade (Joy) performed by Gloria Jean
- Soliloquy performed by Donald O'Connor and chorus
- This Must Be a Dream performed by Ray EberleRay EberleRaymond "Ray" Eberle was a vocalist during the Big Band Era. Eberle sang with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.-Career:...
- Niagara performed by the Jivin' Jacks and Jills, featuring Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan
- Moonlight and Roses performed by Gloria Jean
- All the Things I Wanta Say performed by Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan
- Kitten with My Mittens Laced performed by the Jivin' Jacks and Jills
- Rude, Crude, and Unattractive performed by Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, and the Jivin' Jacks and Jills
- We're Not Obvious performed by Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean
- Thee and Me performed by Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, and Gloria Jean
- Come Along, My Mandy performed by Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan, sung by the Ben Carter Choir
- We'll Meet Again performed by the Ben Carter Choir
- Egyptian Boogie performed by the Jivin' Jacks and Jills
- Hi, Character performed by Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan
- The Spirit Is in Me sung by Gloria Jean, performed by the Jivin' Jacks and Jills, featuring Peggy Ryan