JANE POWELL

        If you’re a certain age you may well remember Jane Powell as the chirpy blonde  star of very early MGM musicals. She was a huge hit in the 40's and 50's and she left us recently at the good old age of 92. She was discovered by Hollywood because of her fantastic coloratura soprano voice and girl-next-door good looks. And if you don’t remember, or would like to renew acquaintances, you can see any of her movies through the magic of modern technology. 

Ms. Powell started her career in corny black and white movies with United Artists. Song of the Open Road (1944) is mainly a showcase for her singing, In Delightfully Dangerous (1945) she is a music student who thinks her stripper sister is a Broadway star. Don’t ask.

Things took a really good turn for her career when MGM signed her and started featuring her in ok films. She is the title character in A Date With Judy (1948), charming as a teen mistakenly thinking her Dad is having an affair. In Nancy Goes To Rio (1950) she plays a daughter competing with her own mother (Ann Sothern) both for the same man and for the same part in a play. 

Her big break-out part was on the horizon. MGM was making a musical for Fred Astaire with a questionable  plot about an American brother and sister going to London for Princess Elizabeth’s wedding. To play opposite Astaire they wanted June Allyson (not hired because pregnant) or Judy Garland (ill at the time). They settled on Ms. Powell and had themselves a huge hit. The film contains some of Astaire’s best dance numbers, and some in which Ms. Powell holds her own with the master. Royal Wedding (1951) is still just loads of fun despite its age (70!) 

Three years later Jane Powell knocked it out of the park again opposite Howard Keel in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). She is Milly, the demure answer to Keel and his six boisterous brothers. She tries to teach the roughnecks how to dance politely with a girl in the song Goin’ Courtin’ . The film’s highlight is the incredibly athletic dancing of the brothers. OK, this film is really sexist. Just get over it and enjoy the music and dancing.

Although Ms. Powell made several more films, Seven Brides was her cinema peak. The Girl Most Likely (1957) is a good enough musical remake of the 1941 film Tom, Dick and Harry. She somehow manages to be engaged to three guys at the same time. 

She actually retired from making films at 29. However, she went on to make lots of TV shows. And she had a nice second career on the Broadway stage, appearing in Carousel, Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music and many more. 

All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are fine for all ages.