Customer Reviews

On Moonlight Bay

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

By 1951 Doris Day had become one of the most valuable assets at Warner Brothers. She was their number one female box-office draw and as a follow-up to her hugely popular 1950 musical with Gordon MacRae, "Tea for Two" the pair were teamed up again (their 3rd teaming in fact) in the technicolor "On Moonlight Bay".

Loosely based on the "Penrod" tales by Booth Tarkington, "Bay" is a nostalgic, lovingly created look at small town Americana, a world that might not have existed quite as it is depicted but a place we'd like to believe really was.

Doris Day is a tomboy, more at home on the baseball field or fixing a car than in a dress. The arrival of the boy next door changes some of that, though not all. Her precocious brother Wesley is the devil incarnate. Mom and Dad spend a lot of time scratching their heads in bemused wonderment at their youngsters antics, and the family maid is erascible but likeable. It's all tied up with gorgeous technicolor photography and a lot of lovely music.

Some critics have carped that it's Warners version of "Meet Me in St. Louis" but "On Moonlight Bay" can stand on its own merits thanks to a great cast and some genuinely sweet and funny moments.

Doris is perfect as Marjorie, effectively balancing the tomboy and blossoming young lady elements of her character and singing in that gorgeous voice that is distinctly her own. Gordon MacRae is stalwart as the object of her affection and it's obvious that the two have a genuine feeling for one another. They remained good friends until his untimely passing. Their rendition of "Till We Meet Again" is outstanding.

It's easy to believe that the cast is really a family. Leon Ames and Rosemary DeCamp as the parents are warmly winning. In 1984 I had the pleasure of joining Miss DeCamp and her husband, a retired California Judge at an awards dinner and we talked about this film among others and she glowed as she discussed the on-set atmosphere and interactions of the cast.

Bill Gray (of "Father Knows best" fame) is delightful and funny as Wesley, and who could have played the family maid better than Mary Wickes. This was the 1st of 4 on-screen roles opposite Day who was a lifelong friend. In addition Wickes did a very funny guest shot on Day's CBS Television series in 1969.

"On Moonlight Bay" was such a huge success for Warners that two years later they reteamed most of the cast for an equally popular sequel, "By the Light of the Silvery Moon".

Take a sail on Moonlight Bay and you'll be surprised at how much you enjoy the trip.

Marjorie Winfield(Doris Day) and her family move to a new town so her father George Winfield (Leon Ames) can be living closer to the bank that he works at along with his wife Mrs. Winfield (Rosemary Camp), Wesley Winfield (Billy Gray). Their she meets and falls in love with William Sherman (Gordon MacRae) at first her parents are all for it until they find out that he doesn't support marriage and that he hates banks. Which Mr. Winfield is the president of the Town Bank! So they have a lot of fun with everything fun that they do! Their are a lso a lot of other fun songs that are being sung like Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee, And On Moonlight Bay. This is one Movie Musical that you are for sure to enjoy!

Outspoken college boy, William Sherman (Gordon MacRae) falls for tomboy Marjorie Winfield (Doris Day) in this fun romantic musical set in a small Indiana town in the early 1900's. After accidentally shooting him and missing in the barn, Marjorie gives up baseball and embarks on a series of romantic adventures with the handsome William.
Their romance is sweet and innocent from beginning to end. They share their first date at the Moonlight Bay amusement park where they enjoy a canoe ride, dance a two-step, win a kewpie doll, and share their first kiss. They sing beautiful songs together and to each other like "Cuddle Up A Little Closer," "Till We Meet Again," and many more.
They also face opposition from Marjorie's father and a near elopement as they find themselves being separated by William's enlistment in the army during WWI.
The nostalgic atmosphere created by the period music, clothes, and sets is unforgettable from the houses to the streets to the old fashioned school house. If you want to get lost in an old-fashioned romance and bring to life the feeling of old town Americana, then this movie is it!!

This is a sequel movie to By The Light Of The Silvery Moon and is really funny. Great for the whole family. Doris Day and Gordon Macrae make a cute pair. The kids will love it too!

ON MOONLIGHT BAY is a charming period musical, perhaps Warner Brothers' answer to MGM's hugely-successful MEET ME IN ST LOUIS. It is based on Booth Tarkington's `Penrod' stories.

Marjorie Winfield (Doris Day) has just moved with her family to another part of town. She is a baseball-playing tomboy, but when she happens to run into handsome neighbour William Sherman (Gordon MacRae), her feminine instincts kick in and she trades her baseball and trousers for chiffon and perfume.

The rest of Marjorie's family includes her parents (Leon Ames and Rosemary DeCamp), precocious little brother Wesley (Billy Gray) and deadpan housekeeper Stella (Mary Wickes). It is a sunny, funny portrayal of a more innocent era, and thus charming viewing.

The entire movie is a complete joy. Doris Day and Gordon MacRae are perfect for the leads (they were also beautifully paired in Warners' TEA FOR TWO), and the film was such a success that a sequel was made reuniting all the main cast members - BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON.

If you liked Meet Me In Saint Louis and would like more of the same technicolor musical-comedy nostalgia mix, On Moonlight Bay is more of the same (as well as it's sequel, By The Light of the Silvery Moon). In fact, Doris Day's father in these films is played by Leon Ames, the quintessential turn-of-the-century middle-class American father, who also played Judy Garland's father in Meet Me In Saint Louis.
Day plays a teen-age girl, Marjorie Winfield, who's just at the age where she still wants to play baseball, but her father wants her to meet refined young men, who include Gordon MacRae (Oklahoma).
Doris Day displays her talents fully in this feature, both singing and acting, and acting while singing while eating an apple. But in my opinion the show is stolen by her daydreaming little brother Wesley Winfield, a character based on Penrod Schofield from the novels of Booth Tarkington, played very naturally by Billy Gray (later to portray Bud Anderson on Father Knows Best). Wesley get's into a series of misadventures comparable to Tom Sawyer, Dennis the Menace, even Bart Simpson. For instance, caught daydreaming about flying out of his chair at school, he talks his way out of punishment by telling his teacher, Ellen Corby (later to portray Grandma Walton), the plot of a film he'd seen as though it were real, accusing his father of drunkeness and abuse in the process. That's straigh out of Penrod, Chapters 7-10. Wesley get's a big pocket knife and sling shot for his birthday, and gets a chance to play with his neighbor's loaded gun; that's one thing you won't see in modern movies, let alone Doris Day's lovely singing.
Filling out the cast are Rosemary DeCamp (The Story Of Seabiscuit, The Treasure of Lost Canyon, 13 Ghosts) as Mrs. Winfield, and Mary Wickes (Father Dowling Mysteries) as the cook. Both Ellen Corby and Mary Wickes had some of the most distinguished careers as character actresses in movies and TV, both working regularly from the 1930s through the 1990s.
On Moonlight Bay's funny, romantic, entertaining and uplifting throughout; if you don't care for the nostalgia,it's still recommended for the music; and if you don't care for the circa 1917 songs, it's still recommended for the comedy.

I decided to buy this movie because I like to have movies available that both children and adults can enjoy. Old standards like "The Music Man", "The Nutty Professor"( original version) and this movie keep the children entertained in family gatherings and the young adults who have never seen these movies like watching them also. This movie was based on the "Penrod" books about a young boy, played by Billy Gray, of "Father Knows Best" fame and his antics are the highlights. A young Doris Day and Gordon MacCrea provide the wholesome romance and, of course, their great singing voices to the familiar musical numbers.
The movie is set in pre-World War 1 America yet the characters are not prim and proper types at all and the movie itself does not come across as old-fashioned. This is a light hearted movie that can be watched over again.

There is no way you can feel anything but happy while, and after, watching this charming movie. Day and McCrae are adorable. And if you don't sing "Love Ya, Love Ya, Honey" for days after watching there's something seriously wrong with you!

Traditional American values and warm nostalgia blend seamlessly in this WB film based on Booth Tarkington's Penrod stories. Starring a young Doris Day and Gordon MacRae and set in Indiana during WWI it is more a sweet story of love and family values scattered with songs than a traditional Hollywood musical. The sets of Indiana during the early 20th century are marvelous and a cast that includes Leon Ames, Jack Smith, Ellen Corby and Rosemary De Camp give Doris Day and Gordon MacRae all the fun and drama they need to fall in love.

Doris Day is the baseball playing tomboy, Margie, who meets William (MacRae) in the unlikliest manner when she takes a gun away from her mischievous little brother, Wesley, and almost shoots him in the process! Love blooms, of course, and soon she trades her cleats for high heels as she and William overcome her father's objections and the enlistment of William and his entire graduating class of Indiana U into the army.

Along the way we get snowball fights and the sweet angst of young and innocent love, not to mention some really nice songs. A few belly laughs are provided as Margie's little brother, Wesley, makes up a horrible story about his family based on a flicker he has seen to sidestep some homework that has the whole town talking!

Perhaps because this film so often gets compared to the perfect musical of American nostalgia, "Meet Me in St. Louis," it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Doris Day shows that glowing magic that endeared her to audiences around the world and the film itself is a warm and wonderful reminder of America and its values. The end of this film will leave a warm feeling in your heart just as it did the public in 1949 and is a reminder of a more innocent time. A good film for the entire family.

I've been looking for a copy of this movie for 2 years now. I'm so happy to learn it has a sequel! If you know a movie doesn't have to be disgusting to be funny and love zany romantic comedies and/or musicals, you'll enjoy "On Moonlight Bay". Sure, the ending is predictable, but there are plenty of surprises along the way. If you liked "Tammy and the Bachelor", you will like this movie equally well (if not more). It's my opinion that this movie is funnier and attracts a wider audience than "Tammy".