Here Comes the Groom
Encyclopedia
Here Comes the Groom is a 1951 musical
romantic comedy film
starring Bing Crosby
and Jane Wyman
. Directed and produced by Frank Capra
, the film was released by Paramount Pictures
.
) works in a Paris
orphanage. His charming way with children and music enables him to find homes for even the most troubled kids. One afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey (Alan Reed
and Minna Gombell
), an American couple, come to the orphanage to adopt Bobby, a boy they saw in one of the ads Pete ran in his newspaper. Bobby misbehaves, but when Pete discovers that Mr. Godfrey plays for the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, he quickly produces a young blind opera wunderkind, Theresa (Anna Maria Alberghetti
), who sings her way into the Godfreys' hearts.
Later that night, Pete dreams that the fiance he left behind in America has visited. Emmadel appears in a hologram atop his record player. She scolds him for leaving her at the altar and talks about the children they might have had. Filled with regret, Pete arranges to adopt both Bobby and his little sister Suzi and bring them to Boston
, where he'll marry Emmadel. American authorities inform him that he must marry within five days or the adoption will be void.
Pete takes the children to Emmadel's house. While she bonds with Bobby and Suzi, Pete discovers that Emmadel is engaged. The kids stay with her loud parents (drunken father James Barton and disapproving mother Connie Gilchrist
). Pete tries everything to win Emmadel back. She helps him secure a lease on a new house via her fiance's company. However, when Pete and the children arrive, they discover that another couple (the McGonigles) also have a lease for the property. Emmadel's fiance Wilbur Stanley shows up to settle the matter. Wilbur offers Pete a ride to another house - but Pete talks him into letting them stay at the Stanley family's gatehouse. They agree to a friendly competition for Emmadel's heart.
Pete and the children settle into the Stanley gatehouse. Emmadel meets Wilbur's amiable elderly relatives, who present her with $500,000 as a wedding gift. Her parents embarrass her by running screaming through the garden. Emma discovers Pete's presence and visits the gatehouse to have it out with him. While she pulls Suzi's loose tooth, Pete pretends to be in love with Winnifred, Wilbur's fourth cousin twice-removed, and laughs when Emmadel pratfalls on her huge party dress.
Pete reveals his plan to Winnifred Stanley. He discovers that she's in love with her cousin Wilbur, but feels too socially awkward to pursue him. In a bit of pygmalion, Pete teaches Winnifred to feel comfortable with herself. Winnifred's newfound confidence bubbles over at the wedding rehearsal. She and Emmadel erupt in a brawl on the front lawn. Winnifred concedes the fight, and Emmadel declares that she's proud to be a fisherman's daughter.
The wedding day arrives. News reporters line the outdoor chapel, proclaiming this the Cinderella story of the decade. As he escorts Emma down the aisle, Pa Jones tells her that Pete kidnapped the children and ran so they wouldn't be sent back to France. Emmadel begins to have second thoughts. Pete shows up at precisely the wrong moment, handcuffed to a policeman, with both crying kids in tow. Although Wilbur offers to marry Emma and adopt the children, Bobby and Suzi cling sobbing to Pete. On national television, Wilbur abandons his own wedding and forces a reluctant Emma and a protesting (but secretly thrilled!) Pete to marry. Pete, Emmadel, Bobby, Suzi, Ma and Pa Jones all ride off for their honeymoon together.
The Stanley Family:
The Children:
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
starring Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
and Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
. Directed and produced by Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
, the film was released by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
.
Plot
Newspaper reporter Pete (Bing CrosbyBing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
) works in a Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
orphanage. His charming way with children and music enables him to find homes for even the most troubled kids. One afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey (Alan Reed
Alan Reed
Alan Reed was an American actor and voice actor, best known as the original voice of Fred Flintstone on The Flintstones and various spinoff series...
and Minna Gombell
Minna Gombell
Minna Gombell was an American film actress of the 1930s and 1940s.She had a very successful stage career from 1912 before being signed by Fox film company in the late twenties. Her first film was Doctor's Wives in which she played under the name of Nancy Gardner, a name given to her by Fox...
), an American couple, come to the orphanage to adopt Bobby, a boy they saw in one of the ads Pete ran in his newspaper. Bobby misbehaves, but when Pete discovers that Mr. Godfrey plays for the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, he quickly produces a young blind opera wunderkind, Theresa (Anna Maria Alberghetti
Anna Maria Alberghetti
Anna Maria Alberghetti is an Italian-born operatic singer and actress.Born in Pesaro, Marche, she starred on Broadway and won a Tony Award in 1962 as Best Actress for Carnival! .Alberghetti was a child prodigy. Her father was an opera singer and concert master of the Rome Opera Company...
), who sings her way into the Godfreys' hearts.
Later that night, Pete dreams that the fiance he left behind in America has visited. Emmadel appears in a hologram atop his record player. She scolds him for leaving her at the altar and talks about the children they might have had. Filled with regret, Pete arranges to adopt both Bobby and his little sister Suzi and bring them to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where he'll marry Emmadel. American authorities inform him that he must marry within five days or the adoption will be void.
Pete takes the children to Emmadel's house. While she bonds with Bobby and Suzi, Pete discovers that Emmadel is engaged. The kids stay with her loud parents (drunken father James Barton and disapproving mother Connie Gilchrist
Connie Gilchrist
Connie Gilchrist was a stage, film and television character actress.Born Rose Constance Gilchrist in Brooklyn, New York...
). Pete tries everything to win Emmadel back. She helps him secure a lease on a new house via her fiance's company. However, when Pete and the children arrive, they discover that another couple (the McGonigles) also have a lease for the property. Emmadel's fiance Wilbur Stanley shows up to settle the matter. Wilbur offers Pete a ride to another house - but Pete talks him into letting them stay at the Stanley family's gatehouse. They agree to a friendly competition for Emmadel's heart.
Pete and the children settle into the Stanley gatehouse. Emmadel meets Wilbur's amiable elderly relatives, who present her with $500,000 as a wedding gift. Her parents embarrass her by running screaming through the garden. Emma discovers Pete's presence and visits the gatehouse to have it out with him. While she pulls Suzi's loose tooth, Pete pretends to be in love with Winnifred, Wilbur's fourth cousin twice-removed, and laughs when Emmadel pratfalls on her huge party dress.
Pete reveals his plan to Winnifred Stanley. He discovers that she's in love with her cousin Wilbur, but feels too socially awkward to pursue him. In a bit of pygmalion, Pete teaches Winnifred to feel comfortable with herself. Winnifred's newfound confidence bubbles over at the wedding rehearsal. She and Emmadel erupt in a brawl on the front lawn. Winnifred concedes the fight, and Emmadel declares that she's proud to be a fisherman's daughter.
The wedding day arrives. News reporters line the outdoor chapel, proclaiming this the Cinderella story of the decade. As he escorts Emma down the aisle, Pa Jones tells her that Pete kidnapped the children and ran so they wouldn't be sent back to France. Emmadel begins to have second thoughts. Pete shows up at precisely the wrong moment, handcuffed to a policeman, with both crying kids in tow. Although Wilbur offers to marry Emma and adopt the children, Bobby and Suzi cling sobbing to Pete. On national television, Wilbur abandons his own wedding and forces a reluctant Emma and a protesting (but secretly thrilled!) Pete to marry. Pete, Emmadel, Bobby, Suzi, Ma and Pa Jones all ride off for their honeymoon together.
Cast
- Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
as Pete Garvey, a musician and foreign correspondent - Jane WymanJane WymanJane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
as Emmadel Jones, Pete's ex-fiance who's engaged to Wil Stanley - James Barton as William Jones, Emmadel's funny alcoholic father
- Connie GilchristConnie GilchristConnie Gilchrist was a stage, film and television character actress.Born Rose Constance Gilchrist in Brooklyn, New York...
as Ma Jones, Emmadel's loud mother - Walter CatlettWalter CatlettWalter Catlett was an American actor. As a San Francisco citizen, he started out in vaudeville with a detour for a while in opera before breaking into films.-Early career:...
and Ellen CorbyEllen CorbyEllen Corby was an American actress. She is most widely remembered for the role of "Grandma Esther Walton" on the CBS television series The Waltons, for which she won three Emmy Awards...
as the McGonigles - Robert Keith as George Degnan, a newspaper man
- Alan ReedAlan ReedAlan Reed was an American actor and voice actor, best known as the original voice of Fred Flintstone on The Flintstones and various spinoff series...
as Walter Godfrey - Minna GombellMinna GombellMinna Gombell was an American film actress of the 1930s and 1940s.She had a very successful stage career from 1912 before being signed by Fox film company in the late twenties. Her first film was Doctor's Wives in which she played under the name of Nancy Gardner, a name given to her by Fox...
as Mrs. Godfree
The Stanley Family:
- Franchot ToneFranchot ToneFranchot Tone was an American stage, film, and television actor, star of Mutiny on the Bounty and many other films through the 1960s...
as Wilbur Stanley - Alexis SmithAlexis SmithAlexis Smith was a Canadian-born stage, film, and television actress. She appeared in several major Hollywood movies in the 1940s and had a notable career on Broadway in the 1970s, winning a Tony Award in 1972.-Life and career:...
as Winifred Stanley, Wilbur's cousin and Emmadel's maid of honor - H.B. Warner as Uncle Elihu
- Ian WolfeIan WolfeIan Wolfe was an American actor whose films date from 1934 to 1990. Until 1934, he worked as a theatre actor. Wolfe mostly found work as a character actor, appearing in over 270 films...
as Uncle Adam - Nicholas Joy as Uncle Prentiss
- Maidel TurnerMaidel TurnerMaidel Turner was an American movie actress featured in almost 60 films between 1913 and 1951, beginning as the leading lady of The Angel of the Slums and becoming a comical character actress as she aged. Prominent sound films include The Raven and State of the Union .-External links:...
as Aunt Abby - Adeline De Walt Reynolds as Aunt Amy
The Children:
- Jacques Gencel as Bobby
- Beverly WashburnBeverly WashburnBeverly Washburn is an American actress who appeared as a young girl in NBC's The Loretta Young Show and as an older teenager in Loretta Young's 1962-1963 CBS family drama, The New Loretta Young Show...
as Suzi - Anna Maria AlberghettiAnna Maria AlberghettiAnna Maria Alberghetti is an Italian-born operatic singer and actress.Born in Pesaro, Marche, she starred on Broadway and won a Tony Award in 1962 as Best Actress for Carnival! .Alberghetti was a child prodigy. Her father was an opera singer and concert master of the Rome Opera Company...
as Theresa
Awards nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Academy Award | Nominated | Best Writing, Motion Picture Story Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. Before 1940, there was an Academy Award for Best Story for writing. For 1940, it and the award in this article were separated into two awards. Beginning with the... |
Liam O'Brien Liam O'Brien (screenwriter) Liam O'Brien was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for writing the movie Here Comes the Groom.-Life and career:... and Robert Riskin Robert Riskin Robert Riskin was an American screenwriter and playwright, best known for his collaborations with director-producer Frank Capra.-Career:... |
| Won | Best Music, Original Song Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film... |
Hoagy Carmichael Hoagy Carmichael Howard Hoagland "Hoagy" Carmichael was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. He is best known for writing "Stardust", "Georgia On My Mind", "The Nearness of You", and "Heart and Soul", four of the most-recorded American songs of all time.Alec Wilder, in his study of the... (Music) and Johnny Mercer Johnny Mercer John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others... (Lyrics) (For the song "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" is a popular song with music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the 1951 film, Here Comes the Groom, and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.... ") |
||
| Golden Globe Award Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign... |
Nominated | Best Motion Picture Actor - Comedy/Musical | Bing Crosby | |
| Writers Guild of America Award Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949... |
Best Written American Musical | Myles Connolly, Liam O'Brien, and Virginia Van Upp |