Tea for Two (film)
Encyclopedia
Tea for Two is a 1950
American
musical film
directed by David Butler. The screenplay
by Harry Clork and William Jacobs was inspired by the 1925 stage musical No, No Nanette, although the plot was changed considerably from the original book by Otto Harbach
and Frank Mandel, and the score by Harbach, Irving Caesar
, and Vincent Youmans
was augmented with tunes by other composers.
, the story centers on Nanette Carter, a Westchester
socialite with show business aspirations. She offers to invest $25,000 in a Broadway
show if her boyfriend, producer Larry Blair, casts her in the starring role. What she doesn't realize is Larry is two-timing her with ingenue
Beatrice Darcy, who he envisions as the lead. When he accepts Nanette's offer, she imposes upon her wealthy, penny-pinching uncle, J. Maxwell Bloomhaus, to lend her the money.
He's willing to do so, on one condition - for the next 24 hours, his niece must answer "no" to every question she's asked. Comic complications ensue when the cast arrives at Nanette's estate to rehearse, and composer
and pianist
Jimmy Smith, who has romantic designs on the girl, falls victim to the bet she's made with her uncle. Nanette wins, only to discover Uncle Max has lost all his money in the stock market crash
. The only person still solvent is attorney
William Early, and Nanette's assistant Pauline Hastings sets out to charm him into backing the show.
Song list
received top billing and marked the first time she danced on-screen.
This was director Butler and leading lady Day's second collaboration, following It's a Great Feeling
the previous year. The two went on to work together on Lullaby of Broadway
, April in Paris
, By the Light of the Silvery Moon
, and Calamity Jane
.
Ray Heindorf
served as musical director for the film, and the musical sequences were choreographed by Gene Nelson, Eddie Prinz, and LeRoy Prinz. Art direction
was by Douglas Bacon and the costume design
er was Leah Rhodes
.
called the film "pleasant entertainment," "a sprightly show," and "quite a genial production" and added, "Miss Day and Mr. MacRae . . . complement each other like peanut butter and jelly."
Time
said, "[It] sheds a Technicolor
tear for the good old days of plus fours, prohibition and the stock-market crash. The story . . . employs nearly every musical-comedy cliché . . . as hot-weather entertainment, Tea for Two is at its best when concentrating on the old tunes of Vincent Youmans, George Gershwin and Roger Wolfe Kahn."
1950 in film
The year 1950 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 15 - Walt Disney Studios' animated film Cinderella debuts.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :Academy Awards:*Ambush...
American
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
musical film
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...
directed by David Butler. The screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
by Harry Clork and William Jacobs was inspired by the 1925 stage musical No, No Nanette, although the plot was changed considerably from the original book by Otto Harbach
Otto Harbach
Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach was an American lyricist and librettist of about 50 musical comedies...
and Frank Mandel, and the score by Harbach, Irving Caesar
Irving Caesar
Irving Caesar was an American lyricist and theater composer who wrote lyrics for "Swanee," "Sometimes I'm Happy," "Crazy Rhythm," and "Tea for Two," one of the most frequently recorded tunes ever written. He was born and died in New York.Caesar, the son of Morris Keiser, a Romanian Jew, was...
, and Vincent Youmans
Vincent Youmans
Vincent Youmans was an American popular composer and Broadway producer.- Life :Vincent Millie Youmans was born in New York City on September 27, 1898 and grew-up on Central Park West on the site where the Mayflower Hotel once stood. His father, a prosperous hat manufacturer, moved the family to...
was augmented with tunes by other composers.
Plot
Set in the Roaring TwentiesRoaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
, the story centers on Nanette Carter, a Westchester
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
socialite with show business aspirations. She offers to invest $25,000 in a Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
show if her boyfriend, producer Larry Blair, casts her in the starring role. What she doesn't realize is Larry is two-timing her with ingenue
Ingenue (stock character)
See also Disingenuous, which is not quite the antonym that it may seem!The ingénue is a stock character in literature, film, and a role type in the theatre; generally a girl or a young woman who is endearingly innocent and wholesome. Ingenue may also refer to a new young actress or one typecast in...
Beatrice Darcy, who he envisions as the lead. When he accepts Nanette's offer, she imposes upon her wealthy, penny-pinching uncle, J. Maxwell Bloomhaus, to lend her the money.
He's willing to do so, on one condition - for the next 24 hours, his niece must answer "no" to every question she's asked. Comic complications ensue when the cast arrives at Nanette's estate to rehearse, and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Jimmy Smith, who has romantic designs on the girl, falls victim to the bet she's made with her uncle. Nanette wins, only to discover Uncle Max has lost all his money in the stock market crash
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
. The only person still solvent is attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
William Early, and Nanette's assistant Pauline Hastings sets out to charm him into backing the show.
Cast
- Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
as Nanette Carter - Gordon MacRaeGordon MacRaeGordon MacRae was an American actor and singer, best known for his appearances in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, Oklahoma! and Carousel and films with Doris Day like Starlift.-Early life:Born Albert Gordon MacRae in East Orange, New Jersey, MacRae graduated from...
as Jimmy Smith - Gene NelsonGene NelsonGene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director.-Biography:Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, he moved to Seattle when he was one year old. He was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films when he was a child...
as Tommy Trainor - Eve ArdenEve ArdenEve Arden was an American actress. Her almost 60-year career crossed most media frontiers with supporting and leading roles, but she may be best-remembered for playing the sardonic but engaging title character, a high school teacher, on Our Miss Brooks, and as the Rydell High School principal in...
as Pauline Hastings - Billy De WolfeBilly De WolfeBilly De Wolfe was an American character actor. He was active in films from the mid-1940s until his death in 1974. He was a good friend of Doris Day from the time of their meeting during the filming of Tea for Two until his death...
as Larry Blair - Bill GoodwinBill GoodwinBill Goodwin was for many years the announcer and regular character of the Burns and Allen radio program, and subsequently The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show on television from 1950-51...
as William Early - Virginia GibsonVirginia GibsonVirginia Gibson is an American dancer, singer and actress of film, television and musical theatre.-Career:...
as Mabel Wiley - S.Z. SakallS.Z. SakallSzőke Szakáll , known as S.Z. Sakall, was a Hungarian film character actor. He was in many films including In the Good Old Summertime, Lullaby of Broadway, Christmas in Connecticut and Casablanca in which he played Carl, the head waiter.Chubby-jowled Sakall played numerous supporting roles in...
as J. Maxwell Bloomhaus - Patrice WymorePatrice WymorePatrice Wymore is an American television, film, and stage actress of the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life and stage career:...
as Beatrice Darcy
Song listTea for Two (album)Tea for Two was a 10" LP album released by Columbia Records on September 4, 1950 under catalog number CL-6149, featuring Doris Day, with Axel Stordahl conducting the orchestra on some pieces, and the Page Cavanaugh Trio as backup musicians on others...
- "I Know That You Know" - Doris Day and Gene Nelson
- "Crazy Rhythm" - Patrice Wymore, Gene Nelson
- "I Only Have Eyes for You" - Gordon MacRae
- "Tea for Two" - Doris Day and Gordon MacRae
- "I Want to Be Happy" - Doris Day
- "Do Do Do" by - Doris Day and Gordon MacRae
- "Oh Me! Oh My!" - Doris Day and Gene Nelson
- "CharlestonCharleston (song)"The Charleston" is a jazz composition that was written to accompany the Charleston dance. It was composed in 1923, with lyrics by Cecil Mack and music by James P. Johnson, who first introduced the stride piano method of playing. The song was featured in the American black Broadway musical comedy...
" - Cecil MackCecil MackCecil Mack was an American composer, lyricist and music publisher....
and James P. JohnsonJames P. JohnsonJames P. Johnson was an American pianist and composer...
, danced to by Billy de Wolfe - "Tea for Two (Reprise)" - Doris Day and Gene Nelson
- "Here In My Arms" - Doris Day
- "No, No, Nanette" - Doris Day and Gene Nelson
- "Tea for Two (Finale)" - Doris Day and Gordon MacRae
Production
The film was the first in which Doris DayDoris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
received top billing and marked the first time she danced on-screen.
This was director Butler and leading lady Day's second collaboration, following It's a Great Feeling
It's a Great Feeling
It's a Great Feeling is a Warner Bros. feature film starring Doris Day, Jack Carson, and Dennis Morgan in a spoof of what goes on behind-the-scenes in Hollywood movie-making. The screenplay by Jack Rose and Melville Shavelson was based upon a story by I.A.L. Diamond. The film was directed by...
the previous year. The two went on to work together on Lullaby of Broadway
Lullaby of Broadway (film)
Lullaby of Broadway is a musical romantic comedy film released by Warner Bros. in 1951. It starred Doris Day as Melinda Howard, an entertainer who travels to New York to see her mother, and Gene Nelson as Tom Farnham, a fellow entertainer and Melinda's love interest. Gladys George appears as...
, April in Paris
April in Paris (film)
April in Paris is a 1952 musical film starring Doris Day and Ray Bolger. It was directed by David Butler.-Synopsis:Winthrop Putnam is the Assistant Secretary to the Assistant to the Undersecretary of State, and was formerly Assistant Assistant Secretary to the Assistant to the Undersecretary of State...
, By the Light of the Silvery Moon
By the Light of the Silvery Moon (film)
By the Light of the Silvery Moon is a 1953 musical film. It is the sequel to On Moonlight Bay. Like its predecessor, the movie is based loosely on the Penrod stories by Booth Tarkington.-Plot:...
, and Calamity Jane
Calamity Jane (1953 film)
Calamity Jane is a "Wild West"-themed film musical released in 1953. It is loosely based on the life of Wild West heroine Calamity Jane and explores an alleged romance between Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok in the American Old West. The film starred Doris Day as the title character and Howard...
.
Ray Heindorf
Ray Heindorf
Ray Heindorf was an American songwriter, composer, conductor, and arranger.-Early life:Born in Haverstraw, New York, Heindorf worked as a pianist in a movie house in Mechanicville in his early teens. In 1928, he moved to New York City, where he worked as a musical arranger before heading to...
served as musical director for the film, and the musical sequences were choreographed by Gene Nelson, Eddie Prinz, and LeRoy Prinz. Art direction
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
was by Douglas Bacon and the costume design
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
er was Leah Rhodes
Leah Rhodes
Leah Rhodes was an American costume designer.She began her Hollywood career in 1939. After proving her mettle on a series of B-movies throughout the 40s, she started to gain more attention after working on The Big Sleep in 1946...
.
Critical reception
In his review in the New York Times, Bosley CrowtherBosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther was a journalist and author who was film critic for The New York Times for 27 years. His reviews and articles helped shape the careers of actors, directors and screenwriters, though his reviews, at times, were unnecessarily mean...
called the film "pleasant entertainment," "a sprightly show," and "quite a genial production" and added, "Miss Day and Mr. MacRae . . . complement each other like peanut butter and jelly."
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
said, "[It] sheds a Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
tear for the good old days of plus fours, prohibition and the stock-market crash. The story . . . employs nearly every musical-comedy cliché . . . as hot-weather entertainment, Tea for Two is at its best when concentrating on the old tunes of Vincent Youmans, George Gershwin and Roger Wolfe Kahn."
Awards and honors
Gene Nelson won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor for his work on Tea for Two.External links
- Review of Tea for Two (1950) at TVGuide.com