GOLDEN GIRL

James Barton and Mitzi Gaynor

GOLDEN GIRL (1951). Director: Lloyd Bacon. Produced by George Jessel.

When tippling and irresponsible John (James Barton), loses the family boarding house in a casino, his wife, Mary Ann (Una Merkel of The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown) and daughter, Lotta (Mitzi Gaynor), along with singing boarder Mart (Dennis Day of I'll Get By), take off to tour the west as a stage troupe during the Civil War. Lotta, who becomes a celebrated entertainer, falls in love with a man named Tom Richmond (Dale Robertson of The Outcasts of Poker Flat) who may be keeping more than one secret. Meanwhile Mary Ann, Lotta and John are reunited in a surprising and unexpected fashion. 

Mitzi Gaynor and Dale Robertson

Golden Girl is the first of two films (both produced by George Jessel and directed by Lloyd Bacon) in which Mitzi Gaynor starred as an entertainer of the past, the second being The I Don't Care Girl. Lotta Crabtree actually existed, and her mother was her manager and looked out for her and her money. Her father was quite different from the way he is portrayed in the movie, and Tom Richmond is an entirely fictional creation as Lotta never married. She became a household name in the 19th century and acquired a fortune, much of which she gave to charitable causes. Aside from the character of Richmond, Golden Girl is a bit more faithful to the facts than was I Don't Care. In Golden Girl the real-life dancer Lola Montez arrives in town in a flurry of excitement, but Lotta was already a friend of the woman's at the time. Golden Girl pretty much ignores the realities of the war until Lotta is asked to transport Union gold in her wagon, and when she sings Dixie to the initially unreceptive audience, after the North has defeated the South, because she thinks Richmond, a rebel, is dead. 

Una Merkel and Dennis Day

As usual, Gaynor gives an excellent performance playing a somewhat self-centered character who is not entirely likable. Barton, who appeared on Broadway in Lerner and Loewe's Paint Your Wagon (and many other stage shows), is wonderful as Pop Crabtree, matched in perfection by the feisty Una Merkel. Dennis Day reveals a sterling operatic tenor voice when he gets to burst out in song by himself. His somewhat goofy looks doomed him to playing second fiddle and comedy relief -- mostly as foil to Jack Benny --  but there was much more to the man than that. As for Dale Robertson, well he's handsome and competent enough, but even he would have been the first to admit that he was more of a personality than an actor. He had his greatest success on television as the star of Tales of Wells Fargo. 

Verdict: Entertaining Hollywood look at the life of the once-famous Lotta Crabtree. ***.