MY DREAM IS YOURS
US, 1949, 101 minutes, Colour.
Doris Day, Jack Carson, Lee Bowman. Adolphe Menjou.
Eve Arden. S. Z. Sakall.
Directed by Michael Curtiz.
My Dream is Yours was one of Doris Day's earliest musicals and seems to have parallelled her career and especially her rise to fame in some ways. It was directed by Michael Curtiz with whom she worked in such musicals as her debut, Romance on the High Seas, and I'll See You in My Dreams, once again she is supported by Jack Carson in a comic role. Lee Bowman is obnoxious as the self-centred singer and there is good support from Adolphe Menjou and especially Eve Arden. This is the kind of popular material of the late '40s and early '50s.
1. An enjoyable Doris Day vehicle? Warner Bros. production values of the '40s and '50s? Its place in the development of the Hollywood musical? An enjoyable musical?
2. Hollywood and the musical tradition? Songs tailored for the stars, choreography? The Star is Born variation plot? Show business types? Ups and downs and happy endings? A pleasant variation on these conventions?
3. The world of Los Angeles and radio? The studios and scenes of production? Agencies? Parties? Auditions. lucky breaks? The world of New York and nightclubs? The old story done with the pleasant touch?
4. The introduction to Martha: Doris Day's personality and verve, qualities as a ballad singer, her eagerness, her being discovered. relationship with Freddie, relying on Doug? Gary and her falling in love? Her honest approach? Vi and the comic sharing of apartment? The build up to the lucky breaks, her dancing, the encounters with Mr. Hofer and his sponsorship? Her radio work, party and success? Growing wealth? The importance of her love for Freddie? Her love for Gary ?infatuation? Her support from Doug, but not being in love with him? The finale and the truth? having seen through Gary and his selfishness? The parallel with Doris Day's career? The songs, her style, brightness? The ballad for the baby? The title song?
5. Jack Carson's frequent comic style as the agent? Examples of his smooth talking? Hutch, persuading Hofer, his interactions with Gary? Friendship with Vi and getting her to sell things for financial support? The sequence of his discovering Martha, and the humour of the phone call. the taxis? Always supporting her? The deals: dog, radio. party? The humour of the Bugs Bunny sequence? The happy ending for a pleasing hero?
6. The contrast with Gary: the smooth singer, the feminine audience swooning over him. his smugness. telling people off. seductive style, self-centredness, push, party sequences, his increased drinking, failing, the final party and his being exposed? Martha's blindness and her eyes being opened?
7. Eve Arden's comic style as the perennial good friend? especially selling things?
8. Hutch and his business sense, his trying to persuade Hofer for sponsorship? The world of radio and agencies? Ada?
9. The world of the nightclubs and singing, the treatment of the singers and the dancers?
10. Hofer and the humour about the sponsor without much knowledge of show business? but with the money? His infatuation with. Martha? His wife?
11. The humour of the Bugs Bunny sequence inserted in the dream of Freddie? Doug and Martha in the dream?
12. The evergreen tone of the film: the tone of dream in the title? The American dream of success? Talent, giving, hustling? True love?
