Mother Wore Tights

A little "Meet Me in St. Louis," a little "I Remember Mama," and a little bit of razzmatazz are rolled up into one big family saga showcasing the considerable comedic and dancing talents of Betty Grable and Dan Daily as married hoofers who make it to the big time while trying to raise two girls to be refined young ladies. This film was very popular in its day probably because it combines nostalgia for the vaudeville stage with post-World War II sentimentality. It works for me, and this seldom screened gem uses the musical numbers to advance the story seamlessly. The Christmas scenes alone make this a great family film, and ventriloquist Señor Wences steals the show with his hand puppet-literally made by applying lipstick and a wig to his hand. The mixture of pure 1940s tunes like "Kokomo, Indiana" with old familiar songs like "Silent Night" is what must have made this movie such a hit. Ignore the mocking of various ethnic accents and try to ignore the fact that Mona Freeman as the eldest daughter is clearly dubbed by Imogene Lynn.