Peggy Lee Movies
North Dakota-born vocalist Peggy Lee went straight from the family farm to local radio; by the time she was 16, she was a professional singer. Fame came relatively early when, in the late 1930s, Lee was chosen to be vocalist for the Benny Goodman orchestra. Her first film work consisted of specialty numbers in such films as The Powers Girl (42) and Stage Door Canteen (43). While best remembered for such hit records as "Lover," "Fever" and "Is That All There Is?", Lee's movie assignments of the 1950s should not be overlooked. She made her dramatic acting debut in the 1953 remake of The Jazz Singer opposite Danny Thomas, and in 1955 she was Oscar-nominated for her convincing portrayal of a hard-boiled speakeasy chanteuse who reverts to childhood after incurring severe brain damage in Pete Kelly's Blues, a film directed by Jack Webb.Lee was also instrumental in the success of the Disney cartoon feature Lady and the Tramp (55); she not only provided several of the character voices (the Siamese Cats, the dog pound vamp "Peg," etc.), but also wrote many of the film's songs. When Lady and the Tramp was released to video in 1987, Lee, miffed that she had earned a mere $3500 for her work on the film, sued Disney for several million dollars' royalties -- and won. After Pete Kelly's Blues, Peggy Lee wrote lyrics for the 1958 musical fantasy Tom Thumb and was heard on the soundtrack of 1970's Pieces of Dreams; her acting in later years was confined to TV guest-star appearances, notably a chucklesome turn as a Mae West-style dance-hall queen on a 1967 episode of The Girl from UNCLE. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Judy Garland: Duets collects several television appearances by the singer in which she performs with fellow celebrities. The release includes collaborations with Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Bobby Darin, and Lena Horne. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judy Garland
This documentary compiles 20 different film and television appearances by the distinctive singer Peggy Lee. She is seen and heard performing such classics as "Fever," "Wind Beneath My Wings," "A Fine Romance," "Big Spender," and "Is That All There Is." ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
This program provides the viewer with a repertoire of some of the greatest hits of one of the most popular entertainers of all time. Dean Martin led a charmed life in the entertainment business. The singer found fame as the handsome straight man for comedian Jerry Lewis. Following their long run, Martin became a member of Hollywood's famous Rat Pack, which included his singing cronies, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra. Dean Martin is shown here at his musical best, performing some of his standards. These include "Everybody Loves Somebody," "Pennies From Heaven," "Memories Are Made of This," "C'est Ci Bon," and "That's Amore." ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, Rovi
- 1993
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This biography of musical legend Benny Goodman contains testimonials from various contemporaries and scholars, and offers several clips of the man in performance. Nearly two-dozen songs can be heard including "California, Here I Come," "A Fine Romance," "Why Don't You Do Right," "I've Got a Heart Full of Music," and "Bugle Cal Rag." The DVD release of the documentary contains a discography. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Benny Goodman
- 1989
- PG13
Weighed down by her late husband's debts, widow Beth Macauley (Jessica Lange) is compelled to sell her home and move to a less costly locale. She relocates in Baltimore with her resentful sons Chris (Chris O'Donnell) and Matt (Charlie Korsmo) and takes a job at a ramshackle gourmet food store managed by Lisa Coleman (Kathy Bates). Men Don't Leave offers in Beth an extremely vulnerable, easily discouraged person who can't seem to get a grip on her reduced circumstances. Even so, she and her sons eventually pull themselves together, despite many side trips with Wrong Lovers and False Friends. Some of the film's best moments involve Joan Cusack, playing a mixed-up nurse with whom Chris falls in love. Representing the comeback of director Paul Brickman after a seven-year gap, Men Don't Leave is a slightly more upbeat American version of the French film La Vie Continue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jessica Lange, Chris O'Donnell, (more)
- 1988
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Four of the twentieth-century's most beloved singers are featured in this installment in the Jazz Legends series from Storyville Films. "I May Be Wrong" by Peggy Lee, "The Nearness of You" by Sarah Vaughn, "Imagination" by June Christy, and "April Showers" by Mel Torme are just a few of the numbers included in The Snader Telescriptions: The Vocalists. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
A quadriplegic former athlete finds his darkest urges being acted out by an animal familiar in this psychological horror film. When Allan Mann (Jason Beghe) loses the use of his legs and arms in an accident, he becomes bitter -- no surprise given that his girlfriend dumps him for his surgeon, his new nurse (Christine Forrest) is a shrew, and his smothering mother (Joyce Van Patten) keeps threatening to move in and take care of him. Enter Kate McNeil (Melanie Parker), a scientist who is working to provide handicapped people with highly trained animal helpers. Soon Allan is bonding with Ella, an adorable Capuchin monkey, who, unbeknownst to him, has been injected with human brain tissue by drug-addicted scientist Geoffrey Fisher (John Pankow). At first Allan loves little Ella, but the monkey seems to grow jealous as Allan slowly develops a romance with the beautiful Kate. Meanwhile, Allan begins having strange dreams in which he experiences the world from a monkey's-eye point of view. These visions culminate in a fiery nightmare -- the same night Allan's ex-girlfriend and her new lover die in a house fire. Realizing the growing link between his own inner demons and the violence occurring around him, Allan tries to sever the connection with Ella. But the limitations of even his high-tech wheelchair give the psychic primate the upper hand. Written and directed by horror veteran George Romero, Monkey Shines re-teams the filmmaker with his frequent collaborator, Christine Forrest. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Beghe, John Pankow, (more)
- 1970
- PG13
Father Gregory Lind (Robert Forster) is the Catholic priest who questions his dedication to his parishioners. He becomes disenchanted with the church over the official stance on birth control, unwanted pregnancy and social change. He tries to confide in his family but they rebuke him for questioning his faith. He falls in love with Pamela Gibson (Lauren Hutton) a wealthy social worker. The Bishop (Will Geer) tries to bring Gregory back to the fold, but his love for Pamela is too much. He is beaten up by street thugs who believe he is gay. Gregory considers leaving the church for a new life with the woman he loves. The story for this romantic melodrama is taken from the novel The Wine And The Music by William E. Barrett. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Forster, Lauren Hutton, (more)
- 1966
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Just because The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming was vastly overrated by contemporary critics does not make it any less amusing. The story gets under way when a Soviet submarine accidently gets lodged in a sandbar on the coast of a New England town. In his feature film debut, Alan Arkin plays the sub's second-in-command, who is ordered by commander Theodore Bikel to free up the sub and skeedaddle before an international incident erupts. Hoping to secure a power boat to tug the sub out to sea, Arkin and his men call upon vacationing TV writer Carl Reiner, passing themselves off as Norwegians. When this ruse fails, Arkin is reluctantly compelled to force Reiner at gunpoint to fetch his motorboat, while gentle-natured Russian sailor John Philip Law is left behind to guard Reiner's wife Eva Marie Saint and pretty neighbor girl Andrea Dromm (yes, love blooms). The plot thickens when the locals, notably bullnecked sheriff Brian Keith and superpatriot Paul Ford, spread the word that the Russians have "invaded" their little community. Several slapstick complications later, the Russians and the locals face each other down in the center of the village, weapons at the ready. Fortunately, World War 3 is averted when the Russians and the villagers band together to rescue young Johnny Whittaker from falling to his doom. Enormously popular upon its first release, The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming still works on a slick sitcom level. The film was based on a novel by Nathaniel Benchley, the son of humorist Robert Benchley and the father of Jaws author Peter Benchley. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, (more)
- 1959
An original telecast from April of 1959, this performance features Benny Goodman doing "Why Don't You Do Right," "Air Mail Special" and many others. ~ Rovi
Producer/animator/special-effect maven George Pal made his feature-film directorial bow with the colorful MGM musical fantasy Tom Thumb (the title of the film was spelled in lower case in the opening credits, and in all studio publicity material). Russ Tamblyn stars as the teeny-tiny titular protagonist, while veteran musicomedy favorite Jessie Mathews and stellar character actor Bernard Miles portray Tom's normal-sized parents. Journeying to the Village, Tom is pounced upon by villains Ivan (Terry-Thomas) and Tony (a corpulent Peter Sellers), who intend to exploit our 5 1/2-inch-tall hero. In-between his misadventures with the villains, Tom helps to expedite the romance between young forester Woody (Alan Young) and the magical Forest Queen (June Thorburn). Throughout, the special effects and oversized sets are first-rate, as are the "puppetoons" sequences featuring such delightful characters as The Yawning Man (voice by Stan Freberg). Written by several hands, the film's songs are hummable, if not particularly memorable. It is said that some children in the audience in 1958 were genuinely frightened by the more horrific aspects of the story (including the threatened execution of Tom's parents); it may be, however, that the adults were more scared than the kids. Incidentally, while most of Tom Thumb was filmed in MGM's London facilities, the special effects were produced in Hollywood, requiring Russ Tamblyn to do a lot of travelling. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Russ Tamblyn, Alan Young, (more)
As was his custom, producer/director Stanley Kramer made some iconoclastic casting decisions when mounting his $5 million production The Pride and the Passion. Adapted from The Gun, a novel by C. S. Forester, the film is set in Spain during the Napoleonic wars. Captain Anthony Trumbull (Cary Grant), a British military officer, is ordered to retrieve a large and unwieldly abandoned cannon, then transport the weapon to the British lines, where it will be used to attack the French garrison at Avila. Hotheaded guerilla leader Miguel (Frank Sinatra) agrees to help Trumball move the cannon over hill and dale, even though he hates the Englishman's guts. Tagging along on the arduous odysseys is Miguel's fiery mistress Juana (Sophia Loren), who develops a yearning for the stolid Trundall (then-lovers Loren and Grant would later be teamed in Houseboat). Pride and the Passion made a mint at the box-office for both Kramer and United Artists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, (more)
- 1957
In this gentle, non-melodramatic drama, an elderly, wealthy widow will not leave her apartment even after her building is slated to be converted into a dormitory by the university that purchased it. She refuses to leave because she is convinced that her son, who disappeared 27 years before after being expelled from the college, will comeback. The university lets her stay and she becomes the house "Nana" for the students that live there. When an ex-Marine moves in, the woman is sure that he is her grandson as he has the same name as her son. She begins helping the young man with his personal and academic life. Just before his father is to arrive for a visit, the woman dies. She never knows that the boy is not her grandson. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ethel Barrymore, Cecil Kellaway, (more)
- 1955
The CinemaScope process gets a rugged workout in Henry Hathaway's The Racers. Kirk Douglas stars as an Italian bus driver who dreams of entering the Grand Prix as a world-famous race car driver. Being Kirk Douglas, he achieves his goal, racing in all the major events around the globe. Dedicated to the philosophy of "winning is the only thing", Douglas alienates his fellow racers and everyone else with whom he comes in contact. Only when he is on the verge of losing his sweetheart Bella Darvi does our hero put his priorities in order. Adapted from a novel by Hans Ruesch, The Racers was remade in a 60-minute version as Men Against Speed, an entry in the weekly TV anthology The 20th Century-Fox Hour. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kirk Douglas, Bella Darvi, (more)
- 1955
Irregularly scheduled on NBC from 1954 through 1957, Producers' Showcase was a series of lavish, full-color 90 minute specials, bringing the best of Broadway to the 21 inch screen. On November 14, 1955, the series digressed from its usual format to present Dateline 2, the second annual variety show produced by NBC in cooperation with the Overseas Press Club. The theme of the program is "Freedom of the Press", and the subject matter ranges from the front page to the editorial column to the comics section. Highlights include a new Irving Berlin song composed for the occasion, "Free"; Robert Frost, poetically discussing "The Right to Know"; John Steinbeck's eulogy of legendary combat photographer Robert Capa, who had been killed on the job the previous year; and a one-act play, based on the Korean War experiences of correspondent Marguerite Higgins. On a lighter note, Janet Blair sings a paean to the funny pages, backed by a "Li'l Abner" ballet choreographed by Tony Charmoli (the Broadway musical version of Al Capp's hillbilly comic strip was still one year in the future). William Holden serves as master of ceremonies, with John Wayne delivering the opening remarks. Originally telecast live, Dateline 2 reportedly still exists in kinescope form, though prints are hard to come by for general audiences. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1955
Another of Disneyland's many cartoon compilations, "The Adventures of Mickey Mouse" loosely bastes together several theatrical Mickey Mouse shorts into a story of sorts, with narration by host Walt Disney. The cartoons presented herein include Mickey's first color short, 1935's The Band Concert, followed by Alpine Climbers, Squatter's Rights and the "Mickey and the Beanstalk" sequence from the 1947 feature Fun and Fancy Free. This last segment is given an amusing new ending, with Walt Disney rather than the original film's Edgar Bergen reacting in fright as an animated giant asks directions to downtown Hollywood. The Adventures of Mickey Mouse was later cannibalized for another Disney-produced TV hour, "Adventures with Mickey". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1955
In this early episode of his TV anthology Disneyland, Walt Disney informs the viewers of how he has used music in his cartoons and live-action films, beginning with the classic "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" in 1933's The Three Little Pigs. Other examples include the songs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Song of the South, and especially Lady and the Tramp, which was still unreleased when this episode first aired. The Lady segments feature singer-composer Peggy Lee providing the voices for both of the Siamese Cats, composer-musician Sonny Burke coming up with instant lyrics, and the Mellow-Men vocal group singing a plaintive dog-pound ballad. Rounding out the hour is an explanation from Disney's staffers as to how the music is matched to the image. Though initially telecast in black-and-white, "Cavalcade of Songs" was providentially filmed in color, assuring the episode a rebroadcast on the producer's later NBC anthology Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Pete Kelly's Blues is arguably the most stylish of director/star Jack Webb's theatrical features. Beginning with a brilliantly evocative pre-credits prologue, wherein we see how WWI vet Pete Kelly (Webb) came into possession of his precious trumpet, the film traces Kelly to his 1927 gig at a Kansas City speakeasy. Most of the film concerns Kelly's efforts to keep his "Big Seven" aggregation together, his off-and-on romance with socialite Ivy Conrad (Janet Leigh), and his frequent confrontations with mob boss Fran McCarg (Edmond O'Brien). The Richard L. Breen screenplay is full of the deliciously hyperbolic allusions, similes, and metaphors that characterized Webb's radio version of Pete Kelly's Blues, while the musical score is graced by the jazz artistry of such greats as Ella Fitzgerald and Teddy Buckner. Peggy Lee, cast as a mob mistress who is rendered an imbecile after falling down a flight of stars, deservedly earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance. Likewise superb is Andy Devine, cast against type as a corrupt, brutal Kansas City detective, and Lee Marvin as Kelly's best pal. Disney art director Harper Goff, who'd been performing miracles on Webb's TV series Dragnet, brilliantly sustains the smoky zeitgeist of the Prohibition era. Pete Kelly's Blues was later spun off into a TV series starring William Reynolds as Kelly. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Webb, Janet Leigh, (more)
Lady and the Tramp represented two "firsts" for Disney: It was the studio's first Cinemascope animated feature, and it was their first full-length cartoon based on an original story rather than an established "classic". Lady is the pampered female dog belonging to Jim Dear and Darling. When her human masters bring a baby into the house, Lady feels she's being eased out; and when Darling's insufferable Aunt Sarah introduces her nasty twin Siamese cats into the fold, Lady is certain that she's no longer welcome. The cats wreak all manner of havoc, for which Lady is blamed. After the poor dog is fitted with a muzzle, Lady escapes from the house, only to run across the path of the Tramp, a raffish male dog from the "wrong" side of town. The Tramp helps Lady remove her muzzle, then takes her out on a night on the town, culminating in a romantic spaghetti dinner, courtesy of a pair of dog-loving Italian waiters. After their idyllic evening together, Lady decides that it's her duty to protect Darling's baby from those duplicitous Siamese felines. On her way home, Lady is captured and thrown in the dog pound. Here she learns from a loose-living mutt named Peg that The Tramp is a canine rake. Disillusioned, Lady is more than happy to be returned to her humans, even though it means that she'll be chained up at the insistence of Aunt Sarah. Tramp comes into Lady's yard to apologize, but she wants no part of him. Suddenly, a huge, vicious rat breaks into the house, threatening the baby. Lady breaks loose, and together with Tramp, runs into the house to protect the infant. When the dust settles, it appears to Aunt Sarah that Tramp has tried to attack the child. That's when Lady's faithful friends Jock the bloodhound and Trusty the scottie swing into action, rescuing Tramp from the dogcatcher. Once Jim Dear and Darling are convinced that Tramp is a hero, he is invited to stay...and come next Christmas, there's a whole flock of little Ladies and Tramps gathered around the family. Beyond the usual excellent animation and visual effects, the principal selling card of Lady and the Tramp is its music. Many of the songs were performed and co-written by Peggy Lee, who years after the film's 1955 theatrical issue, successfully sued Disney for her fair share of residuals from the videocassette release. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peggy Lee, Barbara Luddy, (more)
- 1954
One of the strangest westerns on record, Johnny Guitar has less in common with Zane Grey than it does with Sigmund Freud and Krafft-Ebbing. The title character, played by Sterling Hayden, is a guitar-strumming drifter who was once the lover of Arizona saloon-owner Vienna (Joan Crawford). Though her establishment doesn't make a dime, Vienna doesn't care because the railroad is going to come in soon, bringing a whole slew of thirsty new customers. This puts her at odds with bulldyke rancher Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge), who doesn't want any new settlers on her land. Hating Vienna with a purple passion, Emma will do anything to drive her out of the territory...and even worse, Emma's got the law and the other ranchers on her side. Hoping to keep Emma at bay, Vienna hires Johnny Guitar, who unbeknownst to everyone else in town is a notorious gunslinger. But Johnny prefers to bide his time, waiting for Emma to strike before he makes his move. As a result, Vienna endures several life-threatening experiences, culminating with a feverish chase through the Arizona wilds with lynch-happy Emma and her minions in hot pursuit. According to most sources, the animosity between Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge was quite real, added several extra dimensions to their scenes together. Director Nicholas Ray and screenwriter Philip Yordan stuff the film with so much sexual symbolism that one wonders why they left out a train going into a tunnel. Ms. Crawford's vivid red-and-blue wardrobe scheme was later appropriated by Ray for James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause--with equally stunning results. In addition to the stars, Johnny Guitar is well stocked with reliable supporting players, including Ernest Borgnine, Ben Cooper, Royal Dano (superb as a consumptive, book-reading hired gun) and Paul Fix. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, (more)
- 1953
All suspense in The Woman They Almost Lynched would seem to be dissipated by title, but director Allan Dwan holds the viewers spellbound throughout. Part of the tension arises from fact that there are two leading female characters: Kate Quantrill (Audrey Totter), wife of infamous Confederate raider Quantrill (Brian Donlevy), and Sally Maris (Joan Leslie), virginal sister of Kate's ex-lover, saloonkeeper Bitteroot Bill (Reed Hadley). Sally herself falls in love with Lance Horton (John Lund), ostensibly a mine foreman but actually a Southern spy. Rest assured that one of the two ladies is going to wind up with a noose around her neck for keeping "bad" company -- and that the other will somehow come to the rescue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Lund, Brian Donlevy, (more)
- 1953
This second screen adaptation of the Samson Rafaelson play The Jazz Singer is better than the first, though not as historically important (the early Jazz Singer, it will be recalled, sparked the "talkie revolution" way back in 1927). Danny Thomas assumes the old Al Jolson role as the cantor's son-turned-cabaret entertainer. As Jerry Golding (Thomas) scales the heights of show business, he breaks the heart of his father (Eduard Franz), who'd hoped that Jerry would follow in his footsteps. Sorrowfully, Cantor Golding reads the Kaddish service, indicating that, so far as he is concerned, his son is dead. A tearful reconciliation (and a more upbeat denouement than was found in the original film) occurs when Jerry dutifully returns to sing the "Kol Nidre" in his ailing father's absence. Peggy Lee co-stars as Judy Lane, a musical comedy entertainer who falls in love with Jerry, while Mildred Dunnock and Alex Gerry do what they can with the stereotyped roles of Jerry's mother and uncle, respectively. This 1952 Jazz Singer has its faults, but it is vastly superior to the empty-headed 1980 Neil Diamond/Laurence Olivier remake. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny Thomas, Peggy Lee, (more)
- 1952
This musical presentation features the stars of the '30s, '40s and '50s. Some performers are the Ink Spots, Bobby Darin, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jr. and the bands of Benny Goodman, Charlie Barnet and Lionel Hampton. ~ Rovi
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