Tea for Two (film)

Last updated
Tea for Two
TeaForTwoPoster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by David Butler
Screenplay by Harry Clork
Produced by William Jacobs
Starring
Cinematography Wilfred M. Cline
Edited by Irene Morra
Music by Vincent Youmans
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • September 2, 1950 (1950-09-02)(United States)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.1 million [1]
Box office$3.6 million [1]
$2.4 million (US rentals) [2]

Tea for Two is a 1950 American musical romantic comedy film starring Doris Day and Gordon MacRae, and directed by David Butler. The screenplay by Harry Clork 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 songs by other composers.

Contents

Plot

Uncle Max (S. Z. Sakall) expresses displeasure to his grandniece and grandnephew, who are making fun of their parents' outdated fashions, and begins telling the story of Nanette Carter (Doris Day), a Westchester County, New York socialite with show business aspirations. In a flashback to the Roaring Twenties, she offers to invest $25,000 in a Broadway show if her boyfriend, producer Larry Blair (Billy De Wolfe), casts her in the starring role. What she doesn't realize is that Larry is two-timing her with ingenue Beatrice Darcy (Patrice Wymore), whom he envisions as the lead. When he accepts Nanette's offer, she imposes upon her wealthy, penny-pinching uncle, J. Maxwell Bloomhaus (Sakall) to lend her the money.

Uncle Max is willing to do so, on one condition. For the next 24 hours, Nanette must answer "no" to every question she's asked. Comic complications ensue when the cast arrives at Nanette's estate to rehearse, as composer and pianist Jimmy Smith (Gordon MacRae), who has romantic designs on Nanette, falls victim to the bet she's made with her uncle. Nanette wins, only to discover that Uncle Max lost all his money in the stock market crash. The only person still solvent is attorney William Early (Bill Goodwin). So, Nanette's assistant Pauline Hastings (Eve Arden) sets out to charm him into backing the show — and succeeds. The show 'No, No, Nanette' opens and is a rousing success.

Back in real-time, Uncle Max finishes his story right before Nanette and Jimmy return home to their two children.

Cast

Doris Day and Gordon MacRae as Nanette Carter and Jimmy Smith Doris Day Gordon MacRae - Tea for Two.jpg
Doris Day and Gordon MacRae as Nanette Carter and Jimmy Smith

Soundtrack

Production

The film was the first in which Doris Day received top billing and marked the first time she danced on-screen. [3]

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 designer was Leah Rhodes.

Both Gordon MacRae and Gene Nelson appeared together in the film version of Oklahoma! (1955).

Box office

According to accounting records at Warner Bros., the film earned $2,322,000 domestically and $1,330,000 foreign. [1]

Critical reception

In his review in The New York Times , Bosley Crowther 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." [4]

In a review published for Time , the critic expressed sentiments about Tea for Two, highlighting its nostalgic depiction of a bygone era characterized by vibrant colors, the fashion trend of plus fours, the era of prohibition, and the infamous stock-market crash. The storyline of the production was noted for its abundant utilization of well-known tropes commonly found in musical comedies. While acknowledging its predictable nature, the reviewer commended the production's ability to serve as enjoyable entertainment during warm weather. Particularly, the reviewer found the rendition of classic melodies by acclaimed composers Vincent Youmans, George Gershwin, and Roger Wolfe Kahn to be the most captivating aspect of Tea for Two. [5]

Awards and honors

Gene Nelson won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor for his work on Tea for Two.

Related Research Articles

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No, No, Nanette is a musical with a book by Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel based on Mandel's 1919 Broadway play My Lady Friends; lyrics by Irving Caesar and Harbach; and music by Vincent Youmans. The farcical story centers on three couples who find themselves together at a cottage in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in the midst of a blackmail scheme focusing on a fun-loving Manhattan heiress who has run off, leaving an unhappy fiancé. Its songs include the well-known "Tea for Two" and "I Want to Be Happy".

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Tea for Two was a 10" LP album released by Columbia Records on September 4, 1950. It was released 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. It contained songs from the soundtrack of the movie of the same name.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 31 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
  2. 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1950', Variety, January 3, 1951
  3. "Tea for Two". Turner Classic Movies.
  4. Crowther, Bosley (2 September 1950). "New York Times review by Bosley Crowther, September 2, 1950". The New York Times.
  5. "The New Pictures, Sep. 11, 1950". 11 September 1950. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011 via www.time.com.