Tonight's Movie: On Moonlight Bay (1951) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Doris Day and Gordon MacRae star in ON MOONLIGHT BAY (1951), just released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive.

ON MOONLIGHT BAY and its sequel, BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON (1953), are probably the first Doris Day movies I ever saw. As I recall they were shown on KTLA Ch. 5 in Los Angeles, and I watched both films multiple times as a child.

In the years since then I've watched ON MOONLIGHT BAY in every possible format, from VHS to DVD and now the lovely new Warner Archive Blu-ray. The nostalgia portrayed in the film itself, combined with my own memories of many viewings over my lifetime, combine to make the film something extra-special in my eyes.

The ON MOONLIGHT BAY screenplay by Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose was based on Booth Tarkington's PENROD stories, and the film feels more than a little like a downsized version of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944), which was based on stories by Sally Benson. ON MOONLIGHT BAY takes place a little over a decade after ST. LOUIS, around the time of America's entry into World War I.

Like MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, ON MOONLIGHT BAY covers a year in the life of a family, in this case the Winfields -- though they only have two children, instead of the five from ST. LOUIS.

Leon Ames, who was also the father in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, plays the Winfield family's put-upon father, with Rosemary DeCamp as the gracious mother, Mary Wickes as their long-suffering cook and housekeeper, and Billy Gray as the pesky kid brother, Wesley. In the center of it all is Day as Marjorie, the Winfields' tomboy daughter.

As the film begins, the family has just moved into a charming new home, but everyone is giving the father a hard time for uprooting them from their old house and neighborhood. (Sound familiar?)

Suddenly Marjorie meets the boy across the street, William (MacRae), and falls head over heels in love. The move to the new home is forgiven, and in no time at all Marjorie is dressing as a young lady and dreaming romantic thoughts, despite college student William claiming he's not interested in marriage. And shades of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, there are even issues surrounding the couple attending a Christmas dance.

ON MOONLIGHT BAY has a marvelous cast, great sets, and many delightful touches, though it's not as perfect a film as MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (but then, what could be?). With William off at college, the film shifts focus to the antics of Wesley, who isn't as charming as Joan Carroll and Margaret O'Brien, the younger siblings of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS.

A little Wesley goes a long way, though I do love the scene where Aunt Martha (Esther Dale, MARGIE) comes to see Wesley on his birthday, bearing cookies and gifts. It's a great sequence and makes one wish that Aunt Martha had a bigger part in the story.

Despite the film's imperfections, there are many wonderful moments, and I've hopefully made clear above that it's a film I love. Day is a delight as the tomboy transitioning into a more mature young lady, and she's well teamed with handsome MacRae in terms of both acting and singing.

I've always especially loved when William and Marjorie go on their first date and sing the title song. Best of all is a Christmas sequence near the end of the film, with Day and MacRae dueting "Merry Christmas All" on the front porch while her parents smile out the window. It's truly lovely.

I doubt anyone could ever match Ames as a harassed father in a period family story, and the versatile DeCamp illustrates once more why I love her; she's warm and lovely.

The movie runs 95 well-paced minutes. It was directed by Roy Del Ruth and filmed in Technicolor by Ernest Haller. Doris's costumes also deserve a special note; I especially love her blue sailor suit. Marjorie Best and Milo Anderson were responsible for the film's wardrobes.

Most of the home exteriors were clearly filmed inside a soundstage, but when Day and MacRae emerge from their houses in the last scene it's on the sunny Warner Bros. backlot -- and I suddenly realized I've been inside William's house on a studio tour!

The Warner Archive Blu-ray looks and sounds very nice; fans will be pleased. I especially loved the visual "pop" of Marjorie's red hair bows and William's red sweater in a scene where they play records on the front porch.

Extras carried over from the film's original DVD release are the trailer, a cartoon and a short. The Blu-ray also includes a song selection menu.

Recommended.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from any online retailers where Blu-rays are sold.

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