The Girl Next Door

Dan Dailey, June Haver, Dennis Day, Billy Gray, Cara Williams

released: 1953 May 13   duration: 1:31:24

Stage-and-night club star Jeannie Laird (June Haver) buys her first home, and everyone who is anyone comes to her first garden party only to be blinded by smoke from next door. Jeannie charges next door to bawl out her new neighbor and meets comic-strip artist Bill Carter (Dan Dailey). Bill has devoted himself to his strip and raising his ten-year-old son Joe (Billy Gray) since the death of his wife. Joe bases his strip on the everyday happenings of him and his son and is proud of keeping it scrupulously honest. After Jeannie and Bill fall in love, young Joe is hurt, especially when Bill starts using a lot of the father-son time to be with Jeannie. Bill cancels a father-son trip to Canada, and Joe decides to write a letter to Bill's syndicate pointing out that the current plot line of the script being set in Canada isn't honest, since they didn't go.

At 17:54, the one standout number has no dancing. Dan Dailey and Billy Gray as father and son sing a ditty while doing the dishes. They handle the dishware and silverware very cleverly. Regardless of how many takes it took to do it, it's a highlight of the movie and that bit alone is worth watching the film.

At 27:08, Dan Dailey, June Haver, and Dennis Day manipulate 4 hats for 12 seconds during a song and dance.


The Girl Next Door / Juggling in Movies / movies@juggling.org
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