Not one of the great MGM musicals. But if you like them at all, you will probably want to see Small Town Girl.It's about what goes on when a NYC playboy speeds (85 mph) through upstate Duck Creek, gets arrested, and has to do jail time. He's kind of a jerk, at first, but handsome (Farley Granger). Jane Powell plays the daughter of the local judge, and the kinda-sorta girlfriend of a local boy (Bobby Van) who dreams of a big Broadway career. Farley's girl, by the way, is a Broadway performer (Ann Miller).The plot finds Jane helping Farley out of jail for the night, I won't go into the reasons. They (and we) get to see Nat King Cole in a nightclub, singing the sultry, Burn Low, My Flaming Heart. Farley's escape causes a big hoo-hah but it all gets resolved nicely by the end, of course.You should see it for the cast, performing in imaginatively staged (by Busby Berkeley) musical numbers, a couple of which were good enough to be featured in the That's Entertainment films. They include a memorable number in which Ann Miller dances among disembodied human limbs that play various musical instruments, and the equally delightful bouncing dance (really just choreographed hopping) performed by Bobby Van on the back lot small-town set. (Mr Van said he was sick for a year after doing this number, and it's not really surprising). Bobby also does a socko number in his father's small town store, the lyrics of which (if memory serves) go something like, "Hey, Mister Taxi Driver, take me to Broadway, to wonderful Broadway, that razzle dazzle heart of New York." The kid really knocks himself out.The cast includes Fay Wray and Robert Keith (as Jane's parents), S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall (as Bobby's father), Billie Burke (as Farley's mother), and Chill Wills (as the jailor). Jane Powell is lovely, charming, and a beautiful singer. It's a nice little show you will probably enjoy.

I think this musical is highly underrated. Yes the plot is not particularly original, but how many are original. The plot and acting are not a strong point, but it's a musical. To me this is better than half the Astaire Rogers musicals which I do love. The singing by Nat King Cole and Jane Powell are superb. Plus there are so many wonderful character actors in this like SZ Sakal, Billie Burke and Chill Wills. Their comedy is really great. The dances are by Busby Berkeley and music by Andre Previn. How can you ask for more? It should be remastered and get higher reviews by the critics. I was overwhelmed by the Take me to Broadway number by Bobby Van. This is the best Ann Miller I have seen. She did at least two fabulous tap dancing numbers including a splashy flamenco dance near the end.

Van's "hippity hop" dance number was done on the MGM back lot, not a sound stage. The movie version has at least 3 cuts, so it wasn't filmed in one long take. Busby Berkeley choreographed the number, with 8,523 hops, on both feet for 3 minutes, TRT. (It's not the same as "Take Me to Broadway" which is danced inside his father's store.In recent years, the "Jumping Song" performed by Bobby Van has been referenced in commercials and music videos, including one for Goldfrapps song "Happiness", in which a happy man jumps through the streets, shaking hands with people and playing with garbage can lids.Rick Belrow Livingston (Farley Granger), in love with self-obsessed Broadway star Lisa, (Ann Miller), is sentenced to 30 days in jail for speeding through a small town. Quite by accident, he meets the daughter of the judge, Cindy Kimbell (Jane Powell). He persuades her to let him out for one night, so that he can visit Lisa on the premise he is seeing his "poor sick mother" (Billie Burke) on her birthday. After tracking him down and bringing him back to town, Cindy starts to fall for Livingston, but Dr. Schemmer (S.Z. Sakall) wants her to marry his son (Bobby Van) even though he desperately wants a career on Broadway.

Does anyone know any behind the scenes info about the dance number "Take Me to Broadway" as performed by Bobby Van in this movie? It is comprised of several minutes of hopping. For example, did he do it in one take? Did he have to have special shoes that had major cushioning inside? Whose idea was it to have him perform a dance that consisted only of hopping? As someone who has suffered from shin splints, I think this choreography would make him a prime candidate for that or some other kind of injury as a result of this dance. Did he do special warm-ups? This just struck me as I watching the film on May 21, TCM channel. Some people will think it odd to focus on this, when the major dance number is Ann Miller's, but I just got to thinking . . .