By Violet LeVoit
Sunny Side of the Street
Brief Synopsis
A TV station receptionist tries to make her boyfriend a singing star only to lose him to the sponsor's daughter.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Richard Quine
Director
Frankie Laine
Himself
Billy Daniels
Himself
Terry Moore
Betty Holloway
Jerome Courtland
Ted Mason
Toni Arden
Herself
Film Details
Genre
Musical
Romance
Release Date
Sep
1951
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 11m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Supercinecolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Synopsis
New tour guide Ted Mason leads his first tour of KXIW television studio with a group of school girls, who are enthralled with singer Frankie Laine, who is recording his variety show on one of the sound stages. Distracted by a young troublemaker, Ted loses control of the group, which then uses the opportunity to break in on Frankie's taping. Information clerk Betty Holloway helps Ted reorganize the tour, but is unable to prevent his firing by studio head John "J. R." Stevens. On his way out of the studio, Ted runs into old friend Gloria Pelley and her wealthy father Cyrus, head of the Pelley peanut brittle company, and Ted promises to meet Gloria later. In hopes of securing the Pelley company sponsorship, Stevens and his two top writers, Dave Gibson and Al Little, have the Pelleys watch singer Toni Arden tape a number for her television show, but Gloria, whose opinion influences her father, dismisses Toni, claiming she prefers male singers. After hearing about Ted's firing, Betty finds him and learns that he only took the tour guide job to try to get a break as a singer. Feeling guilty over Ted's discharge, Betty promises to arrange an audition for him. That afternoon, Betty introduces Ted to Frankie, who agrees to listen to him sing. After Ted's impressive tryout, Frankie advises him to alter his stiff radio broadcast style and learn to present himself to the television camera. Betty becomes Ted's unofficial agent when she has his song cut into a record, which she intends to distribute around town. Betty then takes Ted to a small club to have him watch the natural poise of singers Billy Daniels and Benny Payne, but Ted remains uncertain of his ability to change. Betty presents a copy of Ted's record to Stevens, who distractedly promises to listen, but instead frets over Dave and Al's inability to lure the Pelleys into a contract. When Betty learns that one of Frankie's back-up singers is ill, she pleads with Frankie to let Ted fill in. At that evening's taping, Ted joins a quartet in performing a commercial, and afterward, Frankie recommends him for another commercial the following night on Toni's show. The next day Gloria runs into Ted and lightly upbraids him for not calling her, to Betty's annoyance. That night, Frankie appears as a guest on Toni's show, then Ted sings solo on a beer commercial. Meanwhile, Stevens dejectedly informs Dave and Al that the Pelleys have decided to sign with the Acme Network. After watching Ted's commercial, however, Dave and Al excitedly tell Stevens they can build a show around Ted that the Pelleys are sure to support. Stevens summons Ted, and Dave questions him about his relationship with Gloria. Learning that the two were high school sweethearts, Dave and Al have Ted telephone Gloria for a date to help them launch their idea for a TV series. Ted initially resists, unwilling to break a date with Betty, but Dave convinces him that he has spoken with Betty and received her approval. That night Ted escorts Gloria to the prestigious Embassy Club, unaware that Betty is waiting for him at her apartment. After Betty's roommate Mary arrives at the Embassy with a date and spots Ted with Gloria, she learns that Gloria and Ted have known each other since childhood and suspects they are renewing old ties. Meanwhile, Frankie appears at the club in his regular show, then introduces Ted, to Gloria's delight. When Cyrus, who has come as a guest of Stevens, asks his daughter for her opinion of Ted, she enthusiastically tells him to sign Ted and KXIW. The next day, Ted arrives at the studio with Gloria to sign his contract, but is disturbed when Betty gives him the cold shoulder. Discovering that Mary has told Betty about his night out with Gloria, Ted insists that he believed she was aware of their date and that it was solely for business, but Betty remains indignant. When Ted follows Betty onto a soundstage, Frankie follows, as does Gloria, and the two overhear Ted's declaration of love for Betty and his offer to give up the contract if that will please her. Gloria intervenes to admit that while she finds Ted attractive, she has no serious feelings for him. Gloria departs with Frankie as Ted and Betty make up. The following week, Ted launches his new Pelley-sponsored show, with Frankie as his special guest, while Betty watches proudly from the audience.
Director
Richard Quine
Director
Cast
Frankie Laine
Himself
Billy Daniels
Himself
Terry Moore
Betty Holloway
Jerome Courtland
Ted Mason
Toni Arden
Herself
Audrey Long
Gloria Pelley
Dick Wesson
Dave Gibson
Lynn Bari
Mary
William Tracy
Al Little
Willard Waterman
John "J. R." Stevens
Jonathan Hale
Cyrus Pelley
Amanda Blake
Susie Manning
Benny Payne
Himself
Paul Dubov
Miller
Peter Price
Wilbur
Peter Thompson
Assistant director
Joy Windsor
Maiden
Marilyn Johnson
Maiden
Jacqueline Kenley
Bobby soxer
Joan Blake
Bobby soxer
Janet Comerford
Bobby soxer
Edna May Wonacott
Bobby soxer
Vernon Dent
King
Bess Flowers
Queen
Art Gilmore
Announcer
Ken Harvey
Announcer
William Newell
Engineer
Fred Karger
Musician
Lewis Snowden
Emcee
Jack Chefe
Waiter captain
Mona Knox
Bathing girl
Jack Gargan
Counterman
Ralph Peters
Bruce
The Rhythmaires
Crew
John Burke
Composer
Ellis W. Carter
Director of Photography
Harold Conrad
Story
George Cooper
Sound tech
Jack Corrick
Assistant Director
James Crowe
Set Decoration
G. B. De Curtis
Composer
Mann Curtis
Composer
Ernesto De Curtis
Composer
George Duning
Music Director
Phil Faulkner
Music rec
Dorothy Field
Composer
Al Hoffman
Composer
Walter Holscher
Art Director
Arthur Johnston
Composer
Fred Karger
Music adv
Walter Kent
Composer
Lee Loeb
Screenwriter
Jimmy Mchugh
Composer
Johnny Mercer
Composer
Ray Noble
Composer
Cole Porter
Composer
Harry Ruskin
Composer
Henry Sullivan
Composer
Jonie Taps
Producer
Jerome Thoms
Film Editor
Richard A. Whiting
Composer
Film Details
Genre
Musical
Romance
Release Date
Sep
1951
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 11m
Sound
Mono
Color
Color (Supercinecolor)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Articles
Sunny Side of the Street
Frankie Laine racked up plenty of hits in his years as a singer, but he never quite earned the legacy that would mention him in the same breath as Como, Bennett, or Sinatra. That's a shame, because his "blue eyed soul" voice had plenty of power and pizzazz, as can be seen in movies like Sunny Side of the Street (1951), where a young sound stage tour guide (Jerome Courtland) who fancies singing on television gets help from a seasoned pro (Laine, playing himself). Fans of the post-big band era of pop singers will enjoy other performances from Laine, as well as numbers by the likes of Billy Daniels and Toni Arden, but the standout scene is when Laine and Courtland perform the title song in duet. Laine had performed the jazz standard previously in the 1949 musical comedy Make Believe Ballroom, but here he really belts it out in a rhythm-and-blues flavored rendition that stands in contrast to Courtland's more traditional interpretation. While Laine made a total of eight movies, his music appears more regularly on screen than he did, in soundtracks as diverse as Blazing Saddles (1974) and Raging Bull (1980). Film goers can hear his version of "Sunny Side" in films as recent as Hollywoodland (2006) but this is a rare chance to see him perform it on screen.
By Violet LeVoit
By Violet LeVoit
Sunny Side of the Street
Frankie Laine racked up plenty of hits in his years as a singer, but he never quite earned the legacy that would mention him in the same breath as Como, Bennett, or Sinatra. That's a shame, because his "blue eyed soul" voice had plenty of power and pizzazz, as can be seen in movies like Sunny Side of the Street (1951), where a young sound stage tour guide (Jerome Courtland) who fancies singing on television gets help from a seasoned pro (Laine, playing himself). Fans of the post-big band era of pop singers will enjoy other performances from Laine, as well as numbers by the likes of Billy Daniels and Toni Arden, but the standout scene is when Laine and Courtland perform the title song in duet. Laine had performed the jazz standard previously in the 1949 musical comedy Make Believe Ballroom, but here he really belts it out in a rhythm-and-blues flavored rendition that stands in contrast to Courtland's more traditional interpretation. While Laine made a total of eight movies, his music appears more regularly on screen than he did, in soundtracks as diverse as Blazing Saddles (1974) and Raging Bull (1980). Film goers can hear his version of "Sunny Side" in films as recent as Hollywoodland (2006) but this is a rare chance to see him perform it on screen.
By Violet LeVoit
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Although not credited onscreen, The Rhythmaires, Frankie Laine's backup vocalists, appear with "Ted" when he sings in a commercial on Laine's variety show. According to a September 1950 Daily Variety news item, June Hutton was being considered for a role, but her appearance in the film has not been confirmed. Information from reviews and film credits indicate the film was shot in color, but the print viewed was in black and white.
