The Broadway Star (Movie; Tea for two)

This story is about one Nanette Carter (Doris Day) who is a stage struck heiress living with her uncle Maxwell Bloomhaus (S.Z. Sakall). She inherits a large fortune from her late father for which her uncle is responsible for safe keeping. Being a risk-taking Wall Street broker, he invests all her money, against the advice of his lawyer William Early (Bill Goodwin) in stocks just before the collapse of stock market in 1929. In the mean time Nanette is being pursued by her annoying friend Larry Blair (Brian De Wolfe) for financial assistance in supporting his collapsing Broadway production "No No Nanette". Nanette, who is unaware of her financial loss, is pressured to back the show written by Jimmy Smith (Gordon McRae) and Tommy Trainor (Gene Nelson). To help convince her, Larry brings Jimmy and Tommy to her house, where he pretends that Jimmy needs the money from the show to pay for his sister's operation. Tommy and Jimmy play her some songs from the show, and despite the misgivings of her secretary, Pauline Hastings (Eve Arden), Nanette agrees to back the show. Jimmy then suggests that Nanette play the lead, replacing Larry's girl friend, Beatrice Darcy (Patrice Wymore) which outrages her. That night, Nanette asks Max to sell some of her securities. Not wanting to tell her the truth, he agrees to give her the money on condition that she must say "no" to everything for forty-eight hours. During this time Nanette's negative responses to some of Larry's questions discourages other backers of the show. Also her negative response to Jimmy, with whom she has developed some romantic interest, also discourages him to pursue love interest. Max encourages Jimmy to propose to Nanette, but even though she loves Jimmy, Nanette does not say "yes." At the end Nanette learns about her loss in stock market, but Pauline convinces William Early to back the production, which later becomes a success. At the end, Pauline and William, and Nanette and Jimmy get hitched. Beatrice Darcy gets back with the choreographer of the show, Tommy Trainor with whom she had romantic inertest prior to getting involved with Larry Blair.

The Broadway musical was remade three times, but the 1950 version, titled "Tea for Two" directed by David Butler is the best of the three. It has the hits by Youmans ("Tea for Two" and "I Want to be Happy"), and also tunes by the Gershwin, Harry Warren and Al Dubin. The production was set in a beautiful 1929-style mansion. The movie is a good comedy and the funny moments are the crazy balancing act between Nanette and Beatrice that Larry is forced to go through. The typically cynical comments of Pauline and tardy approach of Nanette to win her man is the finer part of the story.

Reference: Tea for two – DVD, starring Doris Day