Centennial Summer (1946) User Reviews (19)

Uneven, but easily held my interest

[pacificgroove-315-494931 · 6/10 · 12 November 2015]

Perhaps the best thing about Centennial Summer is it's story and the way it's acted; it's just a light family drama-comedy and a love triangle, but the characters and plot have a bit of novelty and bite that keeps them fresh rather than cliché.

In the acting department, what's most interesting is Walter Brennan and Dorothy Gish. Rather than his usual crusty old man and/or comic sidekick, Brennan convincingly plays a husband, father, working man. Sometimes I like to conjecture about might-have-been casting choices. I suspect that his role was written with Don Ameche in mind, but Ameche had recently left Fox in a contract dispute. This is the only sound film role in which I've seen Dorothy Gish; she shows she has the acting chops, gravitas, and a nearly identical voice as her film-great sister, Lillian.

What's disappointing about this musical is that most of the songs seem unimaginatively inserted into the plot, rather than integrated as part of the story. After well integrated musical films like "Meet Me In St. Louis" and Fox's "State Fair" this is a backward thing. And Centennial Summer seems about 3 songs short; I noticed a couple of obvious places in the script where songs would be expected but were not there. The song "I Woke Up With The Lark This Morning", used in the early part of the film where it belongs, is also used to end the film, where a more appropriate song is called for. Apparently, Jerome Kern was not able to provide a full complement of songs (due either to poor health or his death) but the filmmakers ought to have adapted and used appropriate songs from his very large catalog.

Meet Me in Philadelphia Louie

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 1 February 2013]

Although Centennial Summer did not approach the success that MGM's Meet Me In St. Louis either artistically or financially, the film still has a lot to recommend it. It may be the only musical in history done with mostly non-musical performers with leads Linda Darnell and Jeanne Crain dubbed by other singers.

Darnell and Crain are sisters and daughters of Walter Brennan and Dorothy Gish who are just like the family in Meet Me In St. Louis with the problems that your average middle class families in the Centennial year of 1876 had. They're all looking forward to the Centennial World's Fair of that year.

Some complications get thrown into the mix when prim and proper Dorothy Gish gets a visit from Constance Bennett who is quite the jet setter in those days before jets and flying were accomplished facts. She's in from Paris and she's bringing with her a nephew by marriage played by Cornel Wilde. Wilde uses the same French accent he did in The Greatest Show On Earth and Sword Of Lancelot and he gets both the sisters romantic motors running. In the meantime earnest young William Eythe going into a new medical field of obstetrics is hanging around hoping to pick someone up on the rebound, but he's hoping it's Crain.

Centennial Summer is known for the fact that it was Jerome Kern's last musical project and it was released the year after Kern died. He used three different lyricists for the various songs, Oscar Hammerstein, II, E.Y. Harburg, and Leo Robin. All Through The Day with lyrics by Hammerstein got an Oscar nomination for best song as did Alfred Newman's overall musical scoring. The song which obviously the studio thought would be the big hit was entrusted to a real singer Larry Stevens and introduced in a musical hall sequence.

I'm not sure what Darryl F. Zanuck was thinking in not casting the already proved Dolly Sister team of Betty Grable and June Haver in the leads. The film might have been better if he had.

Still for those like myself who love the music of Jerome Kern, Centennial Summer is a must see film.

Meet me in Philadelphia...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 10 June 2017]

Despite the setting, the story really focuses on two sisters--nice sister Julia (Jeanne Craine) and her B****y sister, Edith (Linda Darnell). When Aunt Zenia (Constance Bennett) arrives from France with her step-son, Philippe (Cornel Wilde), Julia falls for the guy. Seeing her sister is smitten, Edith decides to try to steal him away for herself. What follows are some mistakes where both Julia and Philippe assume the worst and you wonder if by the end of the film they'll end up together. Along for the ride are her parents (Walter Brennan and Dorothy Gish).

The film has quite a few songs--mostly which are pleasant and forgettable. But unlike the very similar "Meet Me in St. Louis", instead of one person doing most of the songs, everyone gets in on the act, though a few of them have weak voices. In fact, in many ways this is like Twentieth Century-Fox's answer to MGM's "Meet Me in St. Louis" (both coincide with a huge exhibition in town)...though in pretty much every way the Fox effort is inferior. I especially disliked Darnell's character--she was awful. In the other film, the family loved and cared about each other...and this was not the case with Edith. It's not a bad film but by comparison it suffers significantly. Enjoyable but nothing outstanding.

This was a beautiful film

[rakorkos · 14 July 2005]

I loved this film and I am disappointed it hasn't been out on DVD or on TV. I thought the music was great and I still hum it. I thought "All through the day was such a pretty song. Jeanne Crain was so beautiful and so was Linda Darnell and I miss them both. All of the great movie stars are gone My mother took us to this movie when we were little and it has stuck with me all of this time. Cinderella Sue was so sweet and cute. I also loved Cornel Wilde, he was so handsome. I will be the first one to buy this if it comes out on DVD. I do have a CD with the music from the movie, but its not the same as seeing the movie. I read the movie lineup every week in the TV Guide to see if by some wild chance it would be played, but nothing.

love does not run smoothly for youthful or older couples, but everyone sings beautifully!

[miscanony · 6/10 · 18 July 2006]

This was a favorite of mine when it was shown on TV late shows fairly often back in the 1950's. It is not shown anymore,I believe, because it is no longer politically correct because of a Black singer singing what I think is a beautiful song about the love he feels for his daughter (Cinderella Sue).The last time I did see it many years ago, it had some of the scenes and that song deleted from it. I found this site because I was searching to see if I could find a VHS or DVD copy to buy. Does anyone know of one for sale? It may be considered a sappy movie by some, but I enjoyed the romance and the musical numbers. Plus, the cast was a good one with handsome Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, and Walter Brennan. Does anyone know what ever happened to actor William Eythe?

Another family musical,less talented than some.

[weezeralfalfa · 7/10 · 19 July 2017]

Nearly everyone agrees that this musical romance was inspired by the success of MGM's "Meet Me in St. Louis", and that it is an inferior production in most respects. The question is :is it still worth viewing? For fans of the stars, it probably is. Like its predecessor, it was filmed in Technicolor. Its Jerome Kern songs are generally serviceable, but not especially memorable. Most of the singing by the stars was dubbed, and there is no stage dancing. The main romantic players were chosen for their looks, personality, and track record.

The competition between marriageable sisters Julia(Jeanne Crane) and Edith(Linda Darnell) for the romantic attention of dashing Frenchman Philippe(Cornel Wilde), along with their father's obsession in making a superior railroad clock, provide the main elements of the plot. Edith is a snake in the grass, in her competition to win the heart of Philippe. Love is a game, she says, to use whatever wiles work. However, Julia has one ace up her sleeve. She speaks French reasonably well, which is what Philippe needs in a helper to construct the French pavilion at the Centennial exposition in Philadelphia. Thus,she is chosen over Edith for this post. To help even the odds, Edith claims that her boyfriend Ben is actually Julia's boy friend. This really messes things up for a while. One day, Philippe walks Julia home. They stop and she kisses him, hoping he will return the favor. But, seeing Ben, he hesitates, saying it's not good to kiss in the presence of one's fiancé. Julia is devastated, thinking he meant Edith, as his love. She runs to her room, and writes a letter, saying that she left for her grandmother's. Later, Edith is trying to romance Philippe, but he declines, saying he loves Julia. This causes her to flee to Ben, and she succeeds in patching things up with him. Meanwhile, Phillipe talks to the father(Walter Brennan), who tells him about Julia's flight, and tells him how to reach her grandmother's house. Next thing we know, they are walking hand in hand. We aren't shown how he explained the misunderstanding, and won her back.

Meanwhile, their father has been fired from the railroad for arriving drunk, But, his newest clock has been accepted, and he is given a post as an inventor.

This film is available at YouTube.

Fillies From Philly

[writers_reign · 6/10 · 7 November 2016]

Despite a very faded print - possibly third or fourth generation - the charm and the score came shining through. As most people writing here have noted this is clearly Meet Me In St Louis set twenty-five years earlier but there's no real attempt to hide this; MGM and Fox both invested heavily in musicals especially in the forties and fans of the era would probably cite Alice Faye, Betty Grable, Don Ameche, Carmen Miranda and Cesar Romero as often as they would Judy Garland, Ann Miller, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. This unashamed homage to Meet Me In St. Louis has a lovely score albeit one that used three separate lyricists who collaborated with Jerome Kern on what proved to be his last score (by a somewhat bizarre coincidence George Gershwin, who like Kern began on Broadway, also died after working on a movie). Unlike Meet Me In St Louis, which yielded three 'hit' songs, Centenniel Summer had a much lower profile song-wise albeit discerning artists have kept at least two of the numbers, In Love In Vain and All Through The Day alive via cabaret and recordings. I can only guess how sumptuous it would look in three-stripe technicolor and hope that someone someday will lay a new DVD on us.

Mediocre imitation of Meet Me in St. Louis

[rhoda-9 · 5/10 · 26 September 2016]

Why would anyone think they could compete with Meet Me in St. Louis? That movie had a great score, a charming script, well-cast secondary characters, a delightful and original character in little Margaret O'Brien, and, in Judy Garland, not just a star but a powerhouse. Foolish Fox decided to go head to head, with another musical set in a nineteenth-century city at the start of a World's Fair. However, that's the only equivalent. Starting with the title (a clunky description vs. a jaunty invitation), everything about this movie is greatly inferior. Instead of one of the greatest popular singers of the twentieth century, there are four non-singing, all-dubbed actors. Instead of a warm-hearted, close family, there is a father who is an unsuccessful but persistent inventor (that corny old bit again) and who is demoted at work, with his pay slashed; there is also a nasty girl (Linda Darnell) who wants so badly to marry the French visitor (not for love, but because she wants to go to Paris) that she tells lies about her younger sister, whom the Frenchman prefers.

Jerome Kern was a greater composer than the the songwriters for Meet Me in St Louis, but this, his last score, was far from his best. The numbers are pleasant enough, but none of them has the vitality of the songs Garland socks across. One song here, "In Love in Vain," is a real tear-your-heart-out number (which sounds as if it was meant for Garland), but not only is it vitiated by being delivered in a bland dubber's voice--we don't respond to it emotionally because, instead of really being unrequited in love, Jeanne Crain is only being temporarily ignored by her beloved because of a misunderstanding.

One brief, charming interlude--the adorable, dapper Avon Long steps into a saloon and delivers three minutes of magic by singing to a tiny girl the minstrel song "Cinderella Sue." Three men standing at the bar and watching him, however, look decidedly unimpressed--even somewhat hostile. I can't imagine MGM having such a sloppy way with details!

Glorious, enchanting, warm-hearted musical--Jerome Kern's last, haunting score.

[sdiner82 · 10/10 · 5 August 2002]

If remembered at all, "Centennial Summer" is generally dismissed as 20th-Century-Fox's failed attempt to copy "Meet Me in St. Louis."

I'd like to set the record straight, and urge Fox to release this neglected treasure on VHS, DVD, cable-TV, whatever, so today's movie-lovers can savor one of the most endearing, original, lovingly crafted musicals ever made.

This lavish Technicolored production is indeed a visual knockout, but what truly matters is so much more than its dazzling visuals. Set against the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition, this exquisitely designed valentine to a bygone era focuses on a suburban middle-class family's troubles and turmoils, highlighted by Jerome Kern's final (and one of his finest) scores.

Jeanne Crain and Linda Darnell are the daughters of railroad/laborer aspiring/inventor Walter Brennan and his understanding wife, the lovely Dorothy Gish in one of her rare film appearances. Their humdrum lives are sparked by the arrival of a glamorous Parisian relative (the dazzling Constance Bennett)and a dashing young French man (Cornel Wilde) in charge of setting up his country's exhibition at the Centennial.

That's the plot, and it's a more-than-sufficient frame for a charming, low-keyed, often surprisingly moving dramatization of a family in crisis. Ms. Crain & Ms. Darnell are heartbreakingly beautiful as the sibling rivals in romance; Otto Preminger's direction is subtle and refreshingly modest; and though none of Kern's songs became hits, the underrated score includes some of the loveliest ballads ever written--Listen closely to the melodic "The Right Romance," "In Love in Vain" and "All Through the Day." "Up with the Lark" is as captivating, tuneful, brilliantly photographed and sung a showstopper as one could wish for. And the rousing "Railroad Song," plus an unexpected diversion "Cinderella Sue" (performed by Avon Long and several black children, sans one iota of the racial condescension typical of films of its era) are two more rousing highlights.

The cast is uniformly superb (Ms. Crain's plaintive beauty and heartfelt sincerity set the screen aglow; William Eythe, a talented, appealing actor whose life and career were tragically short, adds a special poignancy as Ms. Darnell's spurned suitor), the production design exquisite, and the screenplay (based on a long-forgotten novel) will touch you in ways you wouldn't expect from a movie musical.

"Centennial Summer" deserves stature as one of the finest musicals of all time. That few people have even heard of it, much less seen it, is sad indeed. It deserves to be revived, re-evaluated and cherished for the work of art it most certainly is.

Centennial Summer

[CinemaSerf · 5/10 · 8 January 2023]

Right from the outset, this film mis-fires. Walter Brennan comes across as a fish out of water and Cornel Wilde, with his rather ropey French accent, just doesn't work at all well, either. The latter man, having just arrived in Philadelphia from France for the US Centennial Exposition, soon becomes the object of the affections of two sisters - Jeanne Craine ("Julie") and Linda Darnell ("Edith"). Which of them will win his affections? The problem with this film is that, though colourful - there is absolutely no chemistry anywhere to be seen. The songs from Jerome Kern are pleasant enough, but there is no showstopper - and the singing, well those are either ensemble efforts or solos from actors who, frankly, aren't very good singers. The execution of the story is not without the odd bit of humour, but the presentation looks frequently quite stagey with plenty of set piece choreography that, again, might have looked fine in a theatre but is somehow rather dated and stilted on a big screen. It is watchable, and Darnell steals the show, if anyone does, but I struggled with this rather procedural and stilted melodrama.

A very rare movie, but a long-time favorite.

[PrincessIncognita · 9/10 · 24 August 1999]

This was the film that introduced me to the world of classic movies. Jeanne Crain has since been one of my all-time favorite actresses.

This is a great musical and represents Jerome Kern's last creative effort before his untimely death. It's set around the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. When the Rodgers family receives a visit from their Aunt Zenia who is accompanied by Philippe (a dashing Frenchman who arrives to set up the French Pavilion for the Centennial), the excitement of the exposition is heightened. Edith decides to forget her engagement to Ben, in order to pursue Philippe, but Philippe actually has eyes for Julia. When Edith tells Philippe that it is Julia who is actually engaged to Ben, he loses hope. Julia and Ben then play out a make-believe romance to make Philippe jealous and bring Edith back to Ben.

All the while, the Rodgers mother is having troubles of her own...keeping her husband out of the romantic whirl of Zenia's man collection.

A fun, romantic, musical-comedy, with gorgeous costumes and a nice soundtrack. This is one that needs to be released on video!

Good Movie

[PeachWitch51 · 13 May 2004]

I love this movie. After seeing it on the Disney Channel back in the eighties I wished I had taped. I feel that Jeanne Crain and Linda Darnel are great rivals over Cornel Wilde. I know that people have said that it is a poor remake of Meet me in St. Louis. But feel it has it own merit. I hope that someday they put it out on dvd so everyone can enjoy it.

Jeanne Crain passed away recently and I had hoped that they would show it in tribute. But they didn't and I felt kinda of cheated. The timelessnes of the movie would have been a great tribute to her and all the cast

This movie is delightful and entertaining for the whole family.

[GIN0731 · 10/10 · 8 October 2002]

This movie has always been a favorite one of mine. It is light-hearted and entertaining. It may be an escape movie, but it does deal with the different personalities in a family. The music and costuming are a treat. It is a very uplifting movie experience. I wish that it would be released on video.

Family life in 1876 Philadelphia.

[wooferby · 9/10 · 1 January 2000]

This movie was 20th Century Fox answer to Meet Me In St. Louis. Although it isn't a great movie, it's a lot of fun. The music was by Jerome Kern and was his last score. The cast is good but Constance Bennett and Walter Brennan are outstanding. Typical1940's escapist fare.

Charming Musical Americana

[Ripper2RidesAgain · 8/10 · 21 December 2014]

After many years of hoping, I finally got to see "Centennial Summer" this past weekend. I purchased a DVD copy from Lovingtheclassics.com. Clearly it was an old transfer print, not the greatest quality but not bad. Some scenes were brighter than others but overall it was average but far from poor in quality. The sound was fine. It's a bare bones DVD, however. No menu or extras.

I understand that the company Twilight Time was going to release a restored Blue Ray edition of this film back in September, but they ran into legal problems with the rights. Hopefully, they'll get this situation straightened out soon as I'd love to see a restored print of this. The Technicolor must be stunning!

"Centennial Summer" is an enjoyable, nostalgic film, clearly 20th Century Fox's attempt to emulate the success of MGM's "Meet Me In Saint Louis" of 1944. This Fox effort is not as lavish and it's less a musical than a film-with-songs. It was based on a novel, which I have read, about a year in the life of a Philadelphia family in 1876, when the city hosted the Centennail Exposition, a world's fair celebrating the 100th birthday of the USA. The screenplay compresses the time line into just the summer of that year and eliminates much of the quirky Philadelphia local color and lore that are sprinkled through the book. Still, the film evokes the fair itself and the excitement it creates in a far more slowly paced era. The costumes are lovely and the charming sets are full of accurate period details.

The film stars a typical line up of popular Fox stars of the mid '40s. Lovely Jeanne Crain and dark, sensuous Linda Darnell are the sisters competing for the attention of a visiting Frenchman, Cornel Wilde. The largely forgotten William Eythe, who died young, plays Darnell's neglected suitor. Although he was a talented singer, he and the rest of the leads are dubbed by other performers, a common practice at the Fox Studio. Walter Brennan and Dorothy Gish are amusing as the parents and Constance Bennett makes a glamorous turn as exotic Aunt Zenia, whose visit from Paris causes much disruption in the family's quiet life.

The score was Jerome Kern's last and it's charming and easy on the ears if not particularly memorable. Cotton Club singer Avon Long turns up do a minstrel tune with some children in a saloon scene. It's probably the film's musical highpoint. Director Otto Preminger was not noted for musical films, although he directed a couple. He keeps the somewhat rambling plot moving and the film is colorful and evocative.

It will be great if this lively, charming film gets wider circulation in a restored print soon.

Wonderful Film

[missnanse · 10/10 · 11 February 2006]

I remember this film from when I was a child and remember loving it. I still look for it everywhere and if anyone knows how I can get a copy please let me know. I adore Cornell Wilde and Jeanne Crain and watch anything they appear in. Please bring this out on DVD soon. I love musicals and especially old movies. I am an avid fan of gene Kelly and Judy garland and have raised my daughter to love these old classics as much as I do. My all time favorite is Meet me in St. Louis and this movie with Cornell and Jeanne reminds me of it .I am sure my memory is vague but I know I loved it and want to see it again so badly.

Jerome Kern music stays in your mind

[spark-13 · 10/10 · 27 January 2006]

I first remember seeing this film on TV when I was a schoolgirl back in the late 1950s or early 1960s. I have only seen it once since that time. This is sad as the actors, the story, and the music most especially were engaging. From the costumes to the flirtations and the disappointments (poor William Eythe) the script was romantic, the actors attractive and appealing. My favorite scene was "Cinderella Sue" but the last time I actually saw the film on TV (unfortunately I did not tape it) that scene was missing. I wondered if a "censor" had considered it racially demeaning? But I honestly did not and the song has stayed in my head all these years. I would press for the company which owns the rights to release the movie on DVD or even VHS.

Still enjoyable after all these years

[billesterling-03077 · 9/10 · 2 January 2024]

I first seen this movie back in August. The summer of 1969. It was the first musical that i actually watched to the end. The story about the two sisters reminded me of my own two sisters. And the aunt from Paris wasn't too far off the mark of my own aunt (my fathers older sister). She was a hit where ever she went.

I told my daughter about the movie over the summer. She somehow found a DVD of it. As a family we watched it over the holidays. Every one enjoyed it as much as I did way back in 1969. It held up and I wasn't disappointed by it after all these years. You tend to feel foolish if you build up a movie or a favorite record to someone and then they see or hear it. They might wonder what all the fuss was about.

I don't know where she found the DVD. Possibly at a garage sale. The color went from good to black and white and then went to what looked like colorization. The sound cut out in a few spots too That didn't distract from our enjoyment of the movie.