Lots of hep cat lingo in parts of this teenage musical comedy drama, starring Gloria Jean(as Doris) and Don O'Connor(as Jimmy). Much of the lingo, no doubt, was improvised, not to be found even in a hipster's dictionary.This includes one of the most used idioms: bundle bunny. My guess is it's derived from the mostly rural pre-central heating American courting tradition of a young woman and her suitor laying fully clothed on her bed under a cover of some sort, while they got better acquainted, and sometimes much farther than that.Anyway, I think it's a cute term for a girlfriend.
Despite the presence of Don O'Connor and several other actors who sometimes were featured singers in films, this is almost exclusively a Gloria Jean singing experience: almost. Her scatter-brained wild-child friend Betty(Peggy Ryan) does get one novelty song as she cavorts around a teen hangout in Betty Hutton-style, leading up to her only wild dancing scene in the film. The 'Jivin' Jacks and Jills' also add to this scene.Unlike some of the other films in the Don + Peggy +Gloria series, Don and Peggy jive dance only a short while, with minimal athletic features, and Don doesn't get to sing at all. Also, Gloria's arch rival for Don's affections: Elaine(Cora Sue Collins), who seems to be the snooty queen bee at this high school, gets one song in the annual school singing contest, to be bested by Gloria's rendition of Semper Libre". Gloria's prior "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes" is done only half-heartedly, as she is trying to look out the window for Don, where she wants to be. Her only lively song is Ernesto Lecuona's classic "Siboney", which she sings for Don while they are parked out in a woods, to show that she can sing at least as well as his current crush: Elaine(Strange that she has an unseen orchestra accompaniment out in this woods!)
Aside from these occasional private or stage musical scenes, this is mostly a drama and comedy. Of course, we must have conflict. The 'bad' characters include Gloria's slave-driving wealthy aunt(Gloria is an orphan), who makes her practice her singing to the exclusion of everything else. Then, there is the head of the orphanage where she lands for a while after running away from her aunt, as well as a policeman or two who want to arrest her or send her to an orphanage. I've mentioned Elaine, her rival for Don's attentions. Don also has a wealthy rival for Elaine's attention, thus Elaine goes back and forth between Don and his rival. It's unclear why wild-child Peggy and Gloria, with her reserved academic demeanor, should form an alliance against Elaine. It appears that Peggy and Elaine don't like each other, and Peggy is using Gloria's pursuit of Don to ruffle Elaine. Another 'bad' character is the school principal, who wants to put down Gloria, with her assumed ignorance of academic matters, when she applies to enter the school as a junior. Of course, she astounds him with her detailed knowledge and quick mind. His algebra exam on the blackboard ends in a comical scene.
Gloria's temporary adopting parents, Stephen and Anne Winter, are played by handsome personable Robert Paige and beautiful blond Jane Frazee, whom Gloria senses are the perfect parents for the remainder of her teen years. These two played prominent roles in several other of the Don + Peggy + Gloria Jean(sometimes missing one) film series, occasionally being allowed to sing. Problem is Gloria discovered them by stealth, as they were expecting in infant when they applied for adoption, and they don't know that Gloria ran away from the orphanage, as well as her aunt. Conversely, Gloria doesn't know that shortly before her arrival, Anne was about to walk out on her golf-obsessed unambitious husband. After Gloria's arrival, Stephen decides he will look for a better job, to better qualify as Gloria's permanent adopting father. A comical scene follows when Stephen is given the challenge of selling a big life insurance policy to a notoriously wealthy tightwad. Yes, he more than succeeds, using a barrel of comical verbal trickery. Thus, Gloria is functioning as an unintentional 'little miss fix it'.
The last part of this film gets hectic, as Gloria's aunt traced her to this small town after making the front page with her large reward for Gloria's return. Auntie walks in just as Gloria is finishing her winning recital. She pulls a bewildered Don with her to make a getaway in his car. After a wild chase, they are cornered, and are taken to the police station, with all the other principals arguing about her future disposition. When the judge arrives, it's clear he's all against auntie and for Gloria's choice. Must have been paid off by the Winters.
This is at least the second film in which Gloria played an orphan. Two years earlier, she costarred with Bing Crosby, who served as her temporary guardian and proxy boyfriend, in the wonderful "If I Had My Way". If you want to experience Gloria still with some of her little girl looks and persona, I highly recommend this film. She and Bing made an enchanting and songful team, despite their quite different singing styles.
Robert Paige's birth name was John Page. He eventually had it altered to avoid confusion with another up and coming actor:John Payne, whom he somewhat resembled physically, along with Tyrone Power.
This film is currently available at You Tube , in 7 segments.
