On Moonlight Bay (film)

On Moonlight Bay is a 1951 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Doris Day and Gordon MacRae. Loosely based on the Penrod stories by Booth Tarkington, the film tells the story of the Winfield family at the turn of the 20th century.^[3] A sequel, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, was released in 1953.

On Moonlight Bay
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roy Del Ruth
Screenplay by	Jack Rose Melville Shavelson
Based on	Penrod 1914 novel and stories by Booth Tarkington
Produced by	William Jacobs
Starring	Doris Day Gordon MacRae Jack Smith
Cinematography	Ernest Haller
Edited by	Thomas Reilly
Music by	Max Steiner
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	July 26, 1951 (1951-07-26)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,194,000[1]
Box office	$3,730,000[1] $2.5 million (US rentals)[2]

Plot

In a small Indiana town in the mid-1910s, the Winfield household has just moved into a larger house in a nicer neighborhood. The family includes George, the father, who is a banker, his wife Alice, their grown tomboyish daughter Margie, their mischievous precocious trouble-making son Wesley, and their exasperated housekeeper Stella. No one but George is happy about the move, until Marjorie meets their new neighbor, William Sherman, home on a break from his studies at Indiana University. The two are immediately attracted to each other, which makes Margie change her focus from baseball to trying to become a proper young woman.

Margie and Bill develop a romantic relationship despite, or perhaps because of, Bill's unconventional thoughts on life, including not believing in the institution of marriage or the role money plays in society.

The road to a happy life between Margie and Bill is hindered by distance (as Bill returns to school), Margie's attempts to learn perceived feminine things, her father’s disapproval and preference for another suitor, her brother’s continual meddling, and the U.S. entry into World War I.

Margie’s father softens when her brother breaks a window with their father’s old slingshot. This ultimately makes the father more receptive to her relationship with Bill and the movie reaches a happy ending.^[4]

Cast

• Doris Day as Marjorie Winfield
• Gordon MacRae as William "Bill" Sherman
• Jack Smith as Hubert Wakely
• Leon Ames as George Wadsworth Winfield
• Rosemary DeCamp as Alice Winfield
• Mary Wickes as the housekeeper Stella
• Ellen Corby as Miss Mary Stevens
• Billy Gray as Wesley Winfield
• James Dobson as Army sergeant
• Henry East as Doughboy by Train
• Jeffrey Stevens as Jim Sherman
• Eddie Marr as Contest Barker

Songs

• "On Moonlight Bay"
• "Cuddle Up a Little Closer"
• "Till We Meet Again"
• "Tell Me"
• "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles"
• "Christmas Story"
• "Love Ya"
• "It's a Long Way to Tipperary"
• "Pack Up Your Troubles"

Reception

According to Warner Bros., the film earned $2,738,000 in the U.S. and $992,000 in other markets.^[1]

Accolades

The film was nominated for the American Film Institute's 2006 list AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals.^[5]