The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964)

There are 2 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 5,137 times. The latest Post () was by ethanedwards.

Participate now!

Don’t have an account yet? Register yourself now and be a part of our community!

  • THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN

    DIRECTED BY CHARLES WATERS
    PRODUCED BY ROGER EDENS/ LAWRENCE WEINGARTEN
    METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER (M.G.M.)

    1657372143-the-unsinkable-molly-brown-1964.jpg
    Photo with the courtesy of lasbugas

    Information from IMDb


    Plot Summary
    Majestic mountains are in the background and a waterfall in the foreground.
    Is that a canoe on the river? No it's a cradle with a baby.
    The buoyant Molly Brown has survived the first crisis of her life -- a flood.
    Sixteen years later she sets out to make her way in the world.
    Can she sing and play the piano?
    She assures the Leadville saloon keeper that she can and learns quickly.
    Soon she is the bride of Johnny Brown, who in a few years
    will be able to replace the original cigar wrapper wedding ring
    with a replica in gold and gemstones.
    But it takes more than a few million dollars to be accepted by
    Denver society.
    The Browns head for Europe and bring a few crowned heads
    back to Denver for a party that turns into a ballroom brawl.
    Molly goes to Europe alone, returning on the Titanic.
    She didn't survive a flood as a baby for the story to end here.
    Written by Dale O'Connor


    Full Cast
    Debbie Reynolds ... Molly Brown
    Harve Presnell ... 'Leadville' Johnny J. Brown
    Ed Begley ... Shamus Tobin
    Jack Kruschen ... Christmas Morgan
    Hermione Baddeley ... Buttercup Grogan
    Vassili Lambrinos ... Prince Louis de Laniere
    Fred Essler ... Baron Karl Ludwig von Ettenburg
    Harvey Lembeck ... Polak
    Lauren Gilbert ... Mr. Fitzgerald
    Kathryn Card ... Mrs. Wadlington
    Hayden Rorke ... Malcolm Broderick
    Harry Holcombe ... Mr. Wadlington
    Amy Douglass ... Mrs. Fitzgerald
    George Mitchell ... Monsignor Ryan
    Martita Hunt ... Grand Duchess Elise Lupavinova
    Vaughn Taylor ... Mr. Cartwright
    Anthony Eustrel ... Roberts
    Audrey Christie ... Mrs. Gladys McGraw
    Grover Dale ... Jam
    Brendan Dillon ... Murphy
    Maria Karnilova ... Daphne
    Gus Trikonis ... Joe
    Maria Andre ... Countess Feranti (uncredited)
    Gertrude Astor ... Denver Party Guest (uncredited)
    Eleanor Audley ... Mrs. Cartwright (uncredited)
    Robert Banas ... Dancer (uncredited)
    Pat Benedetto ... Count Feranti (uncredited)
    Martin Bolger ... Denver Stock Society (uncredited)
    Peter Camlin ... French Waiter (uncredited)
    Phyllis Coghlan ... Passenger (uncredited)
    Cathleen Cordell ... Passenger (uncredited)
    Jennifer Crier ... Passenger (uncredited)
    Beppie De Vries ... Simonetta (uncredited)
    George Dega ... Maitre d' (uncredited)
    James Drake ... Denver Party Guest (uncredited)
    Minta Durfee ... Denver Party Guest (uncredited)
    Charles Giorgi ... French Waiter (uncredited)
    Clive Halliday ... Passenger (uncredited)
    Chuck Hamilton ... Party Guest (uncredited)
    Ramsay Hill ... Lord Simon Primdale (uncredited)
    James W. Horan ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Anna Lee ... Titanic Passenger in Lifeboat (uncredited)
    Moyna MacGill ... Lady Prindale (uncredited)
    Scott McCartor ... Ben (uncredited)
    Sheila Menzies ... Passenger (uncredited)
    Pat Moran ... Denver Party Guest (uncredited)
    Ottola Nesmith ... Courtiere (uncredited)
    George Nicholson ... Hotchkiss (uncredited)
    Mary Ann Niles ... Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)
    Maruja Plose ... Model (uncredited)
    Joe Ploski ... Miner (uncredited)
    Michael St. Clair ... Man at Tiller (uncredited)
    Herb Vigran ... Denver Tour Spieler (uncredited)
    Kathryn Wilson ... Denver Party Guest (uncredited)


    Writing Credits
    Helen Deutsch
    Richard Morris play


    Original Music
    Leo Arnaud (uncredited)
    Alexander Courage (uncredited)
    Calvin Jackson (uncredited)


    Cinematography
    Daniel L. Fapp


    Trivia
    MGM's original choice for the role of Molly Brown was Shirley MacLaine.


    This is Debbie Reynolds's personal favorite of her movies.


    The original Broadway production of "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" opened at Winter Garden Theater on November 3, 1960 and ran for 532 performances. Harve Presnell recreated his stage role in the movie version.


    Film debut of Harve Presnell.


    Shirley MacLaine, the producers' original choice for the title role, later played a character based on Debbie Reynolds in Postcards from the Edge.


    In real life, Margaret Brown was never called "Molly." She was called "Maggie" or "Mrs. Brown." Composer Meredith Willson changed her name to Molly Brown for the Broadway musical because he thought "Molly" sounded better than "Maggie."


    The story of J.J. Brown accidentally burning his money after Molly hid it in the stove didn't really happen. It was made up by a Denver journalist after Molly Brown became a hero on the Titanic. When asked by her daughter why she didn't refute the false story, Molly Brown supposedly replied, "It's better that they write *something* about me than nothing." (Kathy Bates, as Molly Brown, repeats the story in James Cameron's Titanic.) Molly Brown is also said to have reported the story with a slightly different ending. Molly did hide money in the potbelly stove in their Leadville cabin, and Johnny unknowingly started a fire on a particularly cold night. That's in keeping with the other version, but the end of the story, as told by Molly and reported in newspapers interviews during her lift, was a little different. Her addition was "Just think if it had been paper money!" The "money" was gold and silver coin which melted and melted to the stove. Miners didn't trust paper money in those years. The stove had to be broken apart and resmelted to separate the iron, gold and silver.


    Goofs
    Anachronisms
    When Molly first meets John, in the 1880s, they look at some picture postcards she has with her. The picture occupies one entire side of each card, but postcards of this type were not available in the USA until 1907.


    Beside the wood stove are two chairs that were made out of barrels, but they have seats and backs of 1960's-style red molded plastic.


    Continuity
    When the Duchess is coming down the staircase at Molly's party, Molly elbows Gladys and tells her to curtsey. In the next shot, which is from farther back and takes in the guests and the staircase, the same exchange between Molly and Gladys is shown again.


    When Buttercup Grogan is drinking beer with Molly, Johnny and Shamus, the level of beer in her glass goes from nearly full to nearly empty and back to nearly full.


    Factual errors
    The Molly Brown House in Denver is actually quite small. Only one room had a smidgen of red wallpaper (she also thought too much red to be gauche). Her parties were well-attended (although the orchestra played from the balcony outdoors and serenaded the whole neighborhood), and she was accepted by her peers even before the Titanic. The larger house, which she named Avoca, was at the time outside of Denver. Both houses are restored and open to the public.


    Memorable Quotes


    Filming Locations
    Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    Black Canyon, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Gunnison, Colorado, USA


    The story of the 'Real'


    Margaret 'Molly' Brown- Wikipedia

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 4 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a 1964 American musical film
    directed by Charles Walters.
    The screenplay by Helen Deutsch is based on the book of the
    1960 musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown by Richard Morris.
    The song score was composed by Meredith Willson.



    The plot is a fictionalized account of the life of Margaret Brown,
    who survived the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic.
    Margaret 'Molly' Brown- Wikipedia



    Debbie Reynolds was nominated for the
    Academy Award for Best Actress, but lost to Julie Andrews
    in her debut film, Mary Poppins.


    User Review

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 7 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Copied over from the Western Musicals thread

    The Unsinkable Molly Brown, which was Debby Reynolds' favorite musical role.


    My two favorite musical westerns are Oklahoma and The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
    You've got two great booming male voices in Gordon McRae and Harve Presnell
    and two of the best women in musicals in Shirley Jones and Debbie Reynolds.
    You just can't go wrong with any of that.

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 3 times, last by ethanedwards ().