I Dream of Jeanie (film)

I Dream of Jeanie is a 1952 American historical musical film based on the songs and life of Stephen Foster, who wrote the 1854 song "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" from which the title is taken. The film was directed by Allan Dwan for Republic Pictures and was shot in Trucolor.

I Dream of Jeanie
Directed byAllan Dwan
Written byAlan Le May (screenplay)
StarringBill Shirley
Muriel Lawrence
Ray Middleton
Lynn Bari
CinematographyReggie Lanning
Edited byFred Allen
Music byRobert Armbruster
Production
company
Republic Pictures
Distributed byRepublic Pictures
Release date
  • June 15, 1952 (1952-06-15) (United States)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film is also known as I Dream of Jeanie (with the Light Brown Hair).[1]

Plot

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In 1849, the song "Oh, Susannah" is a nationwide hit, but bookkeeper Stephen Foster has given his work to several music houses free of charge and without credit. His refined true love Inez McDowell, a classically trained singer, despises popular music, especially Stephen's songs. Foster's world changes when Edwin P. Christy educates him about the music business and launches his career as the author of the songs that the Christy Minstrels sing in their shows.

Cast

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Soundtrack

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All songs written by Stephen Foster unless otherwise indicated:

Reception

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In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Oscar Godbout wrote:

[T]he music, with its universal appeal, was not enough for the creators of this bogus biography; the author of the script, Alan LeMay, with the director, Allan Dwan, succumbed to an urge to skewer the tunes with a vapid tale of the young musician being thwarted in love. They show him as a shallow, brainless bookkeeper who tinkered with tunes when he wasn't debasing himself before a supercilious Southern belle who would have him only if he stopped writing songs. That's the Stephen Foster Bill Shirley is forced to portray. ... But the songs are appealing and Mr. Middleton's portrayal of a famous minstrel compensates for much of the dullness.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Film title card. "I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair (1952)", Internet Archive. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  2. ^ Godbout, Oscar (June 26, 1952). "The Screen: Life of Stephen Foster". The New York Times. p. 26.
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