The Girl Next Door (1953)

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Blistering performances.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

I just won the DVD of The Girl Next Door as part of a gift box raffle from a party. Not a film I was particularly acquainted with it was fascinating to watch this partly animated film from 20th Century Fox.Only two things lack in making this a classic. Had The Girl Next Door been done at Disney, Warner Brothers or MGM the studios that had the most acclaim for their animation The Girl Next Door might be better known. Also the score from Josef Myrow and Mack Gordon was lacking in anything other than serviceable songs for the plot. Hardly anything as memorable as what you would get in some of Disney's animated features.June Haver has the title role, she's an acclaimed musical star who has taken possession of a house in Scarsdale, then as now a place with a reputation for easy suburban living. During a party she's interrupted by the noise and antics from next door and finds out it's a bachelor pad for Dan Dailey and his son Billy Gray.Gray's perfectly happy as things are as he hasn't reached puberty yet to appreciate what females have to offer. But Dailey sure becomes interested and that's driving a wedge between him and his son.The animation comes in with Dailey who makes a living by being a comic strip artist. His is a family script based on the doings he and his son have in real life. About a quarter of the film is in animation.The animated sequences fit nicely into the story and Dailey and Haver are likable performers. Also featured are second leads Dennis Day and Cara Williams from Haver's musical comedy world and also note the performance of Clinton Sundberg as a snooty butler, a part he has down as good as Arthur Treacher.The Girl Next Door is nice family entertainment and I wish it were better known.

Candy-colored, candy-coated musical comedy from Fox with lots of effervescence and wiseacre pizazz. June Haver plays globe-trotting musical starlet who buys her first (rather beautiful) home in Scarsdale and, despite some reservations ("Frankenstein slept here!"), she moves right in and throws a party; the widower next door quickly becomes the main attraction in her life, but his young son isn't so happy about having to compete with this female interloper ("I'd rather have a buddy than a female fuddy-duddy anytime," his dad lies to him). Surprisingly funny, lively, studio-set suburban shenanigans has more songs than "Tommy", yet the choreography is rather intricate and the cast is full of joshing good cheer. Haver's new beau Dan Dailey soft-shoes through with a big goofy grin; Cara Williams is June's tippling best friend who pairs off (rather unconvincingly) with tenor Dennis Day, who sings to the rafters (literally); Billy Gray is Dailey's son, who has an excellent dramatic scene at the police station. Notable for two animated sequences (courtesy UPA), as well as a lovely fantasy number where Dailey is forced to choose between his son and his new sweetheart. Not quite in the same class as MGM's musical entries from this era, but a lot of jovial fun. **1/2 from ****

The Girl Next Door is a surprising and fascinating film, partly for what it delivers, and partly because of what it indicates the future could have been for its star. The film opened quickly, and disappeared just as quickly, in New York, because its start June Haver had already entered a convent (she, of course, didn't stay there long). Not expected to be box office, the film, though, has some extraordinary moments, and the most surprising element of all is the work of June Haver. Although her voice is dubbed, her dancing is a complete revelation. Her work with Dan Dailey is superlative and shows maturity that she had never shown before. Indeed, her torch song indicates a Haver never seen before...and never to reappear. The cartoon networking is fun, and the dish number between Dailey and Billy Gray is a joyous scene. Haver also displays a wide range of emotions that indicate she had matured as an actress and was no longer the perennial ingenue. Even her figure is more eye-watchable than in previous vehicles -- including The Dolly Sisters. The film sags badly whenever Dennis Day is at hand, and even more sadly because he sings the one number that had a brief bit of fame - If I Love You a Mountain. His voice allows no emotion, and his expressions are devoid of any acting. His vis-a-vis, Cara Williams, is totally wasted. It's nice, though, that the film has hit DVD, because its merits are commendable. Certainly, it is professional work - with the sad exception of the scenes with Dennis Day.

GIRL NEXT DOOR is not your typical Fox musical. It's well done for what it is, but a little strange in that it includes a couple of animated scenes. Also a "dream ballet" ala OKLAHOMA!. The songs are unmemerable and the nightclub number in which June Haver and later Dan Dailey take part is like...unreal. How could all that scenery and visuals take place on a nightclub stage. Oh, I forgot..This is a musical. More like a musical fantasy in many ways. The one standout number has no dancing. Dan Dailey and Billy Gray as father and son sing a ditty while doing the dishes. They juggle and handle the dishware and silverware very cleverly. Don't know how many takes it took to do it, but it's a highlight of the movie and that bit alone is worth watching the film. Watch for the underused and underrated Cara Williams. A delight. Dennis Day, less so! Too bad this was Havers last film, as she had talent, although why her voice was dubbed after doing many earlier musicals is a mystery.