| Wabash Avenue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Henry Koster |
| Written by | Charles Lederer Harry Tugend |
| Produced by | William Perlberg |
| Starring | Betty Grable Victor Mature |
| Cinematography | Arthur E. Arling |
| Edited by | Robert L. Simpson |
| Music by | Cyril J. Mockridge |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | May 24, 1950 |
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,050,000 (US rentals)[1] |
Wabash Avenue is a 1950 Technicolor American musical film directed by Henry Koster and starring Betty Grable. The film was a remake of Grable's earlier hit 1943 film Coney Island.
Plot
Ruby Summers (Betty Grable) is a burlesque queen in a successful dance hall in 1892 Chicago. The owner of the dance hall Mike (Phil Harris) has cheated his ex-partner Andy Clark (Victor Mature) out of a half interest in the business. Andy schemes to potentially ruin Mike and also hopes to make Ruby a classy entertainer, as well as his own girl.
Cast
- Betty Grable as Ruby Summers
- Victor Mature as Andy Clark
- Phil Harris as Mike Stanley
- Reginald Gardiner as English Eddie
- James Barton as Harrigan
- Barry Kelley as Bouncer
- Margaret Hamilton as Tillie Hutch
- Jacqueline Dalya as Cleo
- Robin Raymond as Jennie
- Hal K. Dawson as Healy
- Dorothy Neumann as Reformer
- Alexander Pope as Charlie Saxe
- Henry Kulky as Joe Barton
- Marie Bryant as Elsa
- Collette Lyons as Beulah
- George Beranger as Wax Museum Attendant
Background
Wabash Avenue, named from a major Chicago street, was reportedly conceived as a biopic of Chicago songwriter Gus Kahn. Negotiations dissolved but exhibitors had been promised that title so 20th Century Fox hastily substituted a rewrite of its 1943 Coney Island. The Kahn biopic was made at Warner Bros. in 1951 as I’ll See You in My Dreams, with Danny Thomas as Kahn.
Richard Widmark was announced for the male lead but eventually Victor Mature played the role.[2]
At the time of the release of Wabash Avenue, Betty Grable was at the peak of her career. Throughout the 1940s she was the box office queen, with most of her films being among the top ten highest grossing of each year and being 20th Century Fox's big money makers. Grable was yearning for some originality at this point in her career, but agreed to the idea of remaking her own 1943 film Coney Island with new songs and dances. Coney Island had been a huge success for Fox, and Wabash Avenue followed with great success as well as being among the highest grossing films of 1950. The public loved Grable and her next film My Blue Heaven was also among the highest grossing films of that year.
Filming started in May 1949. It was the first in a three picture contract Koster had with Fox.[3]
Wabash Avenue also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for the number Wilhelmina
References
- ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1950', Variety, January 3, 1951
- ^ M'CREA GETS LEAD IN METRO PICTURE: To Play Clergyman in 'Stars in My Crown,' Based on Novel -- Fitts Doing Scenario By THOMAS F. BRADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 22 Mar 1949: 31.
- ^ BRYAN FOY IN DEAL WITH WARNER BROS.: Will Join Studio as Producer After Completing Eagle-Lion Films -- Has 3-Year Pact By THOMAS F. BRADYSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 29 Mar 1949: 31.
External links
- Wabash Avenue at IMDb
- Wabash Avenue at AllMovie
- Wabash Avenue at the TCM Movie Database
- Wabash Avenue at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Wabash Ave film clip on YouTube