All of Jane Powell's Movies
Hello dears! Just me, crossing off one of my New Year's Resolutions. (Let's not talk about my success rate with the others so far, but let's just say Jessie's gonna have to put in some work to complete a few more...)
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Jane Powell stumbled onto my stage a few years ago, after having already seen her in the likes of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Royal Wedding, but it was Athena—which quickly became one of my favourite films when I first saw it around 2020—that really made me sit up and pay attention to her.
Suddenly I was searching for her on the TCM schedule and wanted to watch as many Jane Powell movies as I could. And earlier this year I was like, why don't I just commit to finishing her filmography this year? Dear reader, I'm so glad I did.
Jane Powell is such a great singer, an engaging actress, and her films are some of the lightest, funnest, mood-liftingest movies I've ever watched. This was a delight to have worked through, and so, without further ado, here are my thoughts on all of Jane Powell's movies!
Song of the Open Road (1944)
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Fun fact: this movie is where Jane Powell's stage name originated. This was her first film and MGM made her take the same name as her character. This is a pretty forgettable film but she's so dynamic, it's not a wonder she became a star.
Delightfully Dangerous (1945)
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I really hate it in old movies when teenagers meddle in the affairs of adults because they're naive and think they're doing the right thing but they don't know the full story. In this, Jane plays a young woman ashamed that her older, equally talented sister is singing in a burlesque, and she does everything in her power to ruin her sister's career.
It was really hard to sit through this and root for Jane's character, so it's a no from me.
Holiday In Mexico (1946)
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If I had to choose between this or Nancy Goes to Rio or Luxury Liner, I'm picking the latter ones.
Three Daring Daughters (1948)
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First off, I want to live in their house. Second off, these 'three daring daughters' have a lot of nerve trying to meddle in their mother's affairs (but she should have told them their father was a cad from the start).
I do adore this one.
A Date With Judy (1948)
This is very fun, and if you love Jane and Elizabeth Taylor, you're going to love the fun, cattiness of A Date with Judy. It's an early showcase for them both, and the plot is fun.
Luxury Liner (1948)
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I love this one. It might be in my top three, if I ranked. Maybe I'll do that at the very bottom. It's a fun musical with a fun plot, and the scene above, where they wind up singing 'Alouette, Gentille Alouette' in different stylings, lives in my head rent-free.
You can watch it here.
Nancy Goes To Rio (1950)
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With a Rio backdrop, zany songs and a fun storyline, how can you go wrong with Nancy Goes to Rio?
Two Weeks With Love (1950)
Royal Wedding (1951)
As someone who also has a fascination with the royals, the plot of this one is certainly something that I can get behind: Jane and Fred Astaire travel over to London against the backdrop of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's wedding.
This is fun and funny, and perhaps most notable today for its mind-bending dance routines that still impress!
Rich, Young and Pretty (1951)
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I LOVE THIS ONE. This is definitely top three in my Jane Powell movie ranking. It's got it all: great, catchy songs; a fun plot (Jane is a young woman from Texas who goes over to Paris and finds love and her long-lost mother); great costumes; and great cast.
Watch this and try not to get 'How'd Ya Like Your Eggs in the Morning' stuck in your head.
Small Town Girl (1953)
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This is fun, if immemorable to me. I constantly get it confused with Three Sailors and a Girl, for whatever reason.
Three Sailors and a Girl (1953)
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This is fun, if immemorable to me. I constantly get it confused with Small Town Girl, for whatever reason.
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (1954)
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You know, this is kinda fun. If you overlook the kidnapping aspect of the storyline and focus on the sheer talent on display when they're all singing and dancing. The barn dance scene lives in my head rent-free, and even just writing about it now is going to make me want to watch it on repeat on YouTube for like, twenty minutes.
Seriously! Jane, Howard Keel, Tommy Rall, Jacques d'Amboise, Russ Tamblyn, Julie Newar, Norma Doggett, Virginia Gibson...
Athena (1954)
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This movie is bananas. Like, the plot is bonkers. Jane's a wacky health nut and astrology girlie decades before it became de rigeur and she lives on a self-sustaining farm with her sisters, all of whom are named after goddesses and mythical women, and her grandfather is training men to compete in like, a Mr. Universe-style competition, and she's in love with this straight-laced guy who's too square for her, and also Vic Damone and Debbie Reynolds are there and they're singing and dancing... trust me. This is great.
You can read my ode to Athena here.
Deep In My Heart (1954)
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Okay, right off the bat: Jane's only in one musical scene in this biopic (around the 40-minute mark, if you want to get to her scene). I don't think I would have watched this one otherwise, I'm really not a fan of these biopics/showcase for all of MGM's musical talents. Just give us a 100-minute biopic and let's move on with our lives.
That being said, Jane and Vic Damone have a great song and a great scene together. You can watch it on YouTube here.
Hit the Deck (1955)
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This one kinda feels like a response to On the Town, in a way, and I have to (maybe controversially) admit that I like this one better. Not only does it have Jane, but it's also got Debbie Reynolds and Ann Miller, two of my favourite mid-century musical dames! I enjoy the hijinks in this film and the songs are very snappy. Would definitely recommend!
The Girl Most Likely (1958)
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If you watch this and you're like "This seems awfully familiar" it's because it's a musical remake of Tom, Dick and Harry from 1941, which starred Ginger Rogers. I do quite love this one, kinda like how High Society slaps despite The Philadelphia Story not needing a remake. Fun fact about this one: it was filmed and then shelved for two years while RKO languished. Also, the interiors are amazing.
The Female Animal (1958)
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Wow. If only Jane Powell had been allowed to do more dramatic movies throughout her career, because she's great as this wild, animalistic young woman trying to break out of her mother's (Hedy Lamarr) shadow. If only this had been her last film, because...
Enchanted Island (1958)
...Yeah. Quite a low to go out on.
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- Athena
- Rich, Young and Pretty
- Luxury Liner or The Girl Most Likely (I couldn't choose)
What are your favourite Jane Powell movies? Let me know in the comments!
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