This week’s mystery movie was the 1946 Twentieth Century-Fox film “Three Little Girls in Blue,” with June Haver, George Montgomery, Vivian Blaine, Celeste Holm, Vera-Ellen and Frank Latimore.
Screenplay by Valentine Davies, adapted by Brown Holmes, Lynn Starling and Robert Ellis and Helen Logan from a play by Stephen Powys.
Lyrics by Mack Gordon, music by Josef Myrow. “This Is Always” music by Harry Warren.
Photographed in Technicolor. Photography by Ernest Palmer, Technicolor director Natalie Kalmus. Associate Richard Mueller.
Musical direction by Alfred Newman. Vocal arrangements by Charles Henderson. Orchestral arrangements by Maurice de Packh and Edward Powell.
Art direction by Lyle Wheeler and Joseph C. Wright. Set decorations by Thomas Little, associate Walter M. Scott. Edited by Barbara McLean. Dances staged by Seymour Felix. Ballets by Babe Pearce. Costumes by Bonnie Cashin. Makeup by Ben Nye. Photographic effects by Fred Sersen. Sound by E. Clayton Ward and Roger Heman.
Produced by Mack Gordon. Directed by Bruce Humberstone.
“Three Little Girls in Blue” is available on DVD from Amazon. It aired a year ago on TCM, introduced by Dave Karger and Michael Feinstein.
I selected “Three Little Girls in Blue” using the amazing database of all the films that have aired on TCM in the last 20 years. I looked for the highest-rated comedy musical that hadn’t aired in a while and here we are.
The film was originally cast with Cesar Romero and Victor Mature, and directed by John Brahm, but according to the New York Times, their scenes were scrapped and Brahm was replaced by Bruce Humberstone. Mature was replaced by George Montgomery and Romero by Frank Latimore.
Let’s see which New York Times critic hated it.
Well, I’m shocked. Bosley Crowther liked it. Or sort of liked it. (Sept. 26, 1946):
Another ray of sunshine in the musical picture line — this one all the more gratifying because it comes from Twentieth Century-Fox, which has heretofore favored such splurges as “Coney Island” and the like — is that studio’s innocent and playful “Three Little Girls in Blue,” which came yesterday to the Roxy as a pleasant and hopeful surprise. And, to add to its cheerful distinctions, it gives prominence to Vera-Ellen and Celeste Holm, two talented young ladies from Broadway, who have more charm than half a dozen Hollywood dolls. Not that there’s anything brilliant about “Three Little Girls in Blue” except possibly the glitter of its color, which is brilliant in the purely optic sense. Nor is it in any way unique as a popular musical film. It is, to be honest about it, just a sprightly and happy show.
For Monday, we have a mystery gentleman. His companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear later in the week.
Update: For “Aha” Thursday, here’s our less-mysterious companion. Scroll down for a better image of her.
Update: This is Clinton Rosemond and Celeste Holm.
For Tuesday, we have this dashing gent.
Update: This is William Forrest.
We also have these rustic fellows in a tuneful mood.
Update: The identities of our singing lads will have to wait for another day. I do not have time to track down all the minor, minor folks in the very large cast.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery gent), Bobby Rivers (Monday’s mystery gent) and Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery gent).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this somewhat mysterious fellow. And would you believe it? He does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Charles Halton.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Monday’s cropped-out for lack of mysteriousness woman and Tuesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery desk clerk) and Mary Mallory (Monday’s mystery fellow and Tuesday’s mysterious desk clerk).
Here’s a better image of Thursday’s mystery woman.
Update: This is Celeste Holm.
We also have this festive gent. And yes, all of these images are from the same movie. Really, they are.
Update: This is Charles Smith, who gets no screen credit despite having a sizeable role.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Tuesday’s Back of the Hat Women, mysterious singing farm boys and Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), Chrisbo (Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), Funky PhD (mystery movie, Tuesday’s dashing desk clerk and Wednesday’s flinty lawyer), David Inman (Wednesday’s flinty lawyer), Sheila (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), Blackwing Jenny (Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), Patrick (Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer), Thom and Megan (Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer) and Suzanne Stone (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer).
For Friday, we have three mystery women. One in green, one in a sort of light plum and one in blue.
Update: This is Vera-Ellen, June Haver and Vivian Blaine.
Here is mystery couple No. 1.
Update: This is Charles Smith and Vera-Ellen at the end of a very odd fantasy sequence set to “You Make Me Feel So Young.”
And here is mystery couple No. 2.
Update: This is Vivian Blaine and Frank Latimore.
Here’s mystery couple No. 3.
Update: This is June Haver and George Montgomery.
And here they are all together.
Update: This is, from left, Frank Latimore, George Montgomery and Charles Smith, back; Vivian Blaine, June Haver and Vera-Ellen, front.
Brain Trust roll call: Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery woman), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery woman), Sue Slutzky (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery desk clerk, Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer and Thursday’s mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery woman), Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery gent, Thursday’s mystery woman, mystery cast), David Inman (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Patrick (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Gary (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mysterious flinty lawyer and Thursday’s mystery guests), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery woman) and L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast).
ladailymirror.com 
Clinton Rosemond in BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST (1941), with Greer Garson.
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Napoeon Whiting, and is it GIANT?
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Great guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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Clinton Rosemond in MARYLAND 1940.
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Monday: Scarlet sleeved Celeste Holm in THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE (1946)
Tuesday: William Forrest
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William Forrest in THE STORY OF SEA BISCUIT.
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THE STORY OF SEABISCUIT. Clinton Rosemond MOnday and William Forrest today. Shirley Temple must be BOTH Monday.
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Is that Lon McCallister leaning on the pitchfork?
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THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE. June Haver as BOTH Monday, Leon Tyler, Hugh Maguire, Larry Olsen Tuesday, and Charles Halton today.
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Hm. Is that Charles Halton?
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Charles Halton.
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Movie: Three Little Girls in Blue. Wednesday’s mysterious fellow: Charles Halton. Tuesday’s dashing gent: William Forrest.
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Charles Halton today, which narrows it down to about eight million movies.
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Charles Halton for Wednesday, ‘Three Little Girls in Blue’?
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Charles Halton
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Charles Halton
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BOTH women tuesday: June Haver, Vivian Blaine, and Vera Ellen.
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Charles Halton in THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE. (finally got the right technicolor film)
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The inimitable Charles Halton today.
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Charles Halton on Wednesday; that’s all I’ve got.
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I think Wednesday’s guy is Charles Halton.
Maybe the movie is “Lillian Russell” 1940.
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Guessing Robert McWade today?
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An interesting guess, but alas….
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Charles Halton for today.
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Three Little Girls In Blue, with Charles Halton.
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Celeste Holm! “Three Little Girls in Blue”?
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Celeste Holm Monday and Thursday and Eddie Acuff.
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“Three Little Girls in Blue”
I don’t know Monday’s guest.
Tuesday – I think it’s William Forrest and I don’t know who the singing boys are.
Wednesday – Charles Halton
Thursday _ Celeste Holm and Charles Smith
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Three Little Girls in Blue
Celeste Holm
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Celeste Holm; Charles Smith.
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Celeste Holm in “Three Little Girls in Blue”
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“Three Little Girls in Blue” 1946. (thank you Celeste Holm) can now jump into the serious hunt.
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Celeste Holm today, so I think this is “Three Little Girls in Blue.”
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Celeste Holm and Charles Smith.
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Adding Celeste Holm and Charles Smith to the aforementioned Charles Halton gives us Three Little Girls in Blue from 1946.
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Halton, Holm, and Smith. Must be Three Little Girls in Blue. Come to think of it, I have never seen this film…but I have seen all of the other Fox musicals. Hmm. I wonder why I missed this.
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Our movie is Three Little Girls in Blue, and one of our guests today is Celeste Holm.
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Three Little Girls in Blue (1946) June Haver, Celeste Holm, George Montgomery, Vivian Blaine, Charles Halton, …
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Little Girls in Blue besides Ms. Holm: June Haver, Vivian Blaine, Vera-Ellen. This is a huge cast. George Montgomery, Frank Latimore, Thurston Hall, Eddie Acuff.
Thursday’s guy (he of the almost surreal dance number) is Charles Smith.
I’m hoping that you’ll have Ms. Ruby Dandridge.
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Finally got to Clinton Rosemond, our Monday guy.
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Charles Smith thursday, and then he and Vera Ellen, Frank Latimore and vivian Blaine, and June Haver and George Montgomery today.
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Vera-Ellen, June Haver, Vivian Blaine.
V.B. & Frank Latimore.
J.H. & George Montgomery.
V.-E. & Charles Smith.
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Vivian Blaine, Charles Smith, Vera Ellen, Frank Latimore, George Montgomery and June Haver.
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Vera Ellen and G Montgomery in THREE LITTLE GIRLS IN BLUE 1946
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