This week’s mystery movie was the 1951 MGM movie “Grounds for Marriage” with Van Johnson, Kathryn Grayson, Paula Raymond, Barry Sullivan, Lewis Stone, Reginald Owen, Richard Hageman and the Firehouse Five Plus Two.
Screenplay by Allen Rivkin and Laura Kerr. Story by Samuel Marx.
Musical direction by Johnny Green, background musical score by Bronislau Kaper.
Photography by John Alton, art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse. Edited by Fredrick Y. Smith. Excerpts from “La Boheme” and “Carmen” staged by Vladimir Rosing. Recording by Douglas Shearer.
Set decoration by Edwin B. Willis, associate Arthur Krams. Montage sequences by Peter Ballbusch. Women’s costumes by Helen Rose. Hairstyles by Sydney Guilaroff. Makeup by William J. Tuttle. Technical advisor, Harold O. Cooperman, M.D.
Produced by Samuel Marx. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard.
“Grounds for Marriage” was apparently never commercially released, but can be found on DVD on the gray market. It has aired 29 times on TCM in the last 20 years, most recently in 2019.
Yes, it’s another 1950s Van Johnson romantic comedy, this time with Kathryn Grayson. And it involves a doctor who’s a musician rather than an inspiring English professor who doesn’t want to be a cowboy (“Confidentially Connie.”) Did every 1950s comedy have a fantasy sequence? We’ve had a string of them now.
Anyway. “Grounds for Marriage” is notable mainly for Kathryn Grayson, a singer who loses her voice for a good portion of the picture. And there is a none too subtle message about how women’s personalities improve when they can’t talk. The setup is that she and Van Johnson are divorced but she wants to rekindle the flame while Van has moved on to the not terribly appealing Paula Raymond. There is a send-up of opera, which will work well on trivia night when you’re trying to think of another movie besides “Night at the Opera.”
And let’s see which New York Times critic hated it. My money is on Bosley Crowther.
Bingo!
Jan. 12, 1951:
A disturbance called “functional aphonia or temporary loss of voice, is allowed to afflict Kathryn Grayson through the better part of her time in MGM’s “Grounds for Marriage,” which came to the Capitol yesterday. And this means, of course that Miss Grayson is rendered unable to sing for a lengthy stretch in this picture, when her talent might be most well employed. In view of the fact that the writers have provided little else to fill the void, we can only assume that they, too, were suffering — from, perhaps, a temporary loss of mind.
He calls the Firehouse Five Plus Two “a poor man’s Spike Jones ensemble.”
For Monday, we have a mystery woman. She is puzzled by such goings-on. Also Back of the Head Woman, who will appear later in the week.
Update: This is Theresa Harris with Kathryn Grayson as Back of the Head Woman.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious gent.
Update: This is Richard Atckison.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery guest), David Inman (Monday’s mystery guest), Suzanne A. Stone (Monday’s mystery guest), Skretvedt (Monday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (Monday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (Monday’s mystery guest), Bob Hansen (Monday’s mystery guest), Benito (Monday’s mystery guest), Jenny M. (Monday’s mystery guest), Sylvia E. (Monday’s mystery guest), Robert Morrissey (Monday’s mystery guest), Blackwing Jenny (Monday’s mystery guest), Harried Costumer (Monday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery guest), Megan and Thom (Monday’s mystery guest) and Sheila (Monday’s mystery guest).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have some mysterious musicians.
Update: This is the Firehouse Five Plus Two (poor man’s Spike Jones, indeed), with Danny Alguire on trumpet, Ward Kimball on trombone and Harper Goff on Banjo.
Brain Trust roll call: Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery tenor), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious tenor), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and both mystery guests).
Note to Blackwing Jenny: Here you go!
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious chap in a bowtie.
Update: This is Barry Sullivan.
We also have this mysterious chap.
Update: This is Lewis Stone.
We also have a mystery woman in a fox fur.
Update: This is Paula Drew and, of course, Elizabeth Flournoy.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mysterious tenor, Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band and mysterious players), Skretvedt (Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band and nice information on the players), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band), Blackwing Jenny (members of the mysterious Dixieland band), Ed Casey (Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band), Gary (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band), Earl Boebert (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band and mysterious trombonist), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band), Sylvia E. (members of Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band), Chrisbo (Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band and mystery trombonist) and Suzanne A. Stone (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mysterious Dixieland band, mystery studio and mystery leads coming Friday.
For Friday, we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Paula Raymond.
We also have this mystery temptress (who was Back of the Head Woman on Monday).
Update: This is Kathryn Grayson as Carmen during the movie’s fantasy sequence.
And finally, our mysterious leading man (well, I couldn’t make it *too* easy). Was there some sort of law that every 1950s romantic comedy had to have a fantasy sequence? Because we have had a string of them lately.
Update: This is Van Johnson as Don Jose in the “Carmen” fantasy sequence.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery gents), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gents), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mysterious tenor, Wednesday’s mystery Dixieland band and Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery tenor and Thursday’s mystery guests), David Inman (Thursday’s mystery gents), Sheila (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gents), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery gents), Noir Allie (Thursday’s mystery doctor), Roget-L.A. (Thursday’s mysterious toymaker with the bowtie), Patrick (mystery movie, Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests and Thursday’s mystery gents), Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests and looking ahead to our mystery leads) and Benito (Thursday’s mystery gents).
ladailymirror.com 
Juanita Moore?
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Theresa Harris in THE VELVET TOUCH (1948).
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Theresa Harris today.
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The great Theresa Harris, as somebody’s maid–The Big Clock?
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I think it’s Theresa Harris, who often played maids, but as far as I know never did the usual stereotype that seemed to be expected of Black performers in the ’30s. (Clarence Muse likewise played characters with dignity that is surprising for mainstream Hollywood films of the era.)
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teresa Harris.
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THE VELVET TOUCH?
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Theresa Harris
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The great Theresa Harris is Monday’s mystery woman. I don’t know the movie though.
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I’m thinking Maidie Norman, but not on Monday, so I’ll keep thinking.
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Theresa Harris?
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Teresa Harris
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I think that’s Theresa Harris. No guess on BOTHW.
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That’s the very well known Theresa Harris. Looks like a later movie – sometime in the forties or early fifties?
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Maidie Norman is being driven mad by the strange goings on in the house where Baby Jane and her sister Blanche are going bat guano.
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(Don’t know if my prior answer got through. Asskismet has done something really odd. if it did make it through, please disregard this.)
Poor Elvira, as played with intelligence and compassion by Maidie Norman, is attempting to understand the madness of fading Hollywood in ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane’.
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Could it possibly be Jeni LeGon?
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Theresa Harris? From “The Velvet Touch”?
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Is it Theresa Harris?
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Theresa Harris.
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Our mystery guest is Theresa Harris. Not sure which movie yet.
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Theresa Harris?
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I’m going to be ‘wild and crazy’ and guess ” The Velvet Touch” 1948, because of Theresa Harris and the background resembling a dressing room.
It’s probably wrong but why not. It’s Monday.
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Just a guess here. How about “Good Sport” with Evelyn Preer and Kenneth MacKenna on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
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Interesting guess, but our mystery movie is somewhat later.
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Richard Atckison-in “Grounds For Marriage”. I can’t wait for the Firehouse 5 to show up!
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Miss Susie Slagle’s.
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Kent Taylor today and SMOOTH AS SILK?
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Richard Atkinson in GROUNDS FOR MARRIAGE.
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Herman Hack and MERTON OF THE MOVIES.
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I’m guessing “Grounds for Marriage” 1951
Theresa Harris with BOTHW Kathryn Grayson on Monday
Not sure who the Tuesday ‘operatic’ guy is, but I’m workin’ on it.
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I think Tuesday’s opera guy is Richard Atckison (still checking on that spelling) playing Rodalfo in La Boheme. There’s another opera guy in the cast, but I think he’s a conductor and he’d be a little older than this guy.
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Looks like Walter Abel
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A good guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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SANTA FE TRAIL, and the unseen woman on Monday is Olivia DeHavilland.
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Interesting guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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i don’t know what movie it could be, since nothing shows up with Teresa Harris and the Firehouse Five together, with three members today, Danny Alguire, Harper Goff, and Ward Kimball. They are in THE HIT PARADE OF 1951 but she isn’t listed. And imdb doesn’t put her with any of them in anything else.
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She’s in the Hit Parade of 1947, so I’m assuming the singer on Tuesday is in one of the Hit parade movies too.
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Michael St. Angel on Tuesday, who’s in the 1951 film.
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I think the Wednesday photo shows three members of the Firehouse Five Plus Two, a traditional jazz band drawn from the ranks of Disney animators and artists. Ward Kimball was the trombonist, Harper Goff the banjo player, and there were two or three clarinet players, among them Clark Mallery and Tom Sharpsteen.
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Adding to my earlier comment, Danny Alguire was a longtime cornetist with the Firehouse Five Plus Two and may well be the gentlemen at the left of the photo. So my guess is Danny Alguire, cornet; Ward Kimball, trombone; Harper Goff, banjo. This may be from “Hit Parade of 1951,” which seems to be the group’s only theatrical movie.
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Is that supposed to be John Carroll on Tuesday? And by the way, the link to the city directories in LAPL isn’t working any more. I can look at them on the LAPL site, but not through this site.
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The Monday lady is Theresa Harris and the Wednesday gentlemen belong to “The Firehouse Five.” The movie is “Grounds for Marriage.”
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Wednesday’s firemen are Danny Alguire, Ward Kimball and Harper Goff, three of the Firehouse Five plus Two.
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Wednesday is the fire house 5
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How about Theresa Harris and The Firehouse Five plus Two in Grounds for Marriage?
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Well, that’s the Firehouse Five Plus Two for Wednesday (or somebody stole Ward Kimball’s trombone). So my guess on the movie is “Grounds for Marriage.”
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Hit Parade of 1951.
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A popular guess, but alas….
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The Firehouse Five plus Two.
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Wednesday is the fire house 5 plus 2
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GROUNDS FOR MARRIAGE, Richard Atckison Tuesday.
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Wednesday – three members of the Firehouse Five Plus Two. Ward Kimball (trombone) is the most familiar to me. I think the others are Harper Goff (banjo) and Danny Arguire (cornet) but Jennie will know for sure.
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Tuesday: Frank Fenton in HIT PARADE OF 1947
Wednesday: Sons of the Pioneers
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The Hit Parade movies are a popular guess, but alas…
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These boys got me thinking again. My first thought was The Firehouse Five Minus Two.. But that was mingled up with The Firehouse Five Plus Two Minus four. But then I.. Oh heck. I’m just whistling Dixie.
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That sure looks like Ward Kimball fronting The Firehouse Five Plus 2
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The man is Richard Anderson and the musicians are from the “Firehouse Five Plus two” Band and the movie is “Grounds for Marriage” a propaganda piece from MGM in 1951, encouraging everyone to get married, staring Van Johnson and Katherine Grayson.
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Barry Sullivan, Lewis Stone, and Paula Raymond
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Our movie is Grounds for Marriage with Barry Sullivan and Lewis Stone as a couple of today’s guests.
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On Tuesday, Richard Atckison, then Firehouse Five Plus Two, Barry Sullivan, Lewis Stone, and, I think, Elizabeth Fluornoy, in “Grounds for Marriage”
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GROUNDS FOR MARRIAGE (1951)
Tuesday: Richard Atchison
Wednesday: Tom Ferrandini (center); Barry Sullivan; Lewis Stone: Paula Drew, Elizabeth Flournoy
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Barry Sullivan and Lewis Stone today, making this … um … let me get back to you.
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Barry Sullivan and Lewis Stone for Thursday, ‘Grounds for Marriage’.
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Barry Sullivan and Lewis Stone.
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Lewis Stone
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Is Thursday’s mysterious chap in a bowtie a young Barry Sullivan?
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Theresa Harris, Richard Atckison, Firehouse 5 + 2, Barry Sullivan, Lewis Stone in Grounds for Marriage from 1951.
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Thursday – image 1 Barry Sullivan / image 2 Lewis Stone.
The last photo brings us on screen right, the ‘always misidentified’ Elizabeth Flournoy (my gosh…how can we help this woman!) and I think the actress on screen left is Barbara Darrow (that’s only a guess – right age, looks like her.)
That leaves Van Johnson, Kathryn Grayson and Paula Raymond (who was constantly falling and hurting herself, or running into things with her car – according to what I’ve read about her.)
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A young Barry Sullivan and Lewis Stone
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Thursday must be Paula Drew and Elizabeth Flournoy, and Friday is Paula Raymond, Kathryn Grayson, and Van Johnson.
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Paula Raymond; Kathryn Grayson; Van Johnson.
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Friday are Kathrin Grayson and Van Johnson
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Paula Raymond, Kathryn Grayson and Van Johnson.
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I believe the diary gives away our movie as 1951’s “Grounds for Marriage”.
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Kathryn Grayson, Grounds for Marriage?
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Van Johnson and a dolled up Kathryn Grayson in GROUNDS FOR MARRIAGE 1951.
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“Grounds for Marriage”
Monday: Theresa Harris
Tuesday: Richard Atckison?
Wednesday: Firehouse Five Plus Two
Thursday: Barry Sullivan, Lewis Stone, Paula Drew?, and ?
Friday: Paula Raymond, Kathryn Grayson, Van Johnson
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