This week’s mystery movie was the 1951 Twentieth Century-Fox picture Take Care of My Little Girl, with Jeanne Crain, Dale Robertson, Mitzi Gaynor, Jean Peters, Jeffrey Hunter, Betty Lynn, Helen Westcott, Lenka Peterson, Carol Brannon, Natalie Schafer, Beverly Dennis, Kathleen Hughes and Peggy O’Connor.
Screenplay by Julius J. and Philip G. Epstein. Based on the novel by Peggy Goodin.
Color by Technicolor. Technicolor color consultant Monroe W. Burbank.
Music by Alfred Newman. Photography by Harry Jackson.
Art direction by Lyle Wheeler and Joseph C. Wright. Set decorations by Thomas Little and Claude Carpenter. Edited by William Reynolds. Wardrobe by Charles LeMaire. Costumes by Travilla. Associate music director Ken Darby. Orchestration by Edward Powell. Makeup by Ben Nye. Photographic effects by Fred Sersen. Sound by George Leverett and Harry M. Leonard.
Produced by Julian Blaustein.
Directed by Jean Negulesco.
Take Care of My Little Girl is not commercially available. It aired on TCM once, in 2013.
Please note that I did not run Natalie Schafer. She’s with Mitchell Leisen, Van Johnson and Edward G. Robinson in Mystery Movie Jail for the rest of the year – if not longer.
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After last week’s The Tales of Hoffmann, I dug around in the trades for another movie from that era and found Take Care of My Little Girl. Viewed in 2021, it seems quaint. The actresses are mostly too old to play college students (Jeanne Crain and Jean Peters were in their mid-20s). And Dale Robertson was in his late 20s, though he played a World War II veteran attending college. The film was controversial in the days before Animal House, but it’s pretty campy now.
For example, on Monday I ran the picture of the Jean Peters and Jeanne Crain dancing (and yes, girls dancing with girls was considered permissible at the time, as I recall from dancing school when there weren’t enough boys to go around. And NO, boys did not dance with boys. At least not at Mr. Morgan’s Dancing School). But there’s also a great scene in which a girl asks Mitzi Gaynor if she wants to dance. Gaynor’s character replies: “I don’t dance with girls, it ruins your technique.” The response is: “Well, then, do you want to wrestle?” Remind me again how the 1950s were so innocent.
More about the history of Take Care of My Little Girl is available from the AFI catalog.
And let’s see which New York Times critic hated it. I’m betting on Bosley “I hate everything” Crowther….
Aha! Writing July 19, 1951.
What? Bosley Crowther LIKED Take Care of My Little Girl?
I may have to go take a nitroglycerin pill.
While the problem of sororities and fraternities may not be the most disturbing one that is causing the college people to scratch their heads these days, it has certainly provided a company at Twentieth Century-Fox with the stuff for a brightly entertaining and frankly provocative film. Take Care of My Little Girl, the item which came to the Roxy yesterday, is sure to amuse the modern youngsters and turn a lot of sororal faces red.
For Monday, we have a mystery woman. Also Back of the Head Woman, who will appear Friday.
Update: This is “mean girl” Jean Peters and Jeanne Crain as Back of the Head Woman.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman. There are a lot of mystery women in this mystery movie.
Update: This is future Barney Fife girlfriend Betty Lynn.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery women), David Inman (Monday’s Back of the Head Woman), Alexa (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman), Gary (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery women), Funky Phd (mystery movie and Monday’s Back of the head Woman), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery women), and Megan and Thom (Monday’s Back of the Head Woman).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mystery woman. She is unsure about such goings-on.
Update: This is Helen Westcott.
We also have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Gail Davis, future star of TV’s Annie Oakley.
We also have these mysterious parental units.
Update: This is John Litel and Marjorie Crossland.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (Tuesday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery woman), Earl Boebert (mystery movie, mystery actresses who are in other roles), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious gent.
Update: This is Jeffrey Hunter.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Floyd Thursby (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery father), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), David Inman (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery father), Ayre Direct (Wednesday’s mystery father), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mysterious father), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mysterious future TV star and mysterious parental units), Sheila (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mysterious father) and Tucson Barbara (Wednesday’s mysterious parental units).
For Friday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Dale Robertson with an ancient pay phone.
We also have this mystery woman (and Back of the Head Woman) …
Update: This is Beverly Dennis.
…This mystery woman…
Update: This is Mitzi Gaynor.
… And this mystery woman.
Update: This is Jeanne Crain.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery gent), Tucson Barbara (Thursday’s mystery gent), Michael Ryerson (mystery movie and mystery cast), B.J. Merholz (Monday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery gent), Beach Gal (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Richard Wegescheide (Wednesday’s mystery father), Sylvia Edwards (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mysterious future TV star, Wednesday’s mystery parental units and Thursday’s mystery gent), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery gent), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gent) and Suzanne Stone (mystery movie, Monday’s Back of the Head Woman, Wednesday’s mysterious father and Thursday’s mystery gent).
ladailymirror.com 
Jeanne Crain, Jean Peters in TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE GIRL (1951).
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Back-of-the-head woman just screams “Jeanne Crain” to me.
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Take care of my little girl
Jean peters
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Gale Storm?
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Jean Peters and Jeanne Crane in Take Care of My Little Girl.
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Is that Gale Storm on Monday? I don’t know the movie.
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Getta load of that waist!
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I think it’s “Take Care of My Little Girl” (1951) with Jeanne Crain as BOTH woman.
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Ir’s a Storm. And a Gale. She won her cute name in a contest. And kept it, as she did a perky style.
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“Take Care of My Little Girl” with Jean Peters and Jeanne Crain
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Our back of the head lady reminds me of Jeanne Crain.
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TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE GIRL. Jeanne Crain as BOTH girl dancing with Jean Peters, and Betty Lynn today.
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Betty Lynn
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Betty Lynn.
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1951’s “Take Care of My Little Girl?” Sure looks like Mitzi Gaynor on Monday and Jeanne Crain on Tuesday.
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Jeanne Crain, Jean Peters and Betty Lynn in TAKE CARE OF MY LITTLE GIRL.
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I should have gone with my ‘gut’ guess yesterday.
Any-hoo, the movie is “Take Care of My Little Girl” 1951
Monday – BOTHW is Jeanne Crain and facing camera is, I think, Jean Peters
Tuesday – Betty Lynn (before her days as Barney Fife’s girlfriend)
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Carol Brannon and Beverly Dennis, Gail Davis, JOhn Litel and Marjorie Crossland
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For Wednesday we have John Litel in “Take Care of My Little Girl.”
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Helen Westcott, Beverly Dennis; Gail Davis; John Litel, Marjorie Crossland.
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I’m embarrassed to say I know none of these other women, but I do know John Litel when I see him, making this “Take Care of My Little Girl.”
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On the Left Frame, John Lytel. He played bosses with authority. He even had Robert Cummings real estate boss in Cummings’ first television series, ‘My Hero’ as a realtor named Beanblosson.
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John Litel.
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Gail Davis, John Litel and Marjorie Crossland.
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Jean Peters on Monday, John Litel on Wednesday, ‘Take Good Care of My Little Girl’?
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John Litel and Marjorie Crossland
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Jeffrey Hunter today.
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Jeffrey Hunter
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Well, John Litel and Jeffrey Hunter make this Take Care of my Little Girl (1951). Jeanne Crain, Dale Robertson, Mitzi Gaynor (one of my favorite people), and Jean Peters. Seems very frothy.
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Check your spam filter.
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Well, John Litel and Jeffrey Hunter make this Take Care of my LittleGirl (1951). Jeanne Crain, Dale Robertson, Mitzi Gaynor (still one of my favorite people) and Jean Peters. Still seems very frothy.
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Uncle.
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I can’t believe that I missed Jean Peters, what, the year before Viva Zapata?
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Wed parents are Marjorie Crossland and John Litel.
Our film is Take Care of My Little Girl.
Monday BOTHG is Jeanne Craine
Thurs gent is Jeffrey Hunter
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Tues is Betty Lynn
Wed #1 is Helen Westcott
Might Mon #1 be Kathleen Hughes?
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Jeffrey Hunter.
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Wednesday is John Litel and I believe Olive Blakeney, which would make this one a Henry Aldrich picture. The last time I saw one of those, I still only had a black and white tv, so I’ll choose the last one, Henry Aldrich’s Little Secret.
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Oops. Mon #1 is Jean Peters
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Wed #2 is Gail Davis
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Helen Westcott don’t know who her friend is
Gail Davis (I think)
John Litel and Marjorie Crossland
Jeffrey Hunter
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Ah … Jeffrey Hunter. Must be “Take Care of My Little Girl.”
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Jeffrey Hunter.
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Jeffrey Hunter, John Litel in “Take Care of My LIttle Girl” with back of head Jeanne Crain.
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Dale Robertson, Jeanne Crain and Helen Westcott, Mitzi Gaynor, Jeanne Crain
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Fri #1 is Dale Robertson
Fri #2 is Beverly Dennis
Fri #3 is Mitzi Gaynor
Fri #4 is Jeanne Crain
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Dale Robertson, Mitzi Gaynor and Jeanne Crain.
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Dale Robertson; Beverly Dennis; Mitzi Gaynor; Jeanne Crain.
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