recommended

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

How often do you get two topnotch tap dancers of opposite sex in the same film. Yes, Fred and Eleanor, and Fred and Rita. Here, we have two very under-appreciated dancers and all around actors in Ann Miller and Bobby Van. And what luck, Busby Berkeley is the choreographer! But, this is not to say that the pure singing and screenplay is without interest, as well. Brodszky and Leo Robin composed some decent upbeat songs for particular situations or messages or for the dances. Too many reviewers just highlight Van's cartoonish extended bunny hop around the town, with an uncredited musical background. Yes, this is quite a unique and interesting scene. Certainly, more interesting than Kelly's much ballyhooed "Singing in the Rain" number. But, in truth, it doesn't showcase Van's versatile dancing talent. Presumably, most any slim young man in good shape could easily learn to do this scene. Several reviewers mistakenly claim this is his "Take Me to Broadway Number". It isn't! This was a prior romp through his father's department store, in which he is demonstrating his dancing talent, dressed as Fred Astaire, hoping to become a Broadway star. This act is also quite impressive, and impressively staged, if shorter than the bunny hop scene. Although dressed as Astaire, this is more a Gene Kelly or Don O'Connor-type performance, with lots of bounding around on furniture and banisters. In contrast to Kelly's "Singing in the Rain", in which he is celebrating a new -found love, Van, in his bunny hop number, is celebrating the rejection of his marriage proposal to Jane's character, which his father pressured him into doing. Now , he is free to go to NYC from little Duck Creek, and pursue his ambition, without conflict from Jane, who wants to stay in Duck Creek. Van also had a third bouncy dance number, with Jane and a female chorus, in a park setting. In the song, they say they feel fine, optimistic, as small towners. This isn't bad either!. Hollywood sure missed the boat when it failed to groom Van as a big musical star. He will likely remind you of a mix of Don O'Conner and Ray Bolger in looks and dancing style.Ann Miller plays her typical role as the sensuous 'other woman', sole dancer talent. Ann has 2 dance productions. The unique "I've Got to Hear that Beat", with musicians(supposedly) under the floor or behind the wall, and only hands and instruments showing above. Ann dances up a storm between and around the instruments. Lots of above shots, with Ann often in a spotlight, and an oversized shadow of a drummer often in the background. Later, in a more conventionally staged number, she dances to "My Gaucho", as a flamingo dancer, with a bevy of gaucho dancers. Shorter, and no overhead shots, but not bad either!Earlier, while visiting snobbish big city Rick(Stuart Granger), in jail for arrogantly speeding through Duck Creek at 85 mph, Jane sings "Small Towns are Smile Towns", extolling an idyllic picture of slow-paced, friendly, small town life, in contrast to the supposed superficial bustle of big city life. Later, she sings "The Fellow I'd Follow", in Rick's opulent family mansion. This functions to suggest her incongruous warming up to Rick. Very formulistic! Meanwhile, Rick, who is engaged to Ann's character, is quickly warming up to Jane, setting the stage for a switcheroo. He's also OK to move to Duck Creek, having been won over by the character of the people there during his short stay. During his jail stay, Granger supposedly goes on a hunger strike, but is secretly supplies with goodies through his window by various hopeful female admirers, later including Jane. The take home message is that some people are happiest in big cities, while others only feel comfortable in small towns. Where you grew up is not necessarily where you feel most comfortable as an adult. However, the bias is still clearly toward small towns. In addition to top musical talent, some wonderful character actors are included. Will Rogers-like Chill Wills serves as the town sheriff, while the inimical fuss body "Cuddles" Sakal serves as Van's department store-owning father, who wants Van to stay in Duck Creek. Billie Burke, who played the 'good witch' in "The Wizard of Oz", and was Florenz Ziegfeld's widow, is Rick's charming mother, who is won over by Jane's beauty, charming personality and singing. Robert Keith serves as Jane's father and the judge in Duck Creek: a town so informal that he sentences Rick to jail time while in his home, after a policemen brought Rick to his home. The film makes the point that church is important in promoting the sociability and morality of small town people, presumably more so than in big cities. We have a church scene near the beginning and in the finale, with Jane a lead singer in the choir. Seems everyone in this town goes to the same church!Jane's MGM films from the late '40s and '50s nearly always included at least one other 'name' musical talent. Those that included some unusual dancing are generally the most popular in recent times. Ann Miller would return to do several specialty dances in Jane's last MGM musical "Hit the Deck", but without BB to direct them.

As a musical comedy, "Small Town Girl" is not on par with MGM's top films in this genre. However, it is a basically pleasant movie, colorfully made and professionally performed. Jane Powell, the beautiful leading lady, lacks in decent material, relegated to unmemorable songs and a characterization that is pretty bland when comparred to supporting characters played by Bobby Van and Ann Miller. The small town innocence is there, although a production number with Van and Powell at a box social seems totally out of place. When Van breaks into a musical number in Papa S.Z. Sakall's store, pure joy erupts, and when he starts his delightful hopping number, the silliness doesn't matter. His elation becomes the audience's.] As for the story, I couldn't find myself believing wealthy New Yorker Farley Granger falling in love with Duck Falls resident Powell and planning to move there. I liked the fact, however, that his mama (Billie Burke) supported Judge Robert Keith's decision to arrest Granger and hold him for 30 days for speeding through town and contempt of court. However, that as a ruse in the screenplay to get Granger and Powell together in a romantic way just didn't ring true. Powell is charming and Granger is very handsome, but they shared no chemistry. As for Annie Miller, she gets some witty lines and a magnificent musical number (the lavish "I Gotta Hear That Beat!") staged by Busby Berkley that features huge drums and other instruments coming out of the stage with only the musician's hands appearing to play them. Pure genius on Berkley's part, and an equal visual treat as original as the "Our Love Affair" number in "Strike Up the Band!" where cakes and a fruit bowl become an entire orchestra.

What shines in this movie are a few musical numbers, especially Bobby Van's delightful "Hippity Hop" dance. Even with cuts, the ability to hop in time for as long as he does is impressive, and as in his work in "The Affairs of Dobie Gillis" (where he and Debbie Reynolds perform a simple but sublime version of "All I do is Dream of You"), Van looks like he's having a wonderful time! Ann Miller and Nat King Cole are also great,but the songs Eleanor Powell is forced to sing are second-rate, and her operatic voice is impressive but seems out of place to me in a Hollywood musical. I'm not sure where Farley Granger is best cast. I thought his work was good in "Strangers on a Train", but he seems pretty one-dimensional and doesn't offer much here. In summary, "Small Town Girl" is worth seeing for the song and dances, but I can't recommend watching the whole film.

Van's "hippity hop" dance number was done on the MGM back lot, not a sound stage. The movie version has at least 3 cuts, so it wasn't filmed in one long take. Busby Berkeley choreographed the number, with 8,523 hops, on both feet for 3 minutes, TRT. (It's not the same as "Take Me to Broadway" which is danced inside his father's store.In recent years, the "Jumping Song" performed by Bobby Van has been referenced in commercials and music videos, including one for Goldfrapps song "Happiness", in which a happy man jumps through the streets, shaking hands with people and playing with garbage can lids.Rick Belrow Livingston (Farley Granger), in love with self-obsessed Broadway star Lisa, (Ann Miller), is sentenced to 30 days in jail for speeding through a small town. Quite by accident, he meets the daughter of the judge, Cindy Kimbell (Jane Powell). He persuades her to let him out for one night, so that he can visit Lisa on the premise he is seeing his "poor sick mother" (Billie Burke) on her birthday. After tracking him down and bringing him back to town, Cindy starts to fall for Livingston, but Dr. Schemmer (S.Z. Sakall) wants her to marry his son (Bobby Van) even though he desperately wants a career on Broadway.