Small Town Girl

Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller, Billie Burke, Fay Wray, and Nat "King" Cole (as himself) star in this joyous musical comedy romance about a small town that suddenly becomes a hotbed when a judge's daughter falls for a wealthy bachelor. When playboy Rick Livingston (Granger) is arrested for speeding, Judge Kimbell (Robert Keith) sentences the arrogant young guy to 30 days in jail to teach him a lesson. Kimbell's daughter Cindy (Powell) decides to "reform" Rick by tricking him into marriage--and then the fun begins. The renowned Busby Berkeley staged the dance numbers, including two famous sequences: an instrumental version of "Take Me to Broadway," in which Bobby Van hops through town in what appears to be one continuous tracking shot, and "I've Gotta Hear That Beat," in which Ann Miller dances on a Broadway stage accompanied by an orchestra of disembodied musicians whose instruments are played by hands that emerge from the floor and wall. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song.