Tea for Two

Director: David Butler

Overview

Tea for Two is a Technicolor adaptation of the 1924 Broadway musical No No Nanette, previously filmed under its own title in 1929. Doris Day stars as Nanette, a Roaring '20s Jazz Baby with showbiz aspirations. Nanette offers to put up $25,000 if producer Billy DeWolfe will star her in a Broadway show. The girl's wealthy, and stingy uncle S.Z. Sakall agrees to advance her the money, but only on one condition; for the next 24 hours, Nanette must answer "No" to every question. Gordon MacRae co-stars as Nanette's attorney, who worships her from afar and who finally manages to win her hand with a little wager of his own. The songs, culled from several sources and written by hands ranging from Irving Caesar to George Gershwin, include "Crazy Rhythm," "Do Do Do," "I Want to Be Happy," "I Only Have Eyes for You" and the title number. In 1970, the original No No Nanette was successfully revived for Broadway, with veterans Ruby Keeler and Patsy Kelly in the cast.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/11/2017
UPC:	0888574513481
Original Release:	1950
Rating:	NR
Language:	English
Time:	1:38:00
Sales rank:	35,650

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Doris Day	Nanette Carter
Gordon MacRae	Jimmy Smith
Gene Nelson	Tommy Trainor
Billy De Wolfe	Larry Blair
Patrice Wymore	Beatrice Darcy
Eve Arden	Pauline Hastings
S.Z. Sakall	J. Maxwell Bloomhaus
Bill Goodwin	William Early
Virginia Gibson	Mabel Wiley
Crauford Kent	Stevens
Elinor Donahue	Lynne
John McGovern	Richard
Harry Harvey	Crotchety Man
George Baxter	Backer
Herschel Daugherty	Theater Manager
Abe Dinovitch	Taxi Driver
Elizabeth Flournoy	Secretary
Robert 'Buddy' Shaw	Piano Mover
John Hedloe	Chorus Boy
Jack Daley	Truck Driver
Art Gilmore	Radio Announcer,Radio Announcer
Ray Heindorf	Composer

Technical Credits

Harry Clork

William Jacobs

Harry Clark

Harry Clork	Screenwriter
William Jacobs	Producer,Screenwriter
Harry Clark	Screenwriter
Dolph Thomas	Sound/Sound Designer
David Forrest	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Aside from some of the songs and names of characters, Tea for Two has essentially nothing in common with No, No, Nanette, the stage musical from which it was drawn. So inconsequential that it could be blown away by a slight wind, Tea is nonetheless quite enjoyable. Viewers are advised to forget about the script -- it's silly and contrived and, were it not interrupted regularly for musical numbers, would be actively annoying. Fortunately, Tea has an attractive cast and a good score, both of which make it a pleasant experience. Doris Day is at her chipper best, sailing through the nonsensical plot and delivering the goods in the songs. She's paired (for the first of five times) with Gordon MacRae (and more importantly, with his golden baritone). They are a perfect vocal match in "I Know That You Know," "Do, Do, Do," and the title song, and MacRae does a very nice solo "I Only Have Eyes for You." The supporting cast offers great help, especially dependable Eve Arden, Gene Nelson and Billy DeWolfe. (Nelson is especially good in his "Crazy Rhythm" dance solo and dancing on the banister in "Oh Me, Oh My!") David Butler directs effortlessly and with efficiency, and while the flaws in the script inevitably cause the affair to drag somewhat, overall Tea goes down smoothly.