On Moonlight Bay

Loosely based on the "Penrod" tales by Booth Tarkington, "Bay" is a nostalgic, lovingly created look at small town Americana, a world that might not have existed quite as it is depicted but a place we'd like to believe really was.

Doris Day is a tomboy, more at home on the baseball field or fixing a car than in a dress. The arrival of the boy next door changes some of that, though not all. Her precocious brother Wesley is the devil incarnate. Mom and Dad spend a lot of time scratching their heads in bemused wonderment at their youngsters antics, and the family maid is erascible but likeable. It's all tied up with gorgeous technicolor photography and a lot of lovely music.

Some critics have carped that it's Warners version of "Meet Me in St. Louis" but "On Moonlight Bay" can stand on its own merits thanks to a great cast and some genuinely sweet and funny moments.

Doris is perfect as Marjorie, effectively balancing the tomboy and blossoming young lady elements of her character and singing in that gorgeous voice that is distinctly her own. Gordon MacRae is stalwart as the object of her affection and it's obvious that the two have a genuine feeling for one another. They remained good friends until his untimely passing. Their rendition of "Till We Meet Again" is outstanding.

It's easy to believe that the cast is really a family. Leon Ames and Rosemary DeCamp as the parents are warmly winning. In 1984 I had the pleasure of joining Miss DeCamp and her husband, a retired California Judge at an awards dinner and we talked about this film among others and she glowed as she discussed the on-set atmosphere and interactions of the cast.

Bill Gray (of "Father Knows best" fame) is delightful and funny as Wesley, and who could have played the family maid better than Mary Wickes. This was the 1st of 4 on-screen roles opposite Day who was a lifelong friend. In addition Wickes did a very funny guest shot on Day's CBS Television series in 1969.

"On Moonlight Bay" was such a huge success for Warners that two years later they reteamed most of the cast for an equally popular sequel, "By the Light of the Silvery Moon".

Take a sail on Moonlight Bay and you'll be surprised at how much you enjoy the trip.


On Moonlight Bay Is A #1   April 28, 2004
Chris (Leeds, Utah United States)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

Marjorie Winfield(Doris Day) and her family move to a new town so her father George Winfield (Leon Ames) can be living closer to the bank that he works at along with his wife Mrs. Winfield (Rosemary Camp), Wesley Winfield (Billy Gray). Their she meets and falls in love with William Sherman (Gordon MacRae) at first her parents are all for it until they find out that he doesn't support marriage and that he hates banks. Which Mr. Winfield is the president of the Town Bank! So they have a lot of fun with everything fun that they do! Their are a lso a lot of other fun songs that are being sung like Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee, And On Moonlight Bay. This is one Movie Musical that you are for sure to enjoy!


Innocent romantic classic!   April 3, 2003
Veronica L. Rivera (Glendale, CA United States)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Outspoken college boy, William Sherman (Gordon MacRae) falls for tomboy Marjorie Winfield (Doris Day) in this fun romantic musical set in a small Indiana town in the early 1900's. After accidentally shooting him and missing in the barn, Marjorie gives up baseball and embarks on a series of romantic adventures with the handsome William.
Their romance is sweet and innocent from beginning to end. They share their first date at the Moonlight Bay amusement park where they enjoy a canoe ride, dance a two-step, win a kewpie doll, and share their first kiss. They sing beautiful songs together and to each other like "Cuddle Up A Little Closer," "Till We Meet Again," and many more.
They also face opposition from Marjorie's father and a near elopement as they find themselves being separated by William's enlistment in the army during WWI.
The nostalgic atmosphere created by the period music, clothes, and sets is unforgettable from the houses to the streets to the old fashioned school house. If you want to get lost in an old-fashioned romance and bring to life the feeling of old town Americana, then this movie is it!!


Warm and Nostalgic   March 30, 2005
Bobby Underwood (Bakersfield, California United States)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

Traditional American values and warm nostalgia blend seamlessly in this WB film based on Booth Tarkington's Penrod stories. Starring a young Doris Day and Gordon MacRae and set in Indiana during WWI it is more a sweet story of love and family values scattered with songs than a traditional Hollywood musical. The sets of Indiana during the early 20th century are marvelous and a cast that includes Leon Ames, Jack Smith, Ellen Corby and Rosemary De Camp give Doris Day and Gordon MacRae all the fun and drama they need to fall in love.

Doris Day is the baseball playing tomboy, Margie, who meets William (MacRae) in the unlikliest manner when she takes a gun away from her mischievous little brother, Wesley, and almost shoots him in the process! Love blooms, of course, and soon she trades her cleats for high heels as she and William overcome her father's objections and the enlistment of William and his entire graduating class of Indiana U into the army.

Along the way we get snowball fights and the sweet angst of young and innocent love, not to mention some really nice songs. A few belly laughs are provided as Margie's little brother, Wesley, makes up a horrible story about his family based on a flicker he has seen to sidestep some homework that has the whole town talking!

Perhaps because this film so often gets compared to the perfect musical of American nostalgia, "Meet Me in St. Louis," it doesn't get the recognition it deserves. Doris Day shows that glowing magic that endeared her to audiences around the world and the film itself is a warm and wonderful reminder of America and its values. The end of this film will leave a warm feeling in your heart just as it did the public in 1949 and is a reminder of a more innocent time. A good film for the entire family.


sunny, funny musical fable   April 1, 2005
Byron Kolln
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

ON MOONLIGHT BAY is a charming period musical, perhaps Warner Brothers' answer to MGM's hugely-successful MEET ME IN ST LOUIS. It is based on Booth Tarkington's `Penrod' stories.

Marjorie Winfield (Doris Day) has just moved with her family to another part of town. She is a baseball-playing tomboy, but when she happens to run into handsome neighbour William Sherman (Gordon MacRae), her feminine instincts kick in and she trades her baseball and trousers for chiffon and perfume.

The rest of Marjorie's family includes her parents (Leon Ames and Rosemary DeCamp), precocious little brother Wesley (Billy Gray) and deadpan housekeeper Stella (Mary Wickes). It is a sunny, funny portrayal of a more innocent era, and thus charming viewing.

The entire movie is a complete joy. Doris Day and Gordon MacRae are perfect for the leads (they were also beautifully paired in Warners' TEA FOR TWO), and the film was such a success that a sequel was made reuniting all the main cast members - BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON.