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There's No Business Like Show Business
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There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) More at IMDbPro »

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There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) -- Trailer for this story about the people behind the footlights
There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) -- AllTrailers.net - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   1,448 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 96% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Phoebe Ephron (screenplay) and
Henry Ephron (screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for There's No Business Like Show Business on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 December 1954 (USA) more
Plot:
Molly and Terry Donahue, plus their three children, are The Five Donahues. Son Tim meets hat-check girl Vicky and the family act begins to fall apart. more | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 nomination more
User Comments:
There really IS no business like show business! more (35 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)
Ethel Merman ... Molly Donahue

Donald O'Connor ... Tim Donahue

Marilyn Monroe ... Vicky
Dan Dailey ... Terence Donahue
Johnnie Ray ... Steve Donahue
Mitzi Gaynor ... Katy Donahue
Richard Eastham ... Lew Harris
Hugh O'Brian ... Charles Biggs
Frank McHugh ... Eddie Dugan, Vicky's Agent

Rhys Williams ... Father Dineen
Lee Patrick ... Marge
Eve Miller ... Hat check girl
Robin Raymond ... Lillian Sawyer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Abbott ... Show Girl (uncredited)
Charlotte Austin ... Lorna (uncredited)

George Chakiris ... Dancer (uncredited)

John Doucette ... Stage manager (uncredited)
Elaine DuPont ... (uncredited)
Isabelle Dwan ... Sophie Tucker (uncredited)
Mimi Gibson ... Katy Donahue (age 4) (uncredited)
Donald Kerr ... Bobby Clark (uncredited)
Jimmie Maddin ... Bandleader (uncredited)
Matt Mattox ... Featured Dancer (uncredited)
Buzz Miller ... Dancer (uncredited)
Ron Nyman ... Sailor with Tattoos (uncredited)
Mary Stewart ... Fun House Witch (uncredited)
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Directed by
Walter Lang 
 
Writing credits
Phoebe Ephron (screenplay) and
Henry Ephron (screenplay)

Lamar Trotti (story)

Produced by
Sol C. Siegel .... producer
 
Original Music by
Earle Hagen (uncredited)
Bernard Mayers (uncredited)
Alfred Newman (uncredited)
Lionel Newman (uncredited)
Hal Schaefer (uncredited)
Herbert W. Spencer (uncredited)
 
Cinematography by
Leon Shamroy 
 
Film Editing by
Robert L. Simpson  (as Robert Simpson)
 
Art Direction by
John DeCuir  (as John De Cuir)
Lyle R. Wheeler  (as Lyle Wheeler)
 
Set Decoration by
Stuart A. Reiss  (as Stuart Reiss)
Walter M. Scott 
 
Costume Design by
Travilla 
Miles White 
 
Makeup Department
Ben Nye .... makeup artist
Helen Turpin .... hair stylist
Allan Snyder .... makeup artist: Miss Monroe (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ad Schaumer .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Murray Spivack .... sound
E. Clayton Ward .... sound
Donald C. Rogers .... playback operator (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg .... special photographic effects
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Clyde Taylor .... gaffer (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire .... wardrobe director
Sam Benson .... wardrobe (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Leonard Doss .... color consultant
 
Music Department
Robert Alton .... dances and musical numbers staged by
Irving Berlin .... lyricist
Ken Darby .... music arranger: vocals
Ken Darby .... vocal supervisor
Earle Hagen .... orchestrator
Bernard Mayers .... orchestrator
Alfred Newman .... conductor
Alfred Newman .... music supervisor
Lionel Newman .... conductor
Lionel Newman .... music supervisor
Edward B. Powell .... orchestrator (as Edward B.Powell)
Hal Schaefer .... music arranger: vocals
Herbert W. Spencer .... orchestrator (as Herbert Spencer)
 
Other crew
Darryl F. Zanuck .... presenter
Hal Bell .... assistant choreographer (uncredited)
Jack Cole .... choreographer (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Irving Berlin's There's No Business Like Show Business (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)
more
Runtime:
117 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (optical prints) | 4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (magnetic prints)
Certification:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Marilyn Monroe was promised the lead role in The Seven Year Itch (1955) if she appeared in this film to boost its box-office potential. The role of Vicky was written especially for this purpose, and songs such as "Heatwave", originally intended for Ethel Merman, were assigned to her. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Vicky rehearses the "Heat Wave" number with the band the afternoon of her nightclub opening, it's an entirely different musical arrangement and vocal tempo than she uses in her act later just several hours later. more
Quotes:
Molly Donahue: [speaking of their children] I want them to have an education... a real education. They have to learn arithmetic and spelling and geography.
Terence Donahue: You never went past the sixth grade... and it was probably the fourth grade, because you said it was the sixth.
Molly Donahue: My age is the only thing I lie about, and I don't add on, I take off.
Terence Donahue: All right, the sixth grade, but there's nothing wrong with your arithmetic. You can whistle 'Mandy', do an 'Off to Buffalo', and count the house at the same time, and tell me within five cents how much is out there.
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Heat Wave more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
8 out of 12 people found the following comment useful.
There really IS no business like show business!, 15 August 2005
8/10
Author: dodgerdiva from California

"There's No Business Like Show Business" was never intended to be great film-making or storytelling, so please do not watch it with those things in mind.

Sure, it was over-staged, over-produced, in some cases over-acted and any other "overs" you can think of, but it's just fun to relax and watch and listen to. I've seen the film maybe dozens of times (I own the DVD) and it's obvious to me that despite a few on screen gaffes and off-screen problems for at least a couple of the actors, Hollywood had a whale of a good time making it. Some of the characters are unrealistic and I'm sure if you could ask the actors, all would say it was by far not their best work.

Furthermore, if we didn't know it before, "Show Business" proved that Johnnie Ray, the part crooner, part rock belter of the era, couldn't act his way into or out of a paper bag. But so what?? This ain't Hamlet. Ray was cast to do here what he did best: sing the heck out of a couple of songs that were arranged precisely to suit his performing style. And he also just managed to pull off an unusual plot twist that I'm sure audiences of the era did not expect.

We're all asked to suspend temporarily all logic and reason when we turn on our TVs or go to the movies. Why stop with "There's No Business Like Show Business"? So grab the munchies, sit back and let Ethel Merman and Gang entertain you for a couple of harmless, gaudy hours.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for There's No Business Like Show Business (1954)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
plot hole miriamwebster
johnnie raye v marilyn monroe kathleencurley1
HEAT WAVE! denis-38
ordination music kathleencurley1
hiya kwifil
I was obsessed with this movie when I was a kid marybeth_cameron
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