Excuse My Dust (1951 film)

Excuse My Dust
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRoy Rowland
Edward Sedgwick (uncredited)
Written byGeorge Wells
Stephanie Nordli (uncredited)
Buster Keaton (uncredited)
Based onExcuse My Dust
1943 book
by Bellamy Partridge
Produced byJack Cummings
StarringRed Skelton
Sally Forrest
Macdonald Carey
William Demarest
Monica Lewis
Raymond Walburn
CinematographyAlfred Gilks
Edited byIrvine Warburton
Music byGeorge Stoll
Production
company
Distributed byLoew's, Inc.
Release date
  • June 27, 1951 (1951-06-27) (New York)[1]
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,789,000[2]
Box office$2,298,000[2]

Excuse My Dust is a 1951 musical comedy film starring Red Skelton and directed by Roy Rowland and an uncredited Edward Sedgwick. The film is based on the 1943 book of the same name by Bellamy Partridge.

Plot

In 1895, amateur inventor Joe Belden has created a sensation in his Indiana hometown over his new "horseless carriage". It runs on gasoline, but the townspeople aren't impressed and only Joe's mother and his sweetheart Liz Bullitt are supportive. Mechanical breakdowns cause Joe to become even more unpopular with some, including Liz's father, who prefers his daughter's other suitor, the educated and refined Cyrus Ransom, Jr.

A $5,000 first prize in a road race attracts many newfangled contraptions. Cy enters a race with a vehicle fueled by ether and cheats in order to drive Joe from the road. He succeeds, but Liz comes to the rescue and joins Joe the rest of the way.

Cast

Production

Van Johnson had been considered for the lead role before Red Skelton was cast. The role was an opportunity for Skelton to play straight comedy rather than the slapstick style that had been his trademark.[3]

Music

  • "I'd Like to Take You Out Dreaming": Performed by Macdonald Carey and male chorus
  • "Lorelei Brown": Performed by Monica Lewis and chorus, introduced by Herbert Anderson and Sally Forrest
  • "Goin' Steady": Sung by Macdonald Carey, Monica Lewis, Sally Forrest, Red Skelton and chorus
  • "Spring Has Sprung": Performed by Red Skelton and Sally Forrest (dubbed by Gloria Gray)
  • "Get a Horse": Performed by Macdonald Carey, William Demarest and chorus
  • "That's for Children": Performed by Monica Lewis, Red Skelton and chorus
  • "Lorelei Brown" (instrumental reprise): Danced by Sally Forrest and male chorus in French Apache style
  • "Spring Has Sprung" (reprise): Sung by Sally Forrest (dubbed by Gloria Gray)

Reception

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther wrote: "As regular as Sunday school picnics in the good old summertime, Metro delivers a musical full of ice cream and the wholesome out-of-doors. Often these summertime entries are bathed in a Golden Nineties haze which cheerfully enwraps a cornucopia of horses, buggies, bands and lemonade, not to mention mobs of youthful blades and beauties in white flannels and old-fashioned bathing suits. This year the entry also rings in Red Skelton and a fleet of antique cars of the gasoline-buggy era. 'Excuse My Dust' is its tag."[1]

According to MGM records, the film earned $1,645,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $653,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $501,000.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Crowther, Bosley (1951-06-28). "The Screen in Review". The New York Times. p. 21.
  2. ^ a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  3. ^ Schallert, Edwin (1950-07-24). "Skelton to Go Straight; Rains in Sea Thriller; U-I Buys Best Seller". Los Angeles Times. p. 7, Part II.
  • Excuse My Dust at IMDb
  • Excuse My Dust at AllMovie
  • Excuse My Dust at the TCM Movie Database
  • Excuse My Dust at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films


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