#1950s #AllPosts
For a film cameo from Esther Williams look thisaway…
A star lookalike, Stretch Barnes is asked to stand in for Smoky Callaway, a cowboy TV star.
Callaway Went Thataway Original Trailer, Вайнах Лига AND PHOTOS © mgm
Before he joined the Dallas (1978-91) cast as Clayton Farlow, all I knew about singing and acting star Howard Keel’s (much) earlier work in film was his turns in musicals. There he’d sing and dance with the likes of Doris Day in Calamity Jane (1953). After reading about this film, where he has a double role, I thought I’d give it a whirl. He (sadly) only sings a couple of times in this film and kind of shuffles on the dance floor with co-star Dorothy McGuire. But I figured two Howard Keels are better than one unless the double is your stepfather (and father of your on-off wife’s one time lover) Clayton’s long lost twin brother and you are JR Ewing.
So I watched Callaway Went Thataway (1951) or as it is alternatively known, The Star Said No. Here Keel stars with Fred McMurray (who I last watched playing a total cad in Billy Wilder’s The Apartment (1960)) and McGuire (who was Troy Donahue’s on-screen mother who rekindled a love affair in A Summer Place (1959), while her son copped off with her lover’s daughter). Callaway Went Thataway has a number of uncredited cameos but being the meanie that I am, I’m only going to mention a few in this review… and more can be found watching this film.
The black and white film starts with a scene in a Western, where Smoky Callaway (Keel) is the leading man. In this character he saves a damsel in distress, then – as the writers make the most of having Keel in the role – he sings to her while riding a piebald horse. It then appears this all-American, inspiring actor is a kiddy favourite and that he gets shed lots of mail from his young fans.
The trouble is, the show is a repeat and the actor has disappeared since it aired ten years ago. Two publicists Debbie Patterson (McGuire) and Mike Frye (MacMurray) are asked to find Callaway for a new Hollywood contract and for him to meet with the Hollywood board. They try and then fail to find him, so they send Callaway’s agent Georgie (Jesse White) to find him as he knows all his old haunts. Georgie tells them, that the last time he saw Callaway was many years ago, and he was then a forgotten actor and had a drinking problem.
The publicists then find a letter from Stretch Barnes (Keel), who sends his photo and complains about his problem.. he looks like the double of this actor. The publicists then go out to meet him, and although he’s the spitting image of Callaway, he couldn’t be more different. He can’t ride a horse, and he’s a gentle soul. The publicists then convince him that Callaway is dead and that they need him to stand in for this actor, as the news of Callaway’s death would devastate his fan base as he is an inspiration to kids everywhere.
Stretch signs the contract and then he’s taken to Hollywood. On the way, he is given all of Smoky’s biographical details. In the Hollywood hotel lobby, two wee kids ask for his autograph. They then ask Esther to come and meet him, as she knows Callaway. Cue Esther Williams’ cameo as herself, needless to say, the country boy, Stretch doesn’t know who she is.
This then means that he needs a crash course in who’s who in Hollywood, Cue a fun montage doing just that before the three meet with Lorrison, the head of the board (Fay Roope) and his wife (Natalie Shafer). As they show him photos of a shedload of Hollywood big names, the only actor Stretch recognises – from this succession of photos – is Van Johnson. After they go to the club to meet the Lorrisons, the trio meets Elizabeth Taylor and Clark Gable – both playing themselves – and is curt with a forlorn looking Elizabeth Taylor and gets Gable’s first name wrong.
Stretch manages to convince Lorrison and in time the film crews and Americans that he’s Callaway. This is after he goes on tour to various American towns with Debbie. This tour leads to a proclamation of love… However, back in Hollywood, Frye’s got into double trouble as the real Callaway has returned, after being found by Georgie. Callaway was drunk and propping up a bar in Mexico chatting up a girl… and how these events come to be and what happens next are found in the usual ways.
I really adored this film, and I did love that it came with a few fun twists to the doppelganger plot. As the doppelganger, there were some nice original touches to this part of the storyline. It appeared Stretch had an inch bigger shoulders than his celebrity lookalike and his clothes had to be altered for this small difference. Also, as Stretch signed an autograph for some young fans, he asked Debbie how many Ls were in Callaway.
It was fun seeing the contrasting Howard Keel characters when the real Callaway turned up later in the movie. This inevitably caused complications of all sorts. Keel was credible in both roles and convinced me as the gentle soft-spoken and sincere, Stretch Barnes and as his doppelganger, the loud, obnoxious and womanising Smoky Callaway. It’s just a shame they didn’t add more comic or drunken moments to his Dallas character, as he plays a fine drunk and a fun comic actor.
As Callaway, I loved the initial introduction to this character at the start of the film. At first, you believe you are first watching a Western film. Then a musical Western as Keel bursts into song and then it’s all revealed as a TV Show. Keel played Callaway fantastically and I loved the lengths this character went to to get an alcoholic drink, in scenes when the real Callaway has to dry out at a Health farm.
As Stretch, Keel had a lovely burgeoning romantic chemistry with McGuire. But I’m not telling you the identity of the guy who got this gal at the end of the movie. Keel played this character quite innocent and sweetly, and his shyness reminded me of Rex Stetson (aka Brad Allen (both Rock Hudson), in another Doris Day film, Pillow Talk (1959). The scenes with both Callaway and Stretch were beautifully choreographed and more believable that there were two Keels in the same scene than in some later films with actors in dual roles.
I loved the apt and innovative use of montages, which have inspired more than a few doppelganger plots. It was lovely watching a split screen once again, this time in a more appropriate way than the split screen overkill in Airport (1970). MacMurray seemed convincing as Fry was the more money-minded of the two publicists. So I was quite happy as to how the film ended in relation to his character. McGuire in contrast, had a lovely fun montage with Stretch as he explored San Francisco as he goes on tour in his Callaway character. She had lovely on-screen chemistry with Keel in his Stretch role.
I was a bit sad that Esther Williams only had a small scene with Keel, her co-star in Pagan Love Song (1950) and Texas Carnival (1951) and later in Jupiter’s Darling (1955). If you are keen to see her part alone it’s at about 28 minutes into this short and sweet 1 hour and 13 minutes story. I felt with this short running time, could they not have added more to her – and others’ cameos?
Esther Williams could have been used throughout this film and the comic possibilities for her role are endless. As the kids say she knows Callaway, could we not have had her pursuing this man she thinks is Callyway, as for example he is the ex-fiance that jilted her at the altar?
This could be in a crazy way like Carrie Fisher’s character known as Mystery Woman in The Blues Brothers (1980). She appears at times throughout the film and tries unsuccessfully to kill Callaway for leaving her. Or she could query why he wears his trousers to the wrong side now (as the doppelganger was discovered in Dave (1993)).. or that he signs his autograph with a different hand… ??
Or Williams could fall madly in love with MacMurray’s character and then discover the secret about Callaway. This could be the stuff of romcoms, and also satirised – like the original film – with a boy meets girl, girl meets boy, girl breaks up with a boy for reason (ie she finds out about the ruse).. then they make up at end of the movie (as find out the ruse was engineered it to make kids happy)…
That forlorn look from Elizabeth Taylor could have been used in a storyline and created her a role as another spurned fiance of Callaway’s. As for Clark Gable, he could feel affronted his friend doesn’t frankly, give a damn about him anymore. If these three cameos had had more screen time, they would have added many more comic moments to their delightful additions to this film.
As a Dallas fan who loves doppelganger storylines, this previously undiscovered film was like all my Christmases had come at once. But it’s also a film to watch to spot those golden, Golden Hollywood cameos. So remember to keep your eyes peeled for Esther Williams – and more – who make a splash as they dive in with both feet into the film…
Weeper Rating: 😦 😦 😦 😦 😦 /10
Handsqueeze Rating: 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂 /10
Hulk Rating: /10
100 years of Esther Williams Blogathon 2021, No 22
This review was added to Love Letters to Old Hollywood’s 100 Years of Esther Williams Blogathon. Fay Roope stars in The Twilight Zone and Jesse White in The Love Boat., Fred MacMurray stars in The Swarm and The Apartment. Dorothy McGuire stars in A Summer Place, Glitter, Hotel, The Love Boat and Fantasy Island. Howard Keel starred in Hart to Hart, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat and of course Dallas.
This sounds like a lot of fun, perfect for a wet Saturday afternoon like today!
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If you do watch it, is it just me or does Keel remind you of Chris Hemsworth???
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This film wasn’t on my radar, but it sounds like something I would enjoy. I love when stars make cameo appearances and the plot sounds very entertaining. Thanks for the fun read!
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Thanks, it was a great fun movie and Keel is a fabulous comic. I do love cameos and this film has some great ones.
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This is another one I’ll have to look for–it sounds like a fun one, even if Esther is underutilized. Maybe she didn’t feel equal to taking a bigger part, who knows?
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I watched this a few years ago and found it to be surprisingly delightful. The cameos are fun and I loved the cast. Dorothy McGuire in particular is unfairly forgotten these days, but she’s wonderful here.
Thanks for participating in my celebration of Esther!
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The cameos are sweet and I did love McGuire’s chemistry with Keel. Thanks for having me wouldn’t have discovered this one otherwise.
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That is an impressive selection of cameos; Keel’s character in Dallas was the same one Jim Davis played, right? It’s a bit misty in my head…
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Jim Davis played Jock Ewing, the Ewing patriarch. Keel was Clayton Farlow, the father of Dusty Farlow. Sue Ellen Ewing – JR’s on off wife had a fling with Dusty, a cowboy and rodeo show. JR’s mother eventually married Clayton.. still with me?… a fuller explanation can be found if you check out my remembrance post on Jared Martin who played Dusty. (I am a bit of a fan of this series as you can tell from most of my posts as I usually end up with a mention of the series!)
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It’s all coming back to me now! Cool that they could pull in stars like Keel and Donna Reed to link back to the classic films of the past…
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It was, although to be honest back then I didn’t know their work from before the show that well. Reviewed and watched quite a few of them now in earlier and later performances. I think George Kennedy was probably one of the few I actually remember watching before in those Airport films.
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I’m planning a thesis on the career path of Joe Patroni. One day he’s managing the runway, next day piloting Concorde! What a pro!
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That sounds a brilliant subject – I would love to read it when you’ve written it. I do love a good disaster film, and the Airport ones are fantastic!
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79 is my favourite. Robert Wagner shooting down commercial planes with drones! Kennedy diverting them by shooting a flare gun out an open window while flying at supersonic speed! Physics!
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I prefer 77 myself, Lee Grant and the Bermuda triangle. And that love triangle with her lover, Gil Gerard aka Buck Rogers and her husband Christopher Lee who just happens to be a diver!!!
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And floats past the window. James Stewart on an aircraft carrier. Jack Lemmon saying ‘goddammit!’! Happy days…
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Reviewed quite a lot of these too, still have to do the Wagner one. Have you seen Chuck Heston and James Brolin in Skyjacked? Well worth a look…
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Yes, that one was a warm up for 75 and Karen Black in the cockpit. All the glamour of air travel…
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He was good in Earthquake too (and The Colbys).
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Whoo! Another “new” film I haven’t seen. I love the idea of all the cameos and, of course, movies about making movies are always extra special, wouldn’t you say?
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Definitely. I do like a cameo in a movie and these are some great ones.
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For some reason, this movie was always on TV late at night (remember the Late Late Show?). It was the first time I had seen Keel in a movie. What a surprise! I only knew him as Miss Ellie’s beau. LOL! Anyhow, I want to watch it again. I remember enjoying the cameos and thinking Keel was charming.
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He definitely was a fun in this double role. I really think they should do a biopic with Chris Hemsworth. He would be perfect.
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I didn’t notice it before, but you are right, Hemsworth does look like Keel. But good luck finding someone with Keel’s gorgeously baritone singing voice.
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They would have to use Keel’s own voice for those singing bits.
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