Here Ann starred with Howard Keel in the lavish musical Rose Marie (1954). From my book Ann Blyth: Actress. Singer. Star.:
Sgt.
Howard Keel catches her again. Have a look at the image of him holding
her, one-armed, from his horse, dangling her like a rag doll. An
indignant, frustrated rag doll. There is no remnant of the slick
sociopath Veda Pierce. Nothing resembling the haughty, conniving fashion
plate Regina Hubbard, the graceful elegance of the Countess Marina, and no sign
of the poised, demure high school graduate Gail Macaulay.
Few
of Ann Blyth’s contemporaries were as versatile. Catch the little groan,
equal parts despair and discomfort, when he hoists her into the saddle after
she capitulates.
Howard
Keel at first was not happy with the Mountie’s role in this film, finding him
too weak and ineffectual…perhaps as clownish as Dudley Do-Right…but his
requested changes to the script were made and he signed on, noting in his
autobiography, Only Make Believe, that it was a fun shoot.
I didn’t sing with Ann Blyth, but she was a delightful cutie
and sang beautifully.
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