Those Redheads from Seattle (1953) User Reviews

"Tessie" brings confused musical to life

[gpachovsky · 7/10 · 24 December 2012]

With its catchy title, an exotic location, some peppy tunes, and a good cast, THOSE REDHEADS FROM SEATTLE could have been a passably good musical had screenwriters Lewis R. Foster (who also directed it) and Daniel Mainwaring paid more attention to the plot instead of letting the intended 3-D effects carry the burden. As it is, we have an uninspired programmer masquerading as a musical whose only real merit is the introduction of then-current radio chart-busters Teresa Brewer and Guy Mitchell to the movie going public.

All proceedings are undermined by a confused plot which takes place during the late 1800s in a Klondike where the journey from Skagway to Dawson is as easy as a Sunday afternoon constitutional with no White Horse Pass to pose any peril, where the weather is so balmy that the characters need not wear ear muffs or mitts for protection from frostbite or even see their own breath, and where snowstorms are non-existent. There is not even a hint of a single gold strike nor of fortunes won and lost overnight.

The movie just can't make up its mind whether its plot is one of revenge for the murder of the eponymous redheads' father or to showcase the young women's determination to adapt to the "harsh" life in the remote northern reaches of Canada on their own. The requisite villain, a one-dimensional cipher, appears only twice: the first time at the beginning to kill the father and the second time at the end to be dispatched by the hero (Gene Barry) so that the latter can win the admiration and eternal gratitude of the heroine, lovely Rhonda Fleming.

Still, the musical numbers, "Chick-A-Boom," "Baby, Baby, Baby," and the beautiful ballad "I Guess It was You all the Time," performed with verve and gusto by Mr. Mitchell and Miss Brewer, are entertaining in their own right, even if they don't fit the situations or advance the plot in any way.

But there is one good reason for watching this movie and that reason is Teresa Brewer. "Tessie," as she was known to her fellow musicians, simply illuminates the screen with her bubbly effervescence every time she enters a scene. She grabs your attention and holds it. This is no mean feat given that she often has to share the screen with gorgeous Rhonda Fleming but she does just that. Watch her face as she eagerly anticipates greetings from her estranged family as they approach her from church, only to be snubbed by them as a show of disapproval of her chosen vocation as a dance hall singer. Tessie was a natural on-screen performer and it's a shame she didn't pursue a career in movies. Paramount had apparently offered her a contract but she turned it down so that she could have time to raise a family. Had she not done so, she might have gone on to rival the popularity of Warner's Doris Day. She certainly had the personality and talent.

Really, not very good

[marcslope · 5/10 · 4 April 2014]

In 1953, while so many good musicals, and not just at MGM, are integrating their scores, plots, and production designs, this Paramount oddity is a real throwback. All the songs, by a variety of hands, are "diegetic," i.e., stage-presentation numbers that have nothing to do with plot. Which may be just as well, since the plot is such a schizophrenic affair. It's about mom Agnes Moorehead (in an uncharacteristically humorless, uninteresting performance) squiring her four daughters to the Yukon in 1898, not aware that their dad has been murdered, and their falsely blaming saloon owner Gene Barry for it. The motivations are as scattershot as the intended 3D effects; when prettiest daughter Rhonda Fleming ends up with Barry, Moorehead glows with delight, even though she's hated him for most of the movie, because, well, it's time for fadeout and we need a happy ending. Teresa Brewer, with the best songs, is spunky and appealing, and Guy Mitchell, with a lovely voice, is more effective than he was the following year in another odd Paramount musical, "Red Garters." The tone's now-somber, now-boisterous, and the western and musical motifs do not blend well.

Seattle reds.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 7/10 · 26 March 2016]

With Easter coming up I started looking round for films to watch with my dad over the holiday season.Taking a look at a DVD seller page,I spotted the first ever 3D Musical Western (!) ,which led to me getting ready to meet the redheads of Seattle.

The plot:

Running a campaign in his newspaper to get Johnny Kisco's salon shutdown, Vance Edmonds newspaper business gets burnt to the ground by Kisco's henchmen.Thanks to their being a gold rush in the area,Edmounds writes a letter to his family telling them to come down.Shortly after sending the letter,Vance is killed by Kisco's handyman (who have not been ordered by Kisco to burn the building,or kill Vance.) Getting the letter, Mrs. Edmonds gathers her daughters and sets off to the city to be reunited with her husband. Arriving in the city completely unaware,the Edmonds soon receive some bad news.

View on the film:

Whilst the transfer from 3D to 2D, (the 3D version was shown at the premiere,then never shown again,talk about value for money!)does slightly mute the colours,co-writer/(along with Daniel Mainwaring & George Worthing Yates) director Lewis R. Foster and cinematographer Lionel Lindon are able to find glitz in the redheads.Foster greets the girls in rosy blues and greens,whilst Lindon offers a glimpse to the 3D take with a depth of field which give the salons a touch of glamour,and the great snow covered mountain final a frosty atmosphere.

Joined by sweet songs from Sidney Cutner and Leo Shuken,the screenplay by Foster/Mainwaring and Yates neatly blends the light Musical glaze with sawn-off shots from the Western.Entering the town all elegant,the writers rub the Musical girls against the outlaw,double-dealing world of the west,by wonderfully throwing their limelight dreams into the seedy smoke of the salons.Keeping the family in line, Agnes Moorehead gives a very good performance as the level-headed Mrs. Edmonds,whilst Gene Barry terrifically reveals Kisco trying to keep his outlaw life hidden,as Kisco's head is turned by the girls from Seattle.

No Hair, Just Red Heads

[writers_reign · 4/10 · 7 August 2019]

As hybrids go this goes a tad too far. Around the same time Paramount turned out an 'experimental' western entitled Red Garters which seems to have disappeared without trace and if nothing else had a better score than this piece of cheese. Rhonda Fleming actually had a great singing voice but doesn't get a chance to display it, Agnes Moorhead is totally wasted, Gene Barry an embarrassment; I could go one but with luck you're ahead of me.

Cleaning up Dawson in 3-D

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 21 February 2015]

Paramount's Dollar Bills, William Pine and William Thomas continued putting out films in the Fifties as they did in the Forties for Paramount's B picture unit. Only they were given a bit more bucks to play with and some bigger stars in the Fifties. For Those Redheads From Seattle they got not only color, but also 3-D making it the first musical released in 3-D.

With some elements of The Harvey Girls as part of the story, Pine-Thomas could have used some better songs for the score. I noted that several different writers contributed to this one. Usually you have only one team, maybe an interpolation from another writer for the score. But in Those Redheads From Seattle it was all original material. It was like some various songwriting teams just opened the trunk for some unused material and sold it to Paramount.

As one of those redheads is Rhonda Fleming who is the oldest of Agnes Moorehead's four daughters who have come to the city of Dawson in the Klondike Gold Rush you certainly have the redhead covered. Agnes is a redhead her and so are Teresa Brewer and the Bell Sisters except one of them is a blond and wonders how she got in this family. No exceptions were allowed in the Day Family in Life With Father.

They got a last letter from their husband and father who ran the newspaper in Dawson and is leading a fight to clean up the bad elements in Dawson. Then one of those bad elements plugs Frank Wilcox, but not before his family has pulled up from Seattle to join him.

Another of those bad elements is the owner of the largest gambling palace in Dawson Gene Barry. He's thought of as the one responsible for Wilcox no longer being among the living. He has the whole film to prove himself innocent and gain one of the daughters as a bride.

Taking care of the musical chores are Guy Mitchell who sings in Barry's establishment and Teresa Brewer who would like to. Nothing here that stands out in the score.

3-D was also used by MGM for Kiss Me Kate. If you can see that in 3-D I'd recommend it before Those Redheads From Seattle.

Poor Western/Musical which doesn't really fit either genre

[andrew12111211 · 5/10 · 18 October 2020]

I started watching this movie with high hopes with it being the first 'Western' in 3D and a plot which sounded not half bad. Sadly I was a bit disappointed as the storyline never quite took off as I imagined and seemed to run out half way through the film. All in all, not much really happens in this film, or nothing memorable at least, and probably could have been condensed into an hour. In addition I wouldn't really call this a Western or a Musical, it is sort of a mix of both but at the same time it isn't, therefore it doesn't satisfy the musical lover or western lover. The few songs which are in the film aren't memorable either except for perhaps Guy Mitchell's "Chick-a-Boom". The positives of this film is the lovely Technicolor photography, even though the majority of the film is studio bound, the Technicolor is still lovely. Sadly more couldn't be done to feature the acting talents of Agnes Morehead or the songs of Guy Mitchell. I give it 5/10 for those reasons

Good oldie

[GeoSlv · 8/10 · 19 February 2013]

The attractive thing about this movie is the presence of Teresa Brewer, in her only film. So if you're a fan this is a must see. Secondly, how often do you judge a musical as a great movie in itself? The plot is usually there to support the music and the stars. That's the way I look at it, so I'm not hard on it. I know there are fans of Rhonda Fleming too, and the other stars. They appear attractive in color and the music is fine, especially when Teresa is on stage as a showgirl singing Baby Baby Baby. That was a hit for her that year. The Bell Sisters sing one, and so does Guy Mitchell. Teresa also sings Mr Banjo Man and a duet with Guy of It Must Have Been You All The Time. This film has recently been prepared for a 3-D video release that has not occurred, and there have been a couple of limited theatrical preview showings recently. Never been on video. Can be seen online in some places or as a TV recording. As of 2017 there is a DVD and Bluray 3D release. Better get yours before they are out of stock.

A western and a musical, a lethal combination.

[conneide · 1/10 · 21 December 2007]

When I saw this movie in first run, 1953, everyone in the theater laughed out loud. As the film progressed people started to make random comments aloud, increasing the laughter. In 1953 it was the worst movie I had ever seen and, even though a child, I had seen a lot of movies. It still is though The Sicilian ranks close. Rhonda Fleming was beyond awful. Teresa Brewer, a top of the charts pop singer of the day, not only couldn't act, she looked terrible. Many of the scenes were shot against backdrops to show the vast Artic region, and those shots were also terrible. Gene Barry was miscast. The plot was inane. The acting was painful to watch. The only reason I went to see this movie was because they were having a sneak preview that night and, WHAT LUCK!, the preview was "Singin' in the Rain."

Taming the men of the wild north.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 2 April 2013]

The freedom of the press is in jeopardy and it takes a hot-blooded redhead to preserve it. She is Rhonda Fleming, the daughter of a murdered newspaper man up in the Klondike. Along with her mother and three sisters (as well as a pregnant cat named President McKinley), they travel up north from Seattle into the Canadian wilds and face the horrifying truth about the corruption there. Blaming the wrong man for murder (as he owns the sinful saloon her father was writing about), Fleming prints a series of exposes and accusations when the accused (Gene Barry) tries to clear his name. Of course, the two also happen to be in love, and this leads to further complications.

While nicely filmed in Technicolor, this musical lacks in humor, and has only a few rather mediocre musical numbers, generic in tone, and ultimately forgettable. One saloon number, though, is interestingly staged, utilizing only the gloved hands and tight-covered legs for the chorus girls as Teresa Brewer sings the sultry song "Baby Love Me Do". Resembling a slightly more feminine Ethel Merman, she is supposed to be the stereotypical saloon singer with proverbial heart of gold hidden by wisecracks (think Angela Lansbury in "The Harvey Girls") but her character isn't really well developed, at least personality wise.

Agnes Moorehead is appropriately strict but loving as the mother of the four girls, all redheads except one. There's an exciting final where the villain is exposed but unfortunately even with different themes than most musicals, the results are rather standard.

I liked this movie

[ptrubey-1 · 8/10 · 1 March 2005]

I really like this movie. It is a good story & has a great cast.

Theresa Brewer has a wonderful voice and I have always liked Agnes Moorehead. All the girls & the mother have red hair except the youngest & she is a blond. The husband/father was killed & they went to Alaska to settle his affairs. He ran the local newspaper & he wrote an item about the local saloon. One of his men killed the father. They find that there is no money. They are in Alaska, totally broke so they all find ways to earn money. Even the youngest sells kittens to help. It is a wonderful musical.

There's the bad guys & the good guys. And each of the girls end up with someone. But Gene Barry plays a bad/good guy.

Another beautiful 3D restoration from Furmanek and company

[mmcgee282 · 10/10 · 23 May 2017]

From the first time I saw it on t.b.s in black and white to later the flat technicolor print,what did I think of the 3D version? gorgeous.The re-creation of the stereo sound was good.The quality of it was a good as the white Christmas stereo sound track.There are different recording styles.The original three soundtrack of the 3D Kiss Me Kate,the dialog went to the left ,right and center along with the sound effects and music,but,this is the original sound track ,not simulation.In this stereo re-creation,I don't know how they were able to re-create it if the multi sound track was missing,the dialog mostly stayed in the center,while the music and special effects,went left to right right to left.Occasionally the dialog would go on the left side ,when Jean Parker, off Camera. lets Gene know about the death of Frank Wilcox,playing Mr.Edmond,that reminds Gene he has to tell Rhonda Fleming and the rest of the family of the old mans death.Another scene where the dialog of Gene Barry voice goes on the left as he enter to another room,where he trying to look for John Kellogg,who killed Rhonda's fathers,then another scene when some of the dogs barking goes on to the left of center but most of the dialog stays in the center.This is probably the way it was recorded.That news paper going straight to the cameras,one of the Strothers sisters,in there song number on the boat,where she coaxes the a passenger to do this,still looks silly.The boat scene where it's floating down the right.The water is inward and the boat is outward ,but, that might have been cause by a technical problem in the camera,at the time.This last a few seconds.The scene in which Agnes Moorehead and her family just arrived in Yukon.When some one shoots a bullet into a wine barrel and the wine come out of the screen,that's effective.When the Yukon dogs pulling the sled goes out to the camera.The scene when the sled was taking the family to Dodson,it looks like the back ground,behind the sled, was a rear screen projector with a flat film for a back ground making the scene less 3d.There was a lot of cheese cake sexiness in this.Teresa Brewer rehearsal for the number,"Baby ,in 3d she looked sexy,but the actual number in 3d ,it was wonderful.That is my favorite number in the film .The acting from Teresa and Guy was good ,since this was there first film.For a low budget film it was pretty good.Barry Nelson was a leading man contract player for paramount,in that period played a bad guy who was not so bad, Johnny Kisco, is good.Although Rhonda Fleming was frustrated that she did not have a music number,her role as the eldest daughter was genuine.That Agnes Moor head who played the prudish mother ,who tries to over protect one of the younger Strothers sisters,is good. In the restoration of the movie ,in the menu,it showed the optical print had become bad where the color would become green tint to orange tint to purple.I thought Technicolor had stable metallic dies,unless this was Eastman color print.Worth collecting and if it available for rent in 3D Blu-ray.com, I think that what the name is ,worth renting. 05/23/17

The Harvey Girls in the Yukon

[weezeralfalfa · 8/10 · 1 May 2017]

From one perspective, essentially a rip off of the prior Judy Garland-starring "The Harvey Girls", which was sited in Arizona, while this one was sited primarily in Skagway Alaska and Dawson City, Yukon Territory, although it was actually filmed at Paramount Studios. "The Harvey Girls" was based on a historical group known as the Harvey Girls, whereas the present film has no historical basis. In both films, we have a group of women, mostly marriageable straight-laced girls, who come into a frontier town, where most of the women are employed in a saloon. Pretty soon, they find themselves at odds with the co-proprietors of the saloon. In both films, the lesser proprietor takes drastic steps to encourage them to leave or tone down their antagonistic attitude. In both cases, part of this defense includes burning down part or all of the girl's work place. In both films, the leading lady has a love/hate relationship with the primary saloon proprietor, beginning mostly with hate and ending up mostly love, according to standard formula. In "The Harvey Girls", the girls run a sober restaurant, which is meant to compete with the saloon for customers. In the present film, the women eventually run the local newspaper that their father/husband died for, at the hands of the lesser saloon proprietor.

Among other things, this film can be considered a musical, featuring 5 songs, we having 5 professional singers. Best remembered of these singers is Teresa Brewer, who participates in 3 of the songs. "Baby, Baby, Baby" is a solo, done on stage in Dawson. Early on, she sings and frolics around her bedroom in a fancy outfit to "Mr. Banjo Man". Later, Rhonda Fleming, and the older of The Bell Sisters singing group, join Teresa in singing and frolicking around. I will remember this scene long after I've forgotten the other scenes in this film. Teresa also took turns with Guy Mitchell in singing "I Guess it was You all the Time", on stage. Guy had a solo on stage with "Chick-a-Boom". On the boat from Seattle to Skagway, the Bell Sisters entertained the passengers singing and frolicking to "Take Back Your Gold". They sounded exactly like the Andrew Sisters, to me, in spite of having one less singer. Unfortunately, this was Teresa's only Hollywood film, and one of only two appearances for The Bell Sisters. Teresa was offered a film contract, but decided her singing career and growing family was more important. Latter, she would second guess this decision. She certainly had the all around talent and looks to be a big film star.

Gene Barry played Johnny Kisco, chief saloon proprietor, while John Kellogg played Mike Yurkil, his partner and main badman of the film. Guy Mitchell played Joe, who worked for Johnny until the animosity between the Edmonds women and the saloon personnel escalated. He and Connie had formed a romantic attachment, so he decided to work for their newspaper. Agnes Moorehead played Mrs. Edmonds. Along with 3 of her 4 daughters, she had reddish or red-brown hair. Nell was a blond, as well as appearing to be younger than the others. She failed to warn the other girls of the arrival of their mother, thus one said "You can't trust a blond". Frank Wilcox played Vance Edmonds, who was only present for a short time before being executed by Yurkil. Walter Reed plays Whitey, who buys the Klondike Club from Johnny, after the latter got tired of being written up in the newspaper for doing bad things. He decided to take a boat for Fairbanks, where Yurkil was reported to have gone. He wanted to have Yurkil arrested for murder and arson. But, remember Yurkil was now in a US territory, whereas he committed these crimes in a Canadian territory. Strange that Yurkil's new partner in Fairbanks tells Johnny where Yurkil has wandered off to, after Johnny tells him why he wants to see Yurkil. Socks him on the chin to knock him out, so it looks like he made his partner tell him Yurkil's location.

In summary, I see this as an interesting musical drama, with a few continuity and reality problems. It's especially valued as a unique chance to see Teresa Brewer sing, frolic, and act.