The Girl Most Likely on DVD

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

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Jane Powell is delightful in this 1958 musical. The Girl Most Likely is a fun romp that takes place in just a couple days in in each of these days Dotie (Powell) manages to get engaged to three different men.

Dotie was born and raised on Balboa Island in California. Every day she takes the ferry to the mainland for work with here best friend Marge (Kaye Ballard). Dotie dreams of marrying a rich man. She wants to experience life away from her small island. She wants to travel by yacht instead of by ferry.

Buzz (Tommy Noonan) has been Dotie’s friend for a long time. When he proposes she is surprised but says “yes.” Buzz, a local realtor, tells her he will work hard and they will make a lot of money. It sounds good to Dotie but she doesn’t feel the special spark she should when someone gets engaged.

Then, the next day while riding the ferry back to Balboa, Dotie sees a man leave the yacht that just docked. He gets in a boat and on a whim she jumps off the ferry and is swims to the little boat, thinking he is the rich tycoon Neil Patterson, Jr. In fact it is Pete (Cliff Robertson), the mechanic. They make a date with Dotie still believing it is Patterson. While on their date she realizes her mistake, but nevertheless she has a great time with Pete. He is an easy-going guy with no pretense and a lot of charm as well as common sense.

Pete and Dotie get along swimmingly, no pun intended, and he proposes. She says “yes.” If you’re keeping score, Dotie has agreed to marry two men in the span of two days.

Then, lo and behold, she meets Neil Patterson, Jr. (Keith Andes). They go on a date on his yacht, ending up in Mexico. With all the fun and extravagance he can offer her, you guessed it, she says “yes” to him when he proposes. The tally is now three men to whom Dotie is engaged.

Which one will she chose? After all, she can’t marry all three. After careful consideration, Dotie makes her decision. But is it the right one for her?

This is a fun little film sprinkled with musical numbers. The film would have been just as delightful without the song and dance scenes. Powell is entertaining and viewers will undoubtedly be rooting for Pete. Robertson plays this character with warmth and sincerity, reminiscent of his role of “Kahuna” the following year in the movie Gidget.

The Girl Most Likely is not rated. It is part of the Warner Archive Collection and can be ordered through their website.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for 20 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books.

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