The Silver Screen Oasis

As a young man I admired the way that Shirley Jones nearly 20-years after playing the female lead in Oklahoma and Corousel transformed herself into a credible pop star in The Partridge Family, even though unlike her character didn't play the keyboard, but she still did her vocals.

I thought she was good in other films like The Two Road Together, Elmer Gantry, The Music Man and The Cheyenne Social Club. However, possibly my favorite perfomance from her came in the 70s tv movie Winner Take All where she played gambling addict, who risks her marraige to grave her addiction, even to the point of reluctantly sleeping with nasty Sam Groom in order to pay of a dept. The film also cast Sylvia Sidney as her mother and Joan Blondell as a sypathetic casino Manageress

I was called on to teach Shirley Jones the basics of driving a trotting horse for some scenes in April Love. She was a delightful person. AND, she took to the driving
so quickly and well that had she chosen to could have gone right up the ladder in the world of trotting horses. She was absolutely amazing! Have worked with many
celebs but none who took to it as fast as Shirley. She was REAL.

RR, April Love was one of my all time favorite movies while I was growing up. The scenes of Shirley and also of Pat Boone driving those sulkies were pretty exciting! and it was easy to tell the ones with Shirley, at least, were authentic. Did Pat Boone also do his own driving? I still drag that movie out now and then, just to remember some really great good ol days.

One of my favorite movies of Shirley Jones was The Cheyenne Social Club back in 1970 of which she played a character by the name of Jenny and she was great working with James Stewart and Henry Fonda in this Comedy/Western concerning a brother's inheritance of a house of prostitution.

This is not as nearly as good as Oklahoma and some of the other films that she starred in but it was a pretty funny movie at times and I didn't realize it was that good.

It was directed by Gene Kelly star of Cover Girl and Singin in the Rain ... I was stunned to see his name in the Director's Credit.

My cousin Virginia happened to be on a cruise last year with Shirley Jones. She says that she was an absolute joy to meet. When she found out that my cousin was from Brooklyn she invited her and her husband to her table since her husband Marty (in a wheelchair) is also from Brooklyn .
They all chatted and had a good time. My cousin couldn't say enough nice things about her.
She sent me some pictures which I will get my grandson to post for me soon.

knitwit45 wrote:RR, April Love was one of my all time favorite movies while I was growing up. The scenes of Shirley and also of Pat Boone driving those sulkies were pretty exciting! and it was easy to tell the ones with Shirley, at least, were authentic. Did Pat Boone also do his own driving? I still drag that movie out now and then, just to remember some really great good ol days.

I really don't know. Most of the film was shot in the east and I only knew about what we did at Devonshire Downs in the San Fernando Valley. I doubled her riding a trotting horse
bareback but don't even know if it was left in the film. I did not see it.

rerun wrote:

knitwit45 wrote:RR, April Love was one of my all time favorite movies while I was growing up. The scenes of Shirley and also of Pat Boone driving those sulkies were pretty exciting! and it was easy to tell the ones with Shirley, at least, were authentic. Did Pat Boone also do his own driving? I still drag that movie out now and then, just to remember some really great good ol days.

I really don't know. Most of the film was shot in the east and I only knew about what we did at Devonshire Downs in the San Fernando Valley. I doubled her riding a trotting horse
bareback but don't even know if it was left in the film. I did not see it.

Yes, that scene is in the movie. It is done so well, I always thought it was her!

knitwit45 wrote:

rerun wrote:

knitwit45 wrote:RR, April Love was one of my all time favorite movies while I was growing up. The scenes of Shirley and also of Pat Boone driving those sulkies were pretty exciting! and it was easy to tell the ones with Shirley, at least, were authentic. Did Pat Boone also do his own driving? I still drag that movie out now and then, just to remember some really great good ol days.

I really don't know. Most of the film was shot in the east and I only knew about what we did at Devonshire Downs in the San Fernando Valley. I doubled her riding a trotting horse
bareback but don't even know if it was left in the film. I did not see it.

Yes, that scene is in the movie. It is done so well, I always thought it was her!

Well I will have to see it. It was so funny. That was an old retired trotting horse and when he saw that track he said, "good things come to those who wait". He was having a great old time and I could not get
him stopped. The pick up man had to come get me and I was laughing so hard it is a wonder I did not fall off. First time I was run away with at a trot. What fun it was.

To be honest, I am hazy on this scene. I remember her riding bareback, and trying to get Pat Boone up on the horse behind her, but I don't remember her riding on a track. It sounds like it was a really funny experience, and I thank you for sharing. April Love has always been a favorite movie, and this story makes it a little more special.