Excuse My Dust (1951 film)

Excuse My Dust
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roy Rowland Edward Sedgwick
Written by	Stephanie Nordli George Wells Bellamy Partridge Buster Keaton (uncredited)
Produced by	Jack Cummings
Starring	Red Skelton Sally Forrest Macdonald Carey William Demarest Monica Lewis Raymond Walburn
Cinematography	Alfred Gilks
Edited by	Irvine Warburton
Music by	George Stoll
Production company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	Loew's, Inc.
Release date	June 29, 1951 (1951-06-29)
Running time	82 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,789,000^[1]
Box office	$2,298,000^[1]

Excuse My Dust is a 1951 musical comedy film starring Red Skelton. It was directed by Roy Rowland and an uncredited Edward Sedgwick. It is based on the 1943 book of the same name by Bellamy Partridge.

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Plot

Amateur inventor Joe Belden has his Indiana hometown in a tizzy over his new "horseless carriage" in 1895. It runs on gasoline, but the townspeople aren't impressed and only Joe's mom and his sweetheart Liz Bullitt are supportive.

Mechanical breakdowns make Joe even more unpopular with some, including Liz's father, who prefers his daughter's other suitor, Ivy Leaguer Cyrus Ransom, Jr.

A $5,000 first prize in a road race attracts newfangled contraptions from all over the land. Cy enters one himself that runs on ether and cheats in every way he can to drive Joe off the road. He succeeds, but Liz comes to the rescue and joins Joe all the way to the finish line—well, almost all the way.

Cast

Red Skelton as Joe Belden
Sally Forrest as Liz Bullitt (singing voice dubbed by Gloria Gray)
Macdonald Carey as Cyrus Ransom, Jr.
William Demarest as Harvey Bullitt
Monica Lewis as Daisy Lou
Raymond Walburn as Mayor Fred Haskell
Jane Darwell as Mrs. Belden
Lillian Bronson as Mrs. Matilda Bullitt
Herbert Anderson as Ben Parrott
Paul Harvey as Cyrus Random, Sr.
Marjorie Wood as Mrs. Cyrus Random Sr.
Lee Scott as Horace Antler
Alex Gerry as Mr. Antler
Jim Hayward as Nick Tosca
Will Wright as Race judge

Production

The film was an original script by George Wells. Van Johnson was at one stage intended to star.^[2]

Musical numbers

I'd Like to Take You Out Dreaming

Performed by Macdonald Carey and Male Chorus

Lorelei Brown

Performed by Monica Lewis and Chorus, introduced by Herbert Anderson and Sally Forrest

Goin' Steady

Sung by Macdonald Carey, Monica Lewis, Sally Forrest, Red Skelton and Chorus

Spring Has Sprung

Performed by Red Skelton and Sally Forrest (dubbed by Gloria Gray)

Get a Horse

Performed by Macdonald Carey, William Demarest and Chorus

That's for Children

Performed by Monica Lewis, Red Skelton and Chorus

Lorelei Brown (instrumental reprise)

Danced by Sally Forrest and Male Chorus, in French Apache style

Spring Has Sprung (reprise)

Sung by Sally Forrest (dubbed by Gloria Gray)

Reception

According to MGM records, the film earned $1,645,000 in the US and Canada and $653,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $501,000.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
^ Schallert, E. (Jul 24, 1950). "Skelton to go straight; rains in sea thriller; U-I buys best seller". Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 166104700.