The Best Things in Life Are Free is a 1956 American musical film directed by Michael Curtiz. The film stars Gordon MacRae, Dan Dailey and Ernest Borgnine as the real-life songwriting team of Buddy DeSylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson of the late 1920s and early 1930s; and Sheree North as Kitty Kane, a singer (possibly based on Helen Kane).
In 1957, the year after the film was released, it received an Oscar nomination for Lionel Newman in the category of Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.
Gordon MacRae as Buddy DeSylva
Dan Dailey as Ray Henderson
Ernest Borgnine as Lew Brown
Sheree North as Kitty Kane
Tommy Noonan as Carl Frisbee
Murvyn Vye as Manny Costain
Phyllis Avery as Maggie Henderson
Larry Keating as Winfield Sheehan
Tony Galento as Fingers
Norman Brooks as Al Jolson
Jacques d'Amboise as Specialty dancer
Roxanne Arlen as Perky Nichols
Byron Palmer as Hollywood star
Premiering in September-1956, The Best Things in Life Are Free was greeted with mixed to positive critical acclaim. Reviews said "the biggest new musical this year" and others said "a musical-comedy that could've been produced on a higher budget with bigger and better production numbers".
Being a musical, though a modestly produced one, the movie was fairly expensive to produce. The film ended with a budget of $2.86 million and made just over $4 million at the box office, earning $2,250,000 in North American rentals in 1956.
"Lucky Day"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Sung by Dan Dailey
"If I Had a Talking Picture of You"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Sung by Byron Palmer
"Here Am I, Broken Hearted"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Sung by Gordon MacRae
"Button up Your Overcoat"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Sung by Dan Dailey and Gordon MacRae
"Good News"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Sung by Gordon MacRae
"You're the Cream in My Coffee"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Sung by Dan Dailey
"The Best Things in Life Are Free"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Sung by Sheree North (dubbed by Eileen Wilson)
"Lucky in Love"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Sung by Gordon MacRae
"Black Bottom"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Danced by Sheree North and Jacques d'Amboise
"Birth of the Blues"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Danced by Sheree North and Jacques d'Amboise
"Sonny Boy"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Sung by Norman Brooks
"Follow Thru"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
"One More Time"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
"Thank Your Father"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
"This Is the Missus"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown
"Together"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
It All Depends on You"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
"You Try Somebody Else (We'll Be Back Together Again)"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
Without Love"
Music by Ray Henderson
Lyrics by Lew Brown and Buddy G. DeSylva
