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Yup, that's James Dean at the soda fountain in a blink-and-you-miss-him scene! That's just one of the treats in this intoxicatingly charming film. I've always thought Piper Laurie was every bit as gorgeous as the other 50s sirens and Rock Hudson, director Sirk's go-to guy, is perfect as the hunky soda jerk in love. Beautiful to look at, with plenty of period songs, costumes, and cars. And the hep dialogue is a scream as is the agony of the period's high prices: a dozen eggs for under 15 cents! A great double bill would be seeing this with that other 1952 classic set in the same period, Singin' in the Rain. One of Mancini's earliest films.

This is simply a pure delight of a comedy movie that runs on that ages-old premise - what would you do if you suddenly came into a fortune?

Everything about this film gels into an 89-minute delight; the story, script, sets, atmosphere, colour and, above all, the performances of a disparate group of actors who ensemble into a highly believable American 1920s small-town family.

Veteran screen actor Charles Coburn is outstanding as the irascible but soft-hearted Samuel Fulton and the 'Temple-esque' Gigi Perreau should have won an Oscar for her portrayal of Roberta. Yes, James Dean makes his first (and ultra-brief) appearance as a bit-parter in one of the drug-store scenes but don't let this incidental occurrence put you off.

Has Anybody Seen My Gal never outstays its welcome - indeed it seems to be over all too soon. It has yet (as of Dec. 2005) to be issued on DVD and I, for one, am eagerly awaiting its well-overdue release.

Charles Coburn gives the family of the woman who rejected him $100,000 in "Has Anybody Seen My Gal," a delightful 1952 comedy set in the 1920s.

It's directed by Douglas Sirk and also stars Piper Laurie, Gigi Perreau, Lynn Bari, William Reynolds and Skip Homeier.

It seems that when Samuel Fulton was a young man, the young woman who turned him down spurned him on to great things. Now, with no heirs, he wants to leave her family his money. Despite his belief that he's dying, he heads to their hometown and moves in on them as a "Mr. Smith" in order to observe them when they are presented with a check for $100,000.

Rock Hudson has a supporting role in this film - he plays a soda jerk and the love interest of Piper Laurie. Dancing the Charleston, he is darn cute. And if you think the kid at the soda fountain giving old man Fulton a hard time is James Dean, you're right, it is. People often say that James Dean only made three films. Wrong. He only STARRED in three films.

Gigi Perreau is adorable without being cloying. Piper Laurie, in a Debbie Reynolds type of role, does a good job, though later on, she would shine more in drama. But at this point, she and Rock were just paying their dues along with William Reynolds, who became a TV actor.

This is Coburn's film all the way - he's a riot as an old codger who gets a dose of health and love from the family and gives some back in return.

"Has Anybody Seen My Gal" demonstrates the fine directing gifts of Douglas Sirk whose name would become synonymous with big budget soap operas. But in 1952, it was fun all the way with Coburn and Universal's stable of young players.

The title "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" comes from a popular song of the 1920s, and presumably it was slapped on this non-musical movie to let people know when the story is supposed to be taking place. That was a silly idea, but the movie itself is charming. Charles Coburn plays the world's richest man, an elderly recluse whose face is known to virtually no one. (Bear in mind that this movie was made before tycoon Howard Hughes became legendary for his secretive ways.) The rich man travels incognito to the small town where he spent much of his youth. There he becomes the anonymous benefactor of a family that played an early role in his success, though none of its members have any idea of their link to him. He works as a seemingly down-on-his-luck soda jerk in the town, watching up close how his mysterious checks change the lives of people in this ordinary, close-knit family. It's not always a pretty sight, but it does teach a lesson, not just to them but to him. There's a Christmastime angle that isn't absolutely essential to the plot, but it did point out to me this film's similarity to another bittersweet fantasy, Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." If you want a movie that's heartwarming and entertaining and has a moral, this is a good choice. Try it for Christmas.

Has Anybody Seen My Gal is directed by Douglas Sirk and written by Joseph Hoffman and Eleanor H. Porter. It stars Rock Hudson, Piper Laurie and Charles Coburn. Music is by Herman Stein and cinematography by Clifford Stine. It's 1928 and plot finds Coburn as wealthy Samuel Fulton, who now he is older and has no family of his own decides to leave his wealth to the family of his first love, the Blaisdells. Worming his way into the family's lives, he secretly grants them $100,000 and observes as money greatly changes the family. And not for the better!

Glorious Technicolor, sumptuous period detail and a funny picture laced with a caustic edge, Has Anybody Seen My Gal is a darn fine movie from the Sirk/Hudson stable. True, it's guilty of layering on the nostalgia, but the feel good factor that pulses throughout ensures the film remains a crowd pleaser. With song and dance also featuring, picture is frothy in its telling of how money can corrupt those who were once of sound standing. Yes, it's a message movie, but it's told with such an assuredness by Sirk and acted with fine ebullience by the cast, particularly the wonderful Coburn, that it becomes a movie comfortably recommended to those in need of a pick me up in this new and hurried world we live in. 7/10