On Moonlight Bay (film)
On Moonlight Bay is a 1951 American musical film directed by Roy Del Ruth which tells the story of the Winfield family at the turn of the 20th century. The movie is based loosely on the "Penrod" stories by Booth Tarkington. There was a 1953 sequel, "By the Light of the Silvery Moon". Plot. In a small Indiana town in the mid-1910s, the Winfield household have just moved into a larger house in a nicer neighborhood. The family includes: the father George, who is a banker, his wife Alice, their grown tomboyish daughter Marjorie (nicknamed “Margie ”), their mischievous precocious trouble-making son Wesley, and their exasperated housekeeper Stella. No one but George is happy about the move, until Marjorie meets their new neighbor, William Sherman, home on a break from his studies at Indiana University. The two are immediately attracted to each other, which makes Margie change her focus from baseball to trying to become a proper young woman as perceived by society at the time. Margie and Bill develop a romantic relationship despite, or perhaps because of, Bill's unconventional thoughts on life, including not believing in the institution of marriage or the role money  plays in society. The road to a happy life between Margie and Bill is hindered by distance (as Bill returns to school), Margie's attempts to learn perceived feminine things, her father’s disapproval and preference for another suitor, her brother’s continual meddling, and the U.S. entry into World War I. Margie’s father softens when her brother breaks a window with their father’s old slingshot. This ultimately makes the father more receptive to her relationship with Bill and the movie reaches a happy ending. Reception. According to WB accounts, the film earned $2,738,000 domestically and $ 992,000 foreign. Accolades. The film was nominated for the American Film Institute's 2006 list AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals.