VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

HotToastyRag Get ready for a serious amount of corn and sugar; On Moonlight Bay is ridiculously corny and guaranteed to give you a cavity. Doris Day and Gordon MacRae team up in this Americana flick that tries to be another Meet Me in St. Louis but fails. Doris belongs to an all-American family, led by Leon Ames and Rosemary DeCamp. They move to rural Indiana during WWI, but when radical thinker Gordon MacRae starts courting the proper Doris, tensions mount. And by tensions, I mean some heated arguments about morals and values followed by singing and dancing and grins from ear to ear. On Moonlight Bay is one of the silly 1950s flicks that give silly 1950s flicks a bad name. I remember repeatedly leaving the room to get more popcorn without pressing pause. And, unfortunately for Doris Day fans who insist on watching every movie she ever made, Hollywood made a sequel two years later. I can't steer you away from this movie if you're determined. You've probably seen thirty or so of her movies and are looking to make it an even thirty-nine. On the off-chance you rented On Moonlight Bay for a different reason, send it back to Netflix and pick something else for the weekend, like The Pajama Game.

moonspinner55 As filtered through the scrubbed-clean, sexless mores of the 1950s, Booth Tarkington's "Penrod Stories" proved to be able ground for Warner Bros. in concocting sort of a low-brow variation on "Meet Me in St. Louis", with Doris Day as the small-town Indiana gal finding love with the boy next door (actually, across the street) while her ornery sibling (Billy Gray) causes chaos in the neighborhood. The Americana flavor (circa 1917) is laid-on with a thick coat of glossy color, while Doris twinkles and shines on cue. Warners had an immediate box-office attraction in Day, but too often cast her in bucolic settings (she seemed so much livelier in dressed-up musical comedies). Here, she cements her "wholesome as apple pie" image with smudges of dirt on her face and her hair in pigtails. It doesn't quite wash that leading man Gordon MacRae initially thinks she's a boy, though their sweetheart romance still manages to convey a bit of plastic magic. Followed in 1953 with "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", which was more of the same. **1/2 from ****

Spikeopath On Moonlight Bay is directed by Roy Del Ruth and stars Doris Day & Gordon MacRae. It's based loosely on the Penrod stories written by Booth Tarkington.1917 and Marjorie Winfield (Day) is a tomboy who moves with her family into a new house in small town Indiana. Here she begins a romance with the boy next door, William Sherman (MacRae) and starts to learn there's more to life than merely playing sports. However, with Marjorie's father less than enamoured with William's ideals in life, the course of true love will struggle to run smooth.A pleasing enough period musical propelled by the effervescent Day and some catchy musical tunes. Songs performed include "Till We Meet Again," "Cuddle Up A Little Closer," "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and the title song. Very much playing up to Day's girl next door persona that would be her career staple, it's the sort of harmless fun that helps to while away the time on a dank afternoon. Tho the ending is never in doubt, it's fun getting there and there's value for money in the acting performances. Yes MacRae is a little too animated at times (isn't he always?) but it fits the material and his play off with Day is an entertaining and winning formula (the principals here would return two years later for a sequel, By the Light of the Silvery Moon). Stand out turn in the support slots comes from Mary Wickes as Stella.It's no Meet Me In St. Louis but it's fun enough if viewed as a second cousin to Garland's movie. 6/10

JoshuaLieder-1 Its not often I give a film 10 of out of 10 but Doris Day movies consistently rate that high for me. If you are in a depressed or foul mood, her smiles, her singing, and the cast members around her always can lift you to another place. This is much like a Technicolor Judy Garland film in a lot of ways, with homespun family values and courting. At first, I had a problem with the leads, who seemed too old, playing teenagers. The actors grow on you, especially Doris. The actor playing her annoying kid brother is terrific. The parents are well portrayed and protective. The housekeeper is a wiley classic. Even the family dog gets in the act in several scenes. I recommend the film heartily especially if you want to smile and sing along. Doris Day is and has always been a national treasure. I am very glad I got a chance to spend the afternoon with her in this film.