We haven't been able
to screen this 1944 musical, so we can't be certain, but we doubt that Donald O'Connor actually
paddles Susanna Foster (we think that's the young lady bent over the table). O'Connor went on to
fame in a number of films during the 1950's, most notably MGM's Singin' In The Rain. By the
way, take a look at the expressions on the faces of the other five young people in this picture:
the three girls seem perfectly content to watch their friend get spanked, while the boy in the
upper r.h. corner looks eager to apply a few swats himself. The last kid is looking at O'Connor,
even though from his vantage point he has a good view of the intended target - makes you wonder.
02/14/2008 update - Richard, at The House of Richard Windsor, saw this page and informs us the paddling really did take place! See an actual clip of it on
his blog
here. O'Connor even encourages the other kids to take
turns applying the paddle!
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12/30/2022 Update: we found this nice, clean photo - apparently a print from the original
negative and not clipped from a movie poster - for sale on ebay. The clarity shows more details,
for example with O'Connor's tie, and the left portion is not obscured by the "This is the Life"
lettering on the poster version. Foster's dress is much lighter, too, which we can't explain.
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