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Texas Carnival

Play trailer Poster for Texas Carnival 1951 1h 17m Musical Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 1 Reviews 15% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Debbie Telford (Esther Williams) and Connie Quinnell (Red Skelton) work at a carnival, where they meet wealthy Texan Dan (Keenan Wynn). Dan enters a drinking marathon with Connie and asks him to deliver his car to his hotel, due to his own inebriation. When Debbie and Connie deliver the car, people assume that they are Dan and his sister Marilla. The pair enjoy the trappings of a more luxurious lifestyle until Connie realizes he has racked up a hefty debt, and Debbie falls for Dan's foreman.
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Texas Carnival

Critics Reviews

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Mildred Martin Philadelphia Inquirer 04/20/2021
Its story of a couple of carnival folk and the jams they get themselves into is genuinely funny, and as the luckless sideshow barker and his half-fish half-girl partner, Red Skelton and Esther Williams are delightfully teamed. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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David K @RT61474040 Jan 21 It's a slog but it does preview many of the kinds of skits Skelton would use in his long-running television series. See more ashley h @ashleyhobgood87 02/05/2020 Texas Carnival is a disappointing film. It is about a showmen team is mistaken for a cattle baron and his sister. Esther Williams and Red Skelton give horrible performances. The screenplay is badly written. Charles Walters did a terrible job directing this movie. I was not impressed with this motion picture. See more 09/12/2016 Mistaken identities abound! Esther Williams, Red Skelton & Howard Keel!! See more 06/23/2013 Very slight MGM musical, possibly the worst of all of the Esther Williams films (Esther only swims while getting dunked in a water tank!); Ann Miller stands out in two dance numbers, and Howard Keel sings the movie's best song, "Young Folks Should Get Married." See more 07/17/2011 RED BRINGS THE FUNNY See more Read all reviews
Texas Carnival

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Cast & Crew

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Charles Walters

Director

Esther Williams

Debbie Telford

Red Skelton

Cornie Quinell

Howard Keel

Slim Shelby

Ann Miller

Sunshine Jackson

Paula Raymond

Marilla Sabinas
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Texas Carnival

Texas Carnival (1951) Texas Carnival (1951) Texas Carnival (1951) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Debbie Telford (Esther Williams) and Connie Quinnell (Red Skelton) work at a carnival, where they meet wealthy Texan Dan (Keenan Wynn). Dan enters a drinking marathon with Connie and asks him to deliver his car to his hotel, due to his own inebriation. When Debbie and Connie deliver the car, people assume that they are Dan and his sister Marilla. The pair enjoy the trappings of a more luxurious lifestyle until Connie realizes he has racked up a hefty debt, and Debbie falls for Dan's foreman.
Director
Charles Walters
Producer
Jack Cummings
Screenwriter
Dorothy Kingsley
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Musical, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 5, 1951, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 1, 2012
Runtime
1h 17m