Two Girls and a SailorMGM, 1944 | ||
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"In their first leading roles, June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven are delightfully enchanting as Patsy and Jean Deyo, a singing-dancing sister act. The girls entertain servicemen at their "home canteen" when they are not headlining the New York Club Floriano. But when handsome sailor John Brown (Van Johnson) introduces himself, their dreams really start coming true. Soon after, a mysterious "somebody" buys the girls an empty warehouse, where they open up the ideal canteen. First-rate performances by Lena Horne, Gracie Allen (performing her "Concerto for Index Finger") and José Iturbi, with musical accompaniment from Harry James' and Xavier Cugat's orchestras, keep the joint jumpin'. And when the sisters find out who their "somebody" is, love is only a heartbeat away. A special added treat is the appearance of Jimmy Durante as forgotten vaudevillian Billy Kipp, who sings, gags and guffaws his way back into the limelight at the canteen. With music to make you swing and songs to make you sing, this stylish romantic comedy offers a lifetime of entertainment." [from MGM/UA laser disc sleeve] |
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Credits: MGM, 1943, B/W, 125min, ***½ Produced by: Joe Pasternak Directed by: Richard Thorpe Original Screen Play by: Richard Connell and Gladys Lehman Musical Direction: Georgie Stoll Vocal Arrangements: Kay Thompson Dance Direction: Sammy Lee Director of Photography: Robert Surtees, A.S.C. Recording Director: Douglas Shearer Art Director: Cedric Gibbons Associate: Paul Groesse Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis Associate: John Bonar Costume Supervision: Irene Associate: Kay Dean Film Editor: George Boemler |
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Cast: June Allyson ... Patsy Deyo Gloria DeHaven ... Jean Deyo Van Johnson ... John Dyckman Brown III Tom Drake ... Frank Miller Henry Stephenson ... John Dyckman Brown I Henry O'Neill ... John Dyckman Brown II Ben Blue ... Ben Carlos Ramirez ... Carlos Frank Sully ... Private Adams Albert Coates ... Himself Donald Meek ... Mr. Nizby Amparo Novarro ... Herself Jose Iturbi ... Himself Jimmy Durante ... Billy Kipp Gracie Allen ... Herself Lena Horne ... Herself Virginia O'Brien ... Herself The Wilde Twins ... Themselves Frank Jenks ... Dick Deyo Joe Yule ... Carpenter (uncredited) Ava Gardner ... dancer (uncredited) |
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Songs: [0:08] Did You Ever Have the Feelin' (Jimmy Durante) [0:11] Sweet and Lovely (June Allyson & Gloria DeHaven) [0:12] A Tisket, A Tasket (June Allyson & Gloria DeHaven) [0:15] Sweet and Lovely (Harry James and His Orchestra) [0:18] A Love Like Ours (June & Gloria w/Harry James) [0:20] unidentified Rumba (Xavier Cugat w/Lina Romay) [0:23] Granada (Carlos Ramirez) [0:29] My Mother Told Me There'd Be Moments Like This (Gloria DeHaven) [0:36] Estreillita (Harry James) [0:51] Take It Easy (Xavier Cugat w/Lina Romay, Wilde Twins and Virginia O'Brien) [0:58] Ben Blue dance number, with Lina Romay [1:03] Concerto for Index Finger (Gracie Allen w/Orchestra conducted by Albert Coates) [1:07] In the Moment of Madness (Helen Forrest w/Harry James and His Orchestra) [1:16] The Young Man with a Horn (June Allyson w/Harry James and His Orchestra) (June Allyson and the shy GI do a great Jitterbug during this number!) [1:42] Babalu (Lina Romay w/Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra) [1:47] Inka Dinka Doo (Jimmy Durante, who else?) [1:51] Ritual Firedance (piano duet by Jose Iturbi and his sister Amparo Navarro) [1:53] Paper Doll (Lena Horne) [2:02] Fianale medley: A Love Like Ours/The Young Man with a Horn/Inka Dinka Doo/Sweet and Lovely (June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, Harry James and His Orchestra) | ||
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Notes: This is one of my favorite films from the war years. It has a simple, but charming story-line with lots of great music, and a good sampling of many of the actors, actresses, singers and bands that were popular in movie musicals during that period. June and Gloria are wonderful together, and Jimmy Durante is welcome in any movie, as far as I'm concerned. None of the music is original to this movie, but all of it was popular at the time the movie was made. If you want to see an exemplary movie from that period, this is simply one of the best! Available on VHS videotape: MGM/UA Home Video M200852 (1990) Available on laser disc: MGM/UA Home Video ML100852 (1992) | ||
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