Daily Archives: October 12, 2014

Stage Door Canteen (1943)

Posted on October 12, 2014 | 2 comments

Stage Door Canteen
Directed by Frank Borzage
Written by Delmer Daves
1943/USA
Sol Lesser Productions
First viewing/Netflix rental

 

[box] The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious. — Marcus Aurelius [/box]

This is a review of the kind of acts that played, or might have played, at the Stage Door Canteen operated by the leading lights of the Broadway theater in New York during World War II.  It is an enjoyable way to see many well-known theatrical stars that are rarely glimpsed in movies of the period, as well as some big Hollywood stars with theatrical roots.

Yes, there is a bit of a plot.  A group of soldiers who are a short leave in New York before shipping out to the front find out there is free food at the Stage Door Canteen.  The girls there ask them to dance.  A youngster gets his first kiss and one of the other men falls in love with a girl who thought she was volunteering so she could meet a producer and get work.  It’s actually not too badly handled.

However, what we are really here for is the fantastic cast, some doing cameos and some doing specialty numbers.  Among those I had never seen elsewhere on film were Katherine Cornell, Lynn Fontaine, Gracie Fields, and Gypsy Rose Lee (doing a clean version of her burlesque act).  We also get some boffo numbers by Benny Goodman, Ethel Waters with the Count Basie Band, Ray Bolger, Ethel Merman, Yehudi Mehunin and more.  Katharine Hepburn, Merle Oberon, and Paul Muni have speaking parts and Harpo Marx does his thing.  There are many more I don’t have space for.

I liked this a whole lot for what it was.  It will all depend on how much you enjoy the acts.  It’s hard to believe anybody with an open mind wouldn’t find at least something to love here.  I hadn’t heard the Oscar-nominated song before and it and its melody had me misting up as it appeared and reappeared various times.

James V. Monaco and Al Dubin were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song for “We Mustn’t Say Goodbye.  Freddie Rich was nominated for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.

Clip – Peggy Lee singing “Why Don’t You Do Right” with Benny Goodman and His Orchestra. – the picture quality isn’t much, but the audio, Wow!

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Posted in 1943, Movie Reviews

Mexicanos al grito de guerra (1943)

Posted on October 12, 2014 | 4 comments

Mexicanos al grito de guerra
Directed by Álvaro Gálvez y Fuentes and Ismael Rodríguez
Written by Álvaro Gálvez y Fuentes, Joselito Rodríguez and Elvira de la Mora
1943/Mexico
Producciones Rodríguez Hermanos
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Mexicans, at the cry of war,/ make ready the steel and the bridle,/ and may the Earth tremble at its centers/ at the resounding roar of the cannon! — Mexican National Anthem [/box]

Made at the height of Mexican cinema’s Golden Age, this is a nice telling of the origin of the country’s national anthem during its fight against France to keep its independence.

Lt. Luis Sandoval (Mexican heartthrob Pedro Infante) is a patriot and student of Jaime Nunó, who in a burst of inspiration writes a poem for a competition to come up with a national anthem.  Later a composer puts the words to music.  The song wins the competition but is almost totally ignored, its premier being snubbed by corrupt President Santa Anna.  Later the common people bring the song to national hero Benito Juarez, who embraces it.  When the French take the advantage of Mexico’s inability to pay off its huge foreign debt to install Emperor Maximilian, Juarez and his supporters go into battle against them and the song rallies his troops to victory.

Running parallel to this story is Luis’s choice of his country over his father, a supporter of the French, and his love for the niece of the French Amassador.

The film is full of pride and sentiment and is very competently made.  The battle sequence at the end is stirring and Infante is appealing and convincing. It made a nice companion piece to Warner Brother’s film Juarez (1939), starring Paul Muni, Bette Davis, and Brian Ahern.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1esOZqQmHpw

The Mexican Army takes up their national anthem at the Battle of Pueblo (no subtitles but this is almost entirely action)

 

 

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Posted in 1943

Best Song Nominees of 1943

Posted on October 12, 2014 | Leave a comment

1943 was another fabulous year for songs.  Notice that Harold Arlen was nominated three separate times.  We also have one from Cole Porter and one from Jimmy McHugh.  It would have been a tough choice if I had been voting but in the end “This Is My Shining Hour” would have won out for me.

“You’ll Never Know” by Harry Warren and Max Gordon from Hello, Frisco, Hello

as performed by Alice Faye in Four Jills and a Jeep (1944) – audio with photo montage of Faye

“Change of Heart” by Jule Styne and Harold Adamson from Hit Parade of 1943

as performed by John Carroll and Susan Hayward (dubbers unknown) in the film – audio only

“Happiness is a Thing Called Joe” by Harold Arlen and Yip Harwood from Cabin in the Sky

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzIsozIipAU

as performed by Judy Garland on her television show

“My Shining Hour” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer from The Sky’s the Limit

as performed by Fred Astaire in the film (which also gave us “One for My Baby”!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V03hG81ESXM

as performed by Barbra Streisand at her 2006 concert in Florida (just because I love this song)

“Saludos Amigos” by Charles Walcott and Fred Washington from Saludos Amigos

as performed in the film

“Say a Prayer for the Boys Over There” by Jimmy McHugh and Herb Magidson from Hers to Hold

as performed by Deanna Durbin (audio with stills from the film)

“That Old Black Magic” by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer from Star Spangled Rhythm

as performed by Frank Sinatra on New Years Eve 1942 on the radio

“They’re Either Too Young or Too Old” by Arthur Schwarz and Frank Loesser from Thank Your Lucky Stars

as performed by Bette Davis in the film

“We Mustn’t Say Goodbye” by James V. Monaco and Al Dubin from Stage Door Canteen

as performed by Lanny Ross in the film

“You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” by Cole Porter from Something to Shout About

as performed by Dinah Shore (audio only)

 

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Posted in Movie Reviews