atlasmb Thank Your Lucky Stars starts with two producers trying to get Dinah Shore to appear in their all star benefit. When one producer (Dr. Schlenna played by SA.Z. Sakall) says in his thick German accent he wants Dinah Shore, I think he says dinosaur. Speaking of dinosaurs, Eddie Cantor plays a caricature of himself and also plays a poor schlep who wants to break into show biz, but is thwarted because he looks like Eddie Cantor (what?).Shot during the shortages of WWII, you might think there's a talent shortage, but this film has plenty of talent. Unfortunately, it's used in hammy, half-baked scenes and performances. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more of this 2nd class collection of scenery-chewing and bad lyrics, I started enjoying the show. Yes, I said it. It surprised me, too. The movie is pure corn and I was eating it up. This collection of resurrected vaudeville zingers and minstrel show prancing somehow wormed its way into my heart. Maybe it's the puerile pratfalls or the gee-whiz dialogue or the one-joke skits or the Humphrey Bogart look alike... Hey wait, can that be the real Bogie? Don't fight it. Embrace the film. Get on to enjoying this diversion from the realities of war in 1943.Dennis Morgan and Joan Leslie play the two romantic leads.Most of the soundtrack is by by Schwartz and Loesser, but these are some of Loesser's lesser efforts, often sung by B-grade singers. Still, the novelty of seeing Bette Davis singing, for example, is engaging. By the time we get to the actual Cavalcade of Stars, we have an opportunity to see some bona fide stars in some interesting musical numbers.Note the great pas de trois. Great dancing.And my favorite part of the movie: the jive performance of "The Dreamer" by Ida Lupino, Olivia De Havilland and George Tobias. What gum-smacking fun!There are real rewards if you stick with this film.

dizozza I'm seeing now that The Warner Brothers mobilized their cavalcade of stars behind their 1944 wartime musical effort, Hollywood Canteen, and that it was because John Garfield originated the idea of importing to the West Coast New York's Stage Door Canteen. Thus Hollywood Canteen exists as more of a documentary, and has more integrity. Here, a year before, with Thank Your Lucky Stars, which I remember as a Frank Loesser musical, the Warners Ensemble of hardboiled urbanites, reacting to MGM's musical cavalcades, transformed themselves into lighthearted singers, and it plays like the first time for them. Warner Brothers already had their Busby Berkley musicals of the thirties, and Yankee Doodle Dandy, but in general, they produced such symphonically scored anti-musicals, that this foray into pop songs is particularly riotous. The impression here is that most of the actors have no business going near a musical, making them that much more beautiful (and vulnerable) when they do. Of course Ida Lupino comes first to mind. She seems especially humourless in her other nearby appearances (The Sea Wolf, The Hard Way). John Gafield, Betty Davis, and Errol Flynn, too, are enthusiastic. So though I haven't seen this movie in many years and when I did it was on good old network television... I recommend it. Thanks to this database and its "fun stuff" I see now that the songs are mostly by Arthur Schwartz with lyrics by Frank Loesser, doing their best to help "keep your love life as sweet as candy bars."

edwagreen The plot with Eddie Cantor assuming 2 roles, one as himself, a tyrannical theatrical person and the other as a look-alike who drives a tour bus. The latter can't break into show business because of his alikeness to Cantor.The plot itself is a very silly one with the Cantor look-alike meeting up with aspiring entertainers Dennis Morgan and Joan Leslie. They concoct a plan to take over the project that Cantor is planning for a benefit for soldiers.What makes the film good is the performances by so many of the stars of yesteryear who for this film, divorce themselves of their dramatic presence, and sing and dance.I didn't know that Alexis Smith could dance up a storm. While Errol Flynn didn't have a great voice, he carries it well. Even John Garfield gets through the singing bit. Hattie McDaniel is wonderful in her rendition of Cold Hearted Katie, and the great Bette Davis just shines by singing and dancing to They're Either too Young or too Old. Thank Your Lucky Stars was a film in tribute to our service people.

Scaramouche2004 World War Two was a time when the studios and it's stars, all bought war bond's, all 'backed the attack' and urged everyone else in the free world to do the same.Paramount seemed to be the headliner in this sort of all-star musical fayre, with films such as Star Spangled Rhythm etc, but that is not to say the other studios didn't play their part either.Thank Your Lucky Stars is Warner Bros' effort. A chance for Lieutenant Colonel Jack L.Warner, Head of the Studio and commander of the U.S.A.A.F 'S First Motion Picture Unit, to lift the roof from his studio and let the wealth of talent flood out.Eddie Cantor shows off what a great sport he was, by playing two parts. He plays an overly 'hammed' up and unpopular version of himself, a role with so much substance and screen time that it seems to fill the entire picture. Indeed he gives so much to this role that I find it amazing that he had the time or the energy to portray his second role as Joe the one-time dramatic actor who's career was cut short by his likeness to Cantor, who, now long forgotten, eeks out a living as a tour bus driver in Hollywood.Dennis Morgan and Joan Leslie are the two showbiz wannabes trying to break into the big time using Joes likeness to Cantor to land a radio spot for his voice and her song.All of this rather uninspired action takes place however around a Cavalcade of Stars benefit for the war effort where several notable movie stars of the day, have pledged to appear.So from here on in you can forget the rather scratchy, boring and predictable plot and just enjoy the cameos and musical numbers, by some of the Warner Brother's Elite.The famous 'scene-stealer' Alan Hale and funny man Jack Carson do a wonderful vaudeville sketch. John Garfield thoroughly lampoons his gangster/tough guy image as he struggles his way delightfully though 'Blues in the Night.' And George Tobias, Ida Lupino and Olivia De Havilland (Yum Yum) play for laughs doing a Beebop number.Dinar Shaw is given plenty of screen time to give us three lovely numbers, and even has time to grace us with a comic turn as she sparks off beautifully with Cantor.However, the real high points of this movie are Bette Davies and Errol Flynn. Davies, in true Deitrich style, talks and groans through 'They're either too Young or too Old,' a song which became a huge hit thanks to her rendition in this picture. Her obvious lack of singing talent seemed not to matter as her true screen radiance seems to overshadow everything else. A classic number, wonderfully delivered.Flynn in my opinion, is the best 'cameo' performance of the film. Sporting a large almost handle bar moustache he sings and dances through a comic number as a cockney man who's tales of daring do and bravado are only out sized by his apparent love of ale and is inability to pay for it. Each verse is a story of heroics which is obviously untrue, as he dances between the locals who are trying to kick him out....great! He seemed to perform his musical turn extremely well..a bit too well if you ask me. Maybe he should have made more musical appearances.However some of the star turns fail quite badly..Ann Sheriden is pants but pretty, Humphrey Bogart is given so little chance that he might have well stayed at home in bed, and Hattie MacDaniel gives us a Harlem number which isn't too good to say the least. Hattie sings brilliantly but the material she has to deal with is awful.Another interesting point is the politically correct nod to South America, who were still neutral but could have sided with the axis at the drop of a hat. 'Goodnight, Good Neighbour' sung by Dennis Morgan and danced superbly by the wonderful Alexis Smith, was political ass licking in musical form, an attempt to strengthen the bond between North and South and an attempt to influence their decision on who's side they should eventually fall if and when.Still, if its Hollywood wartime nostalgia you want then watch Thank Your Lucky Stars. Hollywood Wartime nostalgia you'll get.