Thank Your Lucky Stars

source: Thank Your Lucky Stars

There's enough bounce and energy in this Warner's showcase to light up a whole city. What great light entertainment for the boys overseas and folks on the homefront (after all, it's 1943). Eddie Cantor really comes through with the plot spark, racing around like the Energizer bunny, and playing dual roles (did they pay him double). Then there's handsome Dennis Morgan and all-American Joan Leslie making an attractive pair to hang the romantic hat on. And get a load of Bogart dropping his tough guy act if for just a moment, plus an off-key Garfield warbling, of all things. No, the music is nothing to write home about, but the performers are an enthusiastic bunch, so who cares. There's drama queens Lupino and de Haviland as jive-talking hepcats (note they only dance "in place"), and, of course, Warner's reigning drama queen Bette Davis doing something or other in her inimitable style. But I especially like the Hattie McDaniel free-for-all that really does light up the screen. Apparently, however, someone decided to slow things down with Ann Sheridan's static number where the girls sit around like prom princesses. But at least we boys get to ogle them. Too bad this rouser wasn't sent to Hitler and Tojo. They would have tossed in the towel immediately. Because it's obvious that no country with this kind of energy and dynamism could possibly lose a war. And, yes, it's still great unpolished entertainment, with what looks like a lot of people having a lot of fun.

Back in the dark ages of three networks (four if you count ETV with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers) and before tivo, dvr and vcrs, a late movie was what you stayed up to watch, if you remained awake. Such was the case with Thank Your Lucky Stars. I remember other movies airing late at night on the local ABC network, such as James Cagney with that grapefruit, believe it or not, among others, but Thank Your Lucky Stars had the distinction of airing late Sunday night on the first day of summer vacation. I was about 11, making this '77 or so. I knew Dinah Shore from her daytime talk show and recognized Alan Hale Sr from his son's stint on Gilligan's Island, and I knew Errol Flynn from Robin Hood airing Sunday afternoons. Didn't realize that was Abner Kravitz from Bewitched at all tho. I would not see this movie again for over 30 years, with the intention of watching it on New Year's Eve, then a tornado took out the power, so I had to wait. Cantor absolutely amused me to no end. I thought he was brilliant in the dual role of a look-alike as well as himself who no one could stand. Maybe the Cantor resentment doesn't carry over today as well as disdain for Margaret Hamilton or Lionel Barrymore, but Cantor really got it in that mental hospital. For some reason, I remember Ann Sheridan's number. She's very lovely and I understand she was popular for her time, but she's hardly striking and that hairnet deal isn't appealing. Maybe that is why I remembered her; for that odd hairnet. Most astonishing for me, upon purchasing the movie on DVD, was seeing Hattie McDaniel's Ice Cold Katie number. Where I live, in the south, this number was cut, out of some odd feeling of being considerate now? Her reprisal with Cantor was kept in. I think it was removed because of MS native Willie Best's portrayal, now regarded as offensive. I'll always enjoy this movie (being a lot longer than I recalled) simply because it means no school the next morning, if nothing else.

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."

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.

Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) *** (out of 4) Pretty much plot-less "musical" doesn't need a plot when you have guests stars that include Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, John Garfield, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Jack Carson, Dinah Shore, Ann Sheridan, Dennis Morgan, Ida Lupino and many, many more. What plot the film does have centers around a benefit show where a couple new to Hollywood tries to get on to make a name for themselves. We also have Eddie Cantor playing not only himself but the role of another man trying to break into the business. If you want any type of story then you're going to be disappointed but if you come to a film like this wanting a story then I'm not sure what to tell you. One must remember that the country was at war when this was made and in the end the studio just wanted to deliver something fun and that's what they did. With so many great A-list stars you can't help but have fun even when they're either making fun of themselves or making a fool out of themselves by singing. Flynn and Davis are really bad to listen to but at least they both are having fun with it. Bogart has a funny bit as the "tough guy" who gets pushed around by a nobody. Bogart's reply to this is priceless. Garfield is also quite good as he's the first one to appear in the film and he gets it off to a great pace. Character actor Richard Lane also appears as a character and does fine work as does the rest of the supporting cast. Cantor really seems to be having a blast with some great songs as well as making fun of himself as a boob throughout. All in all, this is a very entertaining movie even if the 127-minute running time goes on a bit too long but there's no way to deny the charm of seeing all these stars in one film.

If you're a classic Hollywood buff, then it's a treat to see so many famous faces doing things they normally weren't busy with like song and dance numbers. Unfortunately, the BIGGEST NO TALENT face among them, EDDIE CANTOR, is tightly interspersed throughout as some kind of unifying thread. How this man ever got a career is beyond legend. He must've slept with somebody big or had some dope on somebody up there because he is always an audition by a ham. I think he was a closet case as well because he does the most fey things imaginable which can occasionally be amusing but I'm sure this wasn't intentional. Can't sing, can't dance, can't act, can't tell a joke--not for nothing Cantor's films aren't rerun on TV often. The joy is in seeing a very young Dinah Shore, Bette Davis vocalizing, and Errol Flynn and Lupino/DeHavilland out of character. Enjoy and when Cantor comes on use it as a commercial break to go get some chips and dip in the kitchen.

Before I comment on the film, I just have to say that Dinah Shore's songs in this film are as bad as the "bad" song Joan Leslie is supposed to have written. I think she called it "Moondust" or some such thing. While the stars occasionally shine in this Warner Bros. musical tribute, it's Eddie Cantor who deserves the most praise for providing most of the laughs. Cantor's dual role as a taxicab driver and an Eddie Cantor lookalike gives him some hilarious moments as he helps Joan Leslie and Dennis Morgan crash the studio gates with his Cantor impersonation. The Warner stock company (including S.Z. Sakall, Edward Everett Horton and many others) is on hand in supporting roles while the stars are given some amusing skits to appear in. Errol Flynn is amusing in a cockney song-and-dance routine in a pub, Bette Davis talk-sings her way through 'They're Either Too Young Or Too Old', Ida Lupino and Olivia de Havilland do a jive number, mugging outrageously while chewing gum and mouthing words to a song called 'The Dreamer', Dinah Shore warbles an undistinguished song or two, Alexis Smith dances with style and grace, Ann Sheridan does a rather tiresome song number and Jack Carson and Alan Hale struggle through a less than witty routine that defeats both of them. Humphrey Bogart, John Garfield (obviously tone deaf when he renders "Blues in the Night") and Sydney Greenstreet make fleeting appearances. Hattie McDaniel appears in an unusual novelty number. As one reviewer pointed out, "It's more like amateur night at the studio." But thanks to Cantor, the perky charm of Joan Leslie despite some awful songs and the appealing Dennis Morgan, it all comes together--silly, but lots of fun. Must have been a big hit with the servicemen during the war years, but just don't expect Grade A entertainment.

This film could have been much better if it were 30 minutes long. I realize that in 1943 Eddie Cantor was considered talented, but his music, antics and humor(?) have not survived the test time. He drags this movie way down. I kept nodding off every time he was on screen. I agree that, with the exception of Spike Jones, the music was extremely forgettable. I feel bad saying that, as I was born in 1943. There were a lot of great songs that year but none are in this film. By the time the (Lucky) stars arrive we are asleep! The highlights were Spike Jones and his City Slickers (still great after 65 years), a terrific song and dance routine "Goin' Way Up North" with Alan Hale and Jack Carson (Hale was quite surprising as a 'hoofer'), Bette Davis singing off key, but who cares she's great, Hattie McDaniel singing was fun and all were better than Cantor and the two leads Dennis Morgan and Joan Leslie. I blinked and almost missed Bogart, Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and John Garfield. S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall and Edward Everett Horton were fun and what was Ann Sheridan wearing on her head? This should've been a lot better but I guess it helped the War effort so that's a positive.

Tnis is at best a very uneven film, with very misleading billing. Humphrey Bogart, who gets first billing, appears for about 3 minutes in a very forgettable and poorly done cameo. (No, he doesn't try to sing.) Olivia de Havilland and Ida Lupino appear together in a rather mediocre dance number. Bette Davis, though she can't sing, puts in a great appearance singing "They're either too young or too old," and Errol Flynn does a remarkably good job with his song and dance number. Alexis Smith looks very elegant and graceful in her dance number, though it is true that she is lifted through the air by various male dance partners as much as she actually dances herself, which helps. Still, she looks very beautiful for her 3 minutes of screen time. Ann Sheridan looks good in her song too, but it is so mediocre that there's not much she can do with it, and since she doesn't get to do any glamorous dancing, the number is forgettable.. The same applies to Jack Carson and Alan Hale, both very talented actors, who get saddled with a truly dead song and dance duo. In fact, the weakest element in this movie is the music, which is almost all forgettable. These various cameo appearances are fitted into a frame: Dennis Morgan is trying to break into show biz as a singer, while EE Horton and SZ Sakall, who are way down on the billing, are trying to put on a charity variety show. The three of them, plus Eddie Cantor, who plays himself and is very funny doing so, are the actual stars of this movie, though you would never guess it from the billing. All four are good. There are other forgettable musical numbers, including several with Dinah Shore, who comes off as having no personality, a rousing if forgettable number for Black singers and dancers in which Hattie McDaniel holds up her own, and a monologue of sorts with John Garfield that's not half bad, but only because he's a good actor. In short, a largely mediocre effort. If you like any of the stars who do the cameos, you will want to see them do their 3-5 minute bits. If you're looking for 2 hours of entertainment - this movie runs just over 2 hours - you won't find it here, though. ----------------------------------- I've just watched it again two years later. Perhaps I'm in a more charitable mood, but this time I got more pleasure out of it. It really only works if you know the work of the various actors who appear, as most of them either play against type - like Errol Flynn or his frequent side-kick, Alan Hale - or satirize themselves, like John Garfield, who is really very good playing a highly exaggerated version of his usual tough guy. Ann Sheridan is a knockout in her number, thanks to her dress and the way she moves; you really don't notice that she wasn't a great singer. That's the case for most of these cameo performances: they're done by often very fine actors who didn't normally sing and dance on screen. Most seem to be having a good time doing something they didn't usually get to do, and none of them embarrass themselves. Bette Davis definitely couldn't sing, but she brings off her number through sheer personality. The same goes for many of the others. If you don't know the classic Warner Brothers movies of the 30s and early 40s, this won't hold you. If you know how these stars normally appeared, you may get a kick out of seeing them do something very different, or making fun of what they normally did.