Gracie Fields Movies

This humorous video is a compilation of a multitude of comedic clips from various British films spanning from 1930 to 1970. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

Constance Bennett both produced and starred in the espionager Paris Underground. Bennett and Gracie Fields play, respectively, an American and an English citizen trapped in Paris when the Nazis invade. The women team up to help Allied aviators escape from the occupied city into Free French territory. The screenplay was based on the true wartime activities of Etta Shiber, who engineered the escape of nearly 300 Allied pilots. British fans of comedienne Gracie Fields were put off by the scenes in which she is tortured by the Gestapo, while Constance Bennett's following had been rapidly dwindling since the 1930s; as a result, the heartfelt but tiresome Paris Underground failed to make a dent at the box-office. It would be Constance Bennett's last starring film--and Gracie Fields' last film, period. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This star-studded musical drama was largely financed by Theatre Guild, with all proceeds going to various wartime fundraising concerns. Most of the story takes place at the Stage Door Canteen, a Manhattan-based home away from home for soldiers, sailors and marines (the real-life Canteen on 44th street was too busy to lend itself to filming, thus the interiors were recreated in Hollywood). Within the walls of this non-profit establishment, servicemen are entertained by top musical, comedy and dramatic acts, and waited on by such Broadway luminaries as Lunt and Fontanne, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Cowl, Katherine Cornell, Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Sam Jaffe and Paul Muni. Though the plotline-one of the Canteen servers, a girl named Eileen (Cheryl Walker) falls in love with one of the visiting soldiers (William Terry), despite the establishment's strict "no dating" rules-is merely an excuse to link together a series of specialty acts, it is superbly and touchingly directed by Frank Borzage. Not all of the film has weathered the years too well: particularly hard to take is Gracie Fields' cheery ditty about "killing Japs!" For the most part, however, the film works, and the guest performers-including comedians Ray Bolger, Harpo Marx, George Jessel and Ed Wynn, and singers Ethel Waters and Kenny Baker-are in fine fettle. If nothing else, Stage Door Canteen offers the only appearance on film of the great Katherine Cornell, who offers a vignette of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. Incidentally, the actor playing "Texas", Michael Harrison, later gained fame as cowboy star Sunset Carson. Originally released at 132 minutes, Stage Door Canteen is now generally available in the 93-minute TV version. The six big bands that appear and perform in the film are those of Kay Kyser, Count Basie, Xavier Cugat, Guy Lombardo, Benny Goodman and Freddie Martin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It's hard to go wrong with such stars as Bob Hope, Burns & Allen, Martha Raye and Edward Everett Horton, and College Swing doesn't-go wrong, that is. The film begins in 1738, when a pact is drawn up between the Alden family and a highly respected Colonial college: If any female member of the family can pass her college exams within a 200-year period, ownership of the institution will be turned over to her. Comes 1938, and the last of the Alden girls, giddy Gracie Alden (Gracie Allen, of course) hires glib-tongued tutor Bud Brady (Bob Hope) to help her pass her exams. She also tries to win over no-nonsense professor Hubert Dash (Edward Everett Horton), who has no intention of handing his college over to a blithering idiot like Gracie. Once she has inherited the place, however, Gracie turns it into a jumpin'-jivin' joint, complete with jitterbugging students, swing bands and remote radio broadcasts. Though George Burns' role is nearly nonexistent, he does get to indulge in his patented cross-talk with Allen. Others contributing to the fun are Ben Blue, Jerry Colonna, Betty Grable, and Grable's then-husband Jackie Coogan. Highlights include Allen's spirited Irish jig and her endearing song duet with Edward Everett Horton. College Swing is the sort of high-powered, all-star entertainment that is virtually impossible to reproduce today. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

British musical comedy star Gracie Fields made a bid for stardom in the U. S. with this lighthearted story. Music hall entertainer Gracie Gray (Fields) has grown tired of dealing with her less-than-honest manager and quits her job in the revue, with the rest of the cast soon following suit. Gracie moves out to her uncle's farm, with her friends tagging along; they happen to meet Bert (Roger Livesey), a successful musician, and with his help and advice, Gracie and the gang work up a whole new act. Taking their routines to the stage of a theater in Brighton, Bert and Gracie's show proves to be a huge hit. As usual, Fields sings several songs, including "Swing Your Way to Happiness" and "The Holy City." Notable among the supporting cast is Skippy the dog, who as "Asta" became a scene-stealer in The Thin Man. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The Queen of Hearts stars Lancashire's own Gracie Fields as Gracie Perkins, a seamstress who is mistaken for a wealthy patroness of the arts. The fun begins when Gracie is approached to back a new stage show. Hoping to crash society -- or at least land a part in the show herself -- she keeps up her masquerade. To absolutely no one's surprise, she's the hit of the show and as icing on the cake ends up winning the heart of leading man Derek Cooper (John Loder). Queen of Hearts was directed by comedian Monty Banks, who happened to be Gracie Fields' brand-new husband. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this British comedy, a plucky Lancashire millworker is out of a job when her mill is forced to close for the summer. She decides to make the best of it by taking a series of summer jobs in Blackpool that eventually lead her to meet a business magnate. With all her charm, the girl convinces him to invest in the financially strapped mill and the jobs of her colleagues are saved. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this comedy, an unemployed young woman gets a job managing a duchess' estate after the previous manager nearly destroyed it. Unfortunately, the new manager knows nothing about management and business. Fortunately she does possess a lot of good old fashioned common sense. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This romantic war drama takes its title from the 18th century Henry Carey song about a plucky but poor girl waiting for her love's seven years of indentured servitude to end so they can wed. Like the heroine in the song, Sally Winch (Gracie Fields), a singer in a café, is in love with a young man, George Miles (Ian Hunter) but must wait for him to return from the service in order to marry. However, George's letters stop coming, and Sally fears that her betrothed has been killed. That's just what George wants Sally to think, because the truth is that he has been crippled in battle and is ashamed to face her. Eventually, George is shipped home. He and Sally reconcile, but then the couple faces another challenge, Florrie Small (Florence Desmond), who wants to break up the happy couple. The fourth film to use the title of Carey's song but the first that was a talkie, Sally in Our Alley (1931) made a star of vaudevillian Fields. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi