Buddy Clark Movies

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now is the heavily laundered musical biopic of sentimental songwriter Joe E. Howard. As played by Mark Stevens (whose singing voice was dubbed by Buddy Clark), Howard is a humble 19th century organ salesman who rises to Broadway fame as the composer of maudlin ballads like "What's the Use of Dreaming" and jaunty ditties like "Hello My Baby". Along the way, he enjoys several romantic interludes, but it is fresh-faced American chorine Katie (top-billed June Haver) who lands Howard as her hubby. In real life, Joe E. Howard, who lived well into his eighties, was married several times; he was also a notorious "lifter" who regularly claimed credit for songs he never wrote (including this film's title tune!) But producer George Jessel chooses not to let the facts get in the way of a good story, maintaining a policy established by his earlier The Dolly Sisters and sustained through such subsequent musical life stories as Oh, You Beautiful Doll The I Don't Care Girl. Singer/dancer/director Gene Nelson makes his screen debut as Tommy Yale. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The hyped-up 1930s radio feud between bandleader Ben Bernie and columnist Walter Winchell is all but forgotten today, but that doesn't lessen the entertainment value of the Bernie/Winchell vehicle Wake Up and Live. Amidst the bickering of the two stars, the film traces the progress of mike-shy singer Jack Haley (whose singing voice was dubbed by Buddy Clark). Leading lady Alice Faye tricks Haley into singing on the air with Bernie's orchestra, which results in Winchell doing his best to discredit both Bernie and Haley. Eventually Haley and Alice Faye fall in love, and Ben and Walter patch up their differences. So successful was Wake Up and Live that 20th Century-Fox rushed Bernie and Winchell into a follow-up, Love and Hisses (38), but by that time their feud had taken second place in the hearts of America to the equally contrived "battle" between Jack Benny and Fred Allen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi