David Essex Movies
- 1944
Maxwell Anderson's Broadway play Eve of St. Mark is here brought to the screen by 20th Century-Fox. William Eythe and Anne Baxter are young lovers whose plans for the future are interrupted by the pre-war military draft. Eythe is shipped to the Philippines, where he is trapped on a small and desolate island after reinforcements are called away by the attack on Pearl Harbor. Down but not out, Eythe and his buddies undergo numerous grueling and uplifting experiences. The boy is sustained by Anne's letters from home, which give the courage to persevere. The film ends with the boy's ultimate fate still unresolved, a reflection of the fact that the war was far from over in 1944. Eve of St. Mark features Vincent Price in the uncharacteristic role of a poetic Georgia private. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Baxter, William Eythe, (more)
Four Jills in a Jeep is the (mostly) true story of a four-girl USO team, entertaining American troops overseas. Kay Francis, Martha Raye, Carole Landis and Mitzi Mayfair play "themselves," recreating their recent whirlwind tour of Europe and North Africa. This wisp of a plot takes a back seat to the musical numbers performed by the four stars, by Dick Haymes in his screen debut as a singing GI, and by guest stars Alice Faye, Betty Grable and Carmen Miranda. Phil Silvers, George Jessel, and Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra also pop up to do their usual. Very much a time capsule of the War years, Four Jills in a Jeep was later adapted into a best-selling book, ostensibly written by costar Carole Landis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kay Francis, Carole Landis, (more)
