Woody Herman & His Orchestra Movies
- 1947
In this musical, the fourth entry in a five-film series, three singers come together to form a nightclub act. Their songwriter falls for the female. They become a hit and are soon signed to appear in Hollywood musicals, but when the female becomes a star, the group disbands. Songs include: "Chiquita from Santa Anita," "Is There Anyone Here from Texas?" "I Guess I'll Have That Dream Right Away," "Couldn't Be More in Love," "The Customer is Always Wrong," "The Cats Are Going to the Dogs," "Brooklyn Buckaroos," and "Out California Way." ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Albert, Chester Clute, (more)
- 1944
Originally titled simply Sensations, this musical comedy was the final starring film for dancer Eleanor Powell and the final film, period, for comedian W.C. Fields. Powell is the prize client of flamboyant press agent Eugene Pallette. Dennis O'Keefe, Pallette's stiff-necked son, disapproves of his dad's razzle-dazzle promotional techniques, but finds himself just as shameless as his father when he takes over the business. Powell's particular highlight is a dance staged in a huge pinball machine (yes, critics in 1945 did say "Tilt!") W.C. Fields' contribution, based on one of his old Ziegfeld Follies sketches, is astonishingly unfunny; this protracted shaggy-dog story about a man who refuses to vacate his train compartment comes to life only during the byplay between a visibly ailing Fields and his sprightly female companion Louise Currie. Other guest stars in Sensations include Sophie Tucker, Cab Calloway, Woody Herman and a pre-Mary Ford Les Paul. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eleanor Powell, Dennis O'Keefe, (more)
- 1943
In her last 20th Century-Fox vehicle, skating star Sonja Henie plays, Nora, a Norwegian expatriate ice champion. Newly arrived in the U.S., Nora and her millionaire uncle Hjallmar (S. Z. Sakall) are sweet-talked into investing in a failing resort hotel, now a hostelry for showbiz folk. Unemployed musician Brad Barton (Cesar Romero) makes a play for Nora, but she winds up with hotel manager Freddy Austin (Cornel Wilde), leaving Freddy's girlfriend Flossie (Lynn Bari) literally in the cold. The film's finale is the standard fund-raising ice show, with Nora as the center of attention. It is typical of early-1940s musicals that poor Flossie, a likeable character throughout most of the film, turns into a venomous virago in the final reel to "justify" her breakup with Freddy. No matter: the film is redeemed by the sweet sounds of Woody Herman and His Orchestra. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sonja Henie, Jack Oakie, (more)
- 1942
There's plenty cookin' in this brisk, breezy Andrews Sisters vehicle. The plot, such as it is, concerns the efforts by a group of entertainers to package a weekly musical radio show. Their biggest obstacle is a lack of sponsorship, but this is overcome when eccentric business executive J. P. Courtney (Charles Butterworth) agrees to pony up the necessary dough on behalf of his talented niece Sue (Gloria Jean). Within its tightly packed 69 minutes, What's Cookin' is able to accommodate a romantic subplot, comedy relief, and a plethora of musical numbers. The stellar (and quite topheavy) supporting cast includes Jane Frazee, Robert Paige, Billie Burke, Donald O'Connor, Franklin Pangborn, Grace McDonald, Leo Carrillo, the Jivin' Jacks and Jills, and even Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd. Imagine what a lineup like that would cost a radio sponsor today! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jane Frazee, Robert Paige, (more)
Rating Systems
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