''Hit Parade of 1941'' is a 1940 American
film written by
Bradford Ropes,
F. Hugh Herbert and Maurice Leo and directed by
John H. Auer. It was nominated for the
Oscar for Best Song at the
13th Academy Awards
The 13th Academy Awards were held on February 27, 1941, to honor films released in 1940. This was the first year that sealed envelopes were used to keep the names of the winners secret. The accounting firm of Price Waterhouse was hired to coun ...
with the song "Who Am I?", with music by
Jule Styne and lyrics by
Walter Bullock
Walter Bullock (May 6, 1907, Shelburn, Indiana – August 19, 1953, Los Angeles, California) was an American song lyricist and screenwriter. He recorded with his brother, James Russell Lowell Bullock. On April 22, 1930, they released a record on ...
. Also nominated for the
Oscar for Best Original Score in the same ceremony for composer
Cy Feuer.
Plot
A small radio station in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, WPX, is saved from going bankrupt by a backer (
Mary Boland
Mary Boland (born Marie Anne Boland; January 28, 1882 – June 23, 1965) was an American stage and film actress.
Early years
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Boland was the daughter of repertory actor William Augustus Boland, and his wife M ...
), who agrees to invest money for television equipment if the owner (
Kenny Baker) allows her dancing daughter Annabelle (
Ann Miller) to dance and sing on the screen. Due to her voice, her singing needs to be dubbed by the owner's girlfriend, Pat Abbott (
Frances Langford
Julia Frances Newbern-Langford (April 4, 1913 – July 11, 2005) was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades.
She was known as the "GI Nightinga ...
). Problems arise when the owner starts dating Annabelle.
Cast
*
Kenny Baker as David Farraday
*
Frances Langford
Julia Frances Newbern-Langford (April 4, 1913 – July 11, 2005) was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades.
She was known as the "GI Nightinga ...
as Pat Abbott
*
Hugh Herbert
Hugh Herbert (August 10, 1885 – March 12, 1952) was an American motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches.
Career
Born in Binghamton, New York, Herbert attended Cornell Univers ...
as Ferdinand Farraday
*
Ann Miller as Annabelle
*
Patsy Kelly
Patsy Kelly (born Sarah Veronica Rose Kelly; January 12, 1910 – September 24, 1981) was an American actress. She is known for her role as the brash, wisecracking sidekick to Thelma Todd in a series of short comedy films produced by Hal R ...
as Judy
*
Mary Boland
Mary Boland (born Marie Anne Boland; January 28, 1882 – June 23, 1965) was an American stage and film actress.
Early years
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Boland was the daughter of repertory actor William Augustus Boland, and his wife M ...
as Emily
*
Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...
as Charlie Moore
*
Donald MacBride
Donald Hugh MacBride (June 23, 1893 – June 21, 1957) was an American character actor on stage, in films, and on television who launched his career as a teenage singer (making several recordings in 1907) in vaudeville and went on to be an ...
as Harrison
*
Franklin Pangborn
Franklin Pangborn (January 23, 1889 – July 20, 1958) was an American comedic character actor famous for playing small but memorable roles with comic flair. He appeared in many Preston Sturges movies as well as the W. C. Fields films '' Interna ...
as Carter
*
Emory Parnell
Emory Parnell (December 29, 1892 – June 22, 1979) was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career.
Early years
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Parnell trained as a musician at Morningside ...
as Policeman
*
Borrah Minevitch and His Harmonica Rascals
*
Sterling Holloway
Sterling Price Holloway Jr. (January 4, 1905 – November 22, 1992) was an American actor and voice actor who appeared in over 100 films and 40 television shows. He did voice acting for The Walt Disney Company, playing Mr. Stork in '' Dumbo'', A ...
as Elmer
*
Six Hits and a Miss
Six Hits and a Miss was an American swing-era singing group. The group consisted of six male singers and one female (thus the word "miss" in their name has a double meaning – the converse of the word "hit", and denotation of a young woman). T ...
as Singing Group
Songs
Music by
Jule Styne, lyrics by
Walter Bullock
Walter Bullock (May 6, 1907, Shelburn, Indiana – August 19, 1953, Los Angeles, California) was an American song lyricist and screenwriter. He recorded with his brother, James Russell Lowell Bullock. On April 22, 1930, they released a record on ...
*Who Am I?
*Swing Low, Sweet Rhythm
*The Little Old Lamp
*In The Cool of the Evening
*South American Ballet
References
External links
*
1941 films
1940s musical comedy films
American black-and-white films
American musical comedy films
1940s English-language films
Films about radio
Films about singers
Films about television
Films directed by John H. Auer
Films produced by Sol C. Siegel
Republic Pictures films
1941 comedy films
1940 comedy films
1940 films
Films with screenplays by F. Hugh Herbert
1940s American films
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