''Something for the Boys'' is a 1944

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

film directed by

Lewis Seiler Lewis Seiler (September 30, 1890 – January 8, 1964) was an American film director. He directed more than 80 films between 1923 and 1958. Seiler was born in New York City and died in Hollywood, California. Partial filmography *''A Bankru ...

. It stars

Carmen Miranda Carmen Miranda, (; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha, 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress and film star who was active from the late 1920s onwards. Nicknamed "The B ...

, with Michael O'Shea,

Vivian Blaine Vivian Blaine (born Vivian Stapleton; November 21, 1921 – December 9, 1995) was an American actress and singer, best known for originating the role of Miss Adelaide in the musical theater production of ''Guys and Dolls'', as well as appearin ...

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 ...

Sheila Ryan Sheila Ryan (born Katherine Elizabeth McLaughlin, June 8, 1921 – November 4, 1975) was an American actress who appeared in more than 60 movies. Career Born in Topeka, Kansas, Ryan went to Hollywood in 1939 at the age of 18. Her acting career b ...

and

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...

. The screenplay was by Robert Ellis, Helen Logan and

Frank Gabrielson Frank Gabrielson (March 13, 1910 – January 24, 1980) was an American stage, film, and television writer. His stage work includes '' The Wizard of Oz'' as adapted in 1942 for The Muny, ''Days of Our Youth'', also performed as ''The Bo Tree'' an ...

, based on the 1943 Broadway Musical of the same name, starring

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary ''Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

with

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

's songs. The film's story revolves around the adventures of three cousins who find themselves joint heirs to an abandoned mansion in Masonville,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. Chiquita Hart, played by Miranda, Harry (

) and Blossom (

) leave their jobs, and decide to reform the place and rent it for military spouses who are in the war front, combining the hostel service to performers shows.

Judy Holliday Judy Holliday (born Judith Tuvim, June 21, 1921 – June 7, 1965) was an American actress, comedian and singer.Obituary ''Variety'', June 9, 1965, p. 71. She began her career as part of a nightclub act before working in Broadway plays and music ...

can be spotted in a brief role six minutes into the film. This is her third film.

Plot

After cousins actress Blossom Hart (

), defense plant worker Chiquita Hart (

) and inventor Harry Hart (

) each learn that they are heirs to a large plantation in Masonville, Georgia, they travel separately to Masonville, and in the office of lawyer Col. Jefferson L. Calhoun, meet for the first time. As they are all poor, they are thrilled by the inheritance, but when Calhoun takes them to Magnolia Manor, they discover that the once glorious plantation house is now a ruin. In addition, paying the plantation's various property and inheritance taxes will put them deeply in debt. While the cousins are bemoaning their fate, Staff Sgt. Ronald "Rocky" Fulton ( Michael O'Shea), who was a well-known orchestra leader before joining the military, arrives with some of his men, including Sgt. Laddie Green (

). Rockie explains that the married service men of nearby Camp Dixon want to rent rooms in the manor for their wives, who have been unable to live close to their husbands due to a lack of available housing. The men pitch in and help the cousins fix up the manor, although Chiquita is continually bothered by the fact that she can pick up radio programs on the fillings in her teeth. Rocky, who has begun a romance with Blossom, suggests that they put on a musical show to raise funds for the renovations. On the day that "The Old Southern Corn Revue" is to open, Blossom is stunned by the arrival of Melanie Walker (

), a snobbish, rich woman, who Rocky is forced to admit is his fiancé. Melanie, believing that Rocky has arranged for the manor to be let just for her, imperiously announces the changes she intends to make, and the infuriated Blossom refuses to speak to Rocky. Before the show, Rocky explains to a disapproving Chiquita that he loves only Blossom. The show is a big success, and the next morning, Chiquita advises Blossom to fight for Rocky if she loves him. The snooty Melanie ends up covered with eggs after she tries to work one of Harry's new inventions, and she seeks solace from Lt. Ashley Crothers (

Glenn Langan Glenn Langan (July 8, 1917 – January 26, 1991) was an American character actor on stage and films. Early years Born in Denver, Colorado, Langan was the son of Thomas Langan and Kate Quinn Langan. He attended schools there. His early training ...

). While the lieutenant is there, he discovers that Harry is hosting a dice game for some of the soldiers, none of whom have wives staying at the manor. Crothers arrests the soldiers and recommends that the house be posted as off-limits for all military personnel. Col. Grubbs approves Crother's suggestion, and soon the wives are packing to leave. Meanwhile, after Harry learns that carborundum from the defense plant got into Chiquita's fillings and is causing her to receive radio programs, he decides to build an invention around the idea. One afternoon, Rocky comes to the house to try to talk to Blossom, who refuses to see him. Rocky is supposed to be on duty for war games, and is captured by the "enemy" army, which has taken over the manor as its headquarters. Hoping to save both his stripes and the manor, Rocky enlists the aid of Chiquita and Harry, who begin building a transmitter to send a message to Rocky's unit via Chiquita's teeth. The message is sent, and the cousins distract the "enemy" army with a song and dance show while Rocky's army assembles for its attack. Soon after, Rocky's side has prevailed in the maneuvers, and in appreciation of Blossom, Chiquita and Harry's help, the off-limits sign is removed and the manor is once again the site of much happiness for the military men and their wives. At a celebratory party, Rocky announces that he has been selected for officer's candidate school, and the happy Blossom reconciles with him.

Cast

as Chiquita Hart * Michael O'Shea as Sergeant Ronald 'Rocky' Fulton *

as Blossom Hart *

as Harry Hart *

as Melanie Walker *

as Sergeant Laddie Green *

as Lieutenant Ashley Crothers *

Thurston Hall Ernest Thurston Hall (May 10, 1882 – February 20, 1958) was an American film, stage and television actor.Aylesworth, Thomas G. and Bowman, John S. (1987). ''The World Almanac Who's Who of Film''. World Almanac. . Pp. 186-187. Career Stag ...

as Colonel Jefferson L. Calhoun *

June Haver June Haver (born Beverly June Stovenour, June 10, 1926 – July 4, 2005) was an American film actress, singer, and dancer. Once groomed by 20th Century Fox to be "the next Betty Grable", Haver appeared in a string of musicals, but she never achie ...

as Chorine Image:Carmen Miranda in Something for the Boys.jpg, Carmen Miranda Image:Michael O'Shea in Something for the Boys.jpg, Michael O'Shea Image:Vivian Blaine in Something for the Boys.jpg, Vivian Blaine Image:Phil Silvers in Something for the Boys.jpg, Phil Silvers Image:Sheila Ryan in Something for the Boys.jpg, Sheila Ryan Image:Perry Como in Something for the Boys.jpg, Perry Como

Production

The film is based on the 1943

Broadway Musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

of the same name, which featured songs by

and was a starring vehicle for

, who played Blossom. However, the film version uses only the title song from Porter's score, and otherwise features no music from the stage show. In addition, Chiquta's role was expanded for Miranda: in the musical, it is Blossom who receives messages from her fillings. According to information in the

Twentieth Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

Records of the Legal Department, located at the

UCLA Library The library system of the University of California, Los Angeles, is one of the largest academic research libraries in North America, with a collection of over twelve million books and 100,000 serials. The UCLA Library System is spread over 12 libr ...

, in November 1942, the studio advanced $62,500 to Michael Todd and Savoy Productions for production of the musical, then purchased the screen rights to it in 1943. Although the legal records give the purchase price as $265,000, a 12 March 1943 ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' news item lists the amount paid by Fox as $305,000. Per the agreement with Todd, Fox could not release the film until at least the summer of 1944, which, as ''The Hollywood Reporter'' noted, was to "enable the stage original to play the key cities and tour without competition from the celluloid version." Only one of Cole Porter's songs for the musical was included in the film version. ''The Hollywood Reporter'' news items note that

William Perlberg William Perlberg (October 22, 1900 in Łódź, Poland – October 31, 1968 in Los Angeles, California) was an American film producer. William Perlberg was born Wolf Perelberg, son of Israel Jakob Perelberg (later: Perlberg), a fur manufacturer ...

was originally slated to produce this film,

Irving Cummings Irving Caminsky (October 9, 1888 – April 18, 1959) was an American movie actor and director. Career Born in New York City, Cummings started his acting career at age 16 in ''Diplomacy''. His Broadway, performances included ''In the Long R ...

was to direct it and

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...

was to star in it. In January 1944,

H. Bruce Humberstone H. Bruce "Lucky" Humberstone (November 18, 1901 – October 11, 1984) was an American film director. He was previously a movie actor (as a child), a script clerk, and an assistant director, working with directors such as King Vidor, Edmund Gould ...

was assigned to direct the picture and

Brenda Marshall Brenda Marshall (born Ardis Ankerson; September 29, 1915Some question exists regarding the exact date of her birth. An article in the December 31, 1939, issue of the '' Salt Lake Tribune'' says that she was born November 29, 1915. – July 3 ...

was set for the female lead. According to ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Humberstone auditioned The Jeepers, a seven-piece novelty orchestra, but they do not appear in the finished film. Although a 23 February 1944 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' news item noted that dance director

Nick Castle Nicholas Castle is an American screenwriter, film director, and actor. He is known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter's horror film ''Halloween'' (1978). He reprised the role in ''Halloween'' (2018), and its sequels ''Halloween Kills'' ...

was working with

to prepare a "four-movement, symphonic treatment" of the popular song ''Mairzy Doats'', the number was not included in the film. In April 1944, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' noted that Scott Elliott had been tested for the film, but his participation in the finished picture has not been confirmed. Although a ''The Hollywood Reporter'' news item and studio press releases include

Billie Seward Billie Seward (born Rita Ann Seward; October 23, 1912 – March 20, 1982) was a 1930s motion picture actress from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Film actress Seward performed with Lou Holtz (actor), Lou Holtz at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel Go ...

Stanley Prager Stanley Prager (January 8, 1917 – January 18, 1972) was an American actor and a television and theatre director. Life and career Born in New York City, Prager began his career as the stage manager for the Broadway production ''The Skin of O ...

Chester Conklin Chester Cooper Conklin (January 11, 1886 – October 11, 1971) was an early American film comedian who started at Keystone Studios as one of Mack Sennett’s Keystone Cops, often paired with Mack Swain. He appeared in a series of films with ...

, Harry Seymour and

Jo-Carroll Dennison Jo-Carroll Dennison (December 16, 1923 – October 18, 2021) was an American actress and model who was Miss America 1942. Early years Dennison was born on December 16, 1923, in Florence, Arizona, the daughter of Elizabeth (née Brownd) and Harr ...

in the cast, they do not appear in the completed film. The picture marked the screen debuts of popular singer

and actor

Rory Calhoun Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922April 28, 1999) was an American film and television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such as ''How to Marry a Millio ...

, who appeared under the name Frank McCown. Modern sources also include

in the cast. A studio credit sheet lists the film's running time as 78 min. According to information in the legal records and the Twentieth Century-Fox Produced Scripts Collection, the following writers worked on various versions of the screenplay:

Harry Segall Harry Segall (April 10, 1892 – November 25, 1975) was an American playwright, screenwriter and television writer. Segall was born in Chicago. Harry Segall's writing career spans 1933 to 1959. Segall's plays, including '' Lost Horizons'', ...

, Marian Spitzer, Eddie Welch, Snag Werris,

Samuel Hoffenstein Samuel "Sam" Hoffenstein (8 October 1890 - 6 October 1947) was a screenwriter and a musical composer. Born in Russia, he emigrated to the United States and began a career in New York City as a newspaper writer and in the entertainment business. In ...

and Betty Reinhardt. The extent of their contributions to the completed film has not been confirmed, however. Notes from a 12 January 1944 studio conference reveal that production head

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...

wanted the same writers who wrote ''

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

'', a 1944 Twentieth Century-Fox picture starring

, to write Miranda's dialogue for this film, because "they wrote especially for her, with mispronunciations, etc., and she is very funny when she is given this style of writing." The ''Greenwich Village'' screenwriters did not contribute to Something for the Boys, but Miranda's trademark mangling of the English language is included in the film. The studio records also note that the ''Southland Routine'', which is performed by

, includes excerpts from the following songs: ''Southland'' by Silvers,

Harold Adamson Harold Campbell Adamson (December 10, 1906 – August 17, 1980) was an American lyricist during the 1930s and 1940s. Early life Adamson, the son of building contractor Harold Adamson and Marion "Minnie" Campbell Adamson, was born and raised in ...

and

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, J ...

; ''Dixie's Land'' by Dan Emmet; ''All Over God's Heaven'', traditional spiritual; ''Shortnin' Bread'', words by Jacques Wolfe, music traditional; ''Indian Dance'' by Urban Theilman; and ''Climin' Up Dem Golden Stairs'' by McHugh and Adamson. The studio records contain letters from songwriters

Jule Styne Jule Styne (; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer best known for a series of Broadway musicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also became s ...

and

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premier ...

, who stated that the ''Southland Routine'' was based on their work. In early 1945,

paid the composers three thousand dollars not to pursue their claim. According to a 3 February 1943 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' news item, owners of the radio show '' The Court of Missing Heirs'' filed an infringement of copyright lawsuit against the producers and owners of the play ''Something for the Boys''. The owners of the radio program alleged that the play infringed on their show's premise. The disposition of the suit is unknown.

Release

The film was released on November 1, 1944. In June 2008, ''Something for the Boys'' was released in

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

as part of Fox's "The Carmen Miranda Collection."

Critical reception

On the film's release on November 1, 1944,

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' said that ''Something for the Boys'' features a "variety of musics, much gay humor and a superabundance of beautiful girls. As for tempestuous Miss Miranda, she is still rather fearful to behold, and sings as a human radio set." ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine wrote that the film "turns out to have nothing very remarkable. There is not Carmen Miranda." "It should be more fun than it is," wrote Dave Kehr in the ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by a ...

''. ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' thought that it was "sufficiently diverting and tuneful to warrant more than moderate success at the box-office." Perry Como, the magazine said, "makes a good appearance before the cameras" and his two songs were "quite listenable and well sold."

References

External links

* * * * {{Lewis Seiler 1944 films 1944 musical comedy films 20th Century Fox films American musical comedy films American films based on plays Films directed by Lewis Seiler Films scored by Leigh Harline Films based on musicals 1940s American films