''The Yanks Are Coming'' is a 1942 American patriotic musical film from

Poverty Row Poverty Row is a slang term used to refer to Hollywood films produced from the 1920s to the 1950s by small (and mostly short-lived) B movie studios. Although many of them were based on (or near) today's Gower Street in Hollywood, the term did ...

studio

Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation was the smallest and least prestigious of the Hollywood film studios of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called "Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower Street in Hollywood where shoest ...

directed by Alexis Thurn-Taxis.

Plot

During World War II singer Bob Reynolds leaves his band to enlist in the US Army. His band soon follows him where the Army uses the group to put on a show for the troops.

Cast

* Henry King as Gil Whitney * Mary Healy as Rita Edwards * Little Jackie Heller as Sammy Winkle * (Slapsie) Maxie Rosenbloom as Butch * William Roberts as Bob Reynolds * Parkyarkarkus as Parky *

Dorothy Dare Dorothy Dare (born Dorothy Herskind, August 6, 1911 – October 4, 1981) was an American actress and singer. Early life Dare was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a child, she often sang in church and developed good vocability. She first ...

as Peggy * Lynn Starr as Vicki *

Jane Novak Jane Novak (born Johana Barbara Novak; January 12, 1896 – February 3, 1990) was an American actress of the silent film era. Background Jane Novak was born Johana Barbara Novak in St. Louis, Missouri to Bohemian immigrant Joseph Jerome Novak a ...

as Flora * Charles Purcell as Corporal Jenks *

Forrest Taylor Edwin Forrest Taylor (December 29, 1883 – February 19, 1965) was an American character actor whose artistic career spanned six different decades, from silents through talkies to the advent of color films. Early years Taylor was born in B ...

as Captain Brown * David O'Brien as Sergeant Callahan * ''and''

Lew Pollack Lew Pollack (June 16, 1895 – January 18, 1946) was an American song composer and musician active during the 1920s and the 1930s. Career Pollack was born in New York City where he went to DeWitt Clinton High School and was active as a boy sopr ...

as himself ;Uncredited *

Snub Pollard Harold Fraser (9 November 1889 – 19 January 1962), known professionally as Snub Pollard, was an Australian-born vaudevillian, who became a silent film comedian in Hollywood, popular in the 1920s. Career Born in Melbourne, Australia, on 9 No ...

as Soldier in canteen

Prolog

Text in opening credits

"This picture is humbly dedicated to
The millions of Yanks and the Armed Forces of the United Nations whose devotion, gallantry and courage is destined to wipe the Axis scourge from the face of the earth, in order that Democracy and the Freedom of Man may survive."

Narration by Anson Bond

"This is America. Homeland of a people strong and self reliant... proud in the way of free men. A land where liberty, equality and justice are living breathing symbols of a way of life. Where the right of free speech, freedom of the press and the right to worship without hindrance or let are a nation's birthright. A nation without master, without slave, where the right to education and learning are limited only by ambition... where old age is venerated and loved... not beaten and destroyed. And where the right to the pursuit of happiness is open to all, regardless of race, creed or color... where music and the other arts are not restricted by the word ''verboten''."

Songs

Music by
Lew Pollack Lew Pollack (June 16, 1895 – January 18, 1946) was an American song composer and musician active during the 1920s and the 1930s. Career Pollack was born in New York City where he went to DeWitt Clinton High School and was active as a boy sopr ...
and Tony Stern, lyrics by Herman Ruby and
Sidney Clare Sidney Clare (August 15, 1892 – August 29, 1972) was an American comedian, dancer and composer. His best-known songs include "On the Good Ship Lollipop" (introduced by Shirley Temple), " You're My Thrill" (recorded by Billie Holiday), and "Ple ...

* "The Yanks Are Coming" (

Henry King and his Orchestra Henry King (February 8 1906 – August 8, 1974) was an American orchestra leader and pianist who achieved significant success as a recording artist, hotel bandleader, and as leader of radio orchestras. He was most popular in the 1930s and ...

) * "I Must Have Priorities on Your Love" (William Roberts inging voice of uncredited William Marshalland Lynn Starr) * " There Will Be No Blackout of Democracy" * "Zip Your Lip" ( Parkyarkarkus)

Music and lyrics by Kay Crothers and Dr. Arthur Garland

* Don't Fool Around with My Heart (William Roberts inging voice of uncredited William Marshalland Lynn Starr)

References

External links

* * * 1942 films 1942 musical comedy films 1942 romantic comedy films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films Producers Releasing Corporation films American romantic musical films American black-and-white films World War II films made in wartime 1940s romantic musical films 1940s English-language films {{romantic-musical-film-stub