''The Hit Parade'' is a 1937 American

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

directed by

Gus Meins Gus Meins (March 6, 1893 – August 1, 1940), born Gustave Peter Ludwig Luley, was an American film director. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany. Career Meins started out in the 'teens as a cartoonist for the Los Angeles Evening Herald before ...

and written by

Bradford Ropes Bradford Ropes (January 1, 1905 – November 21, 1966) was a prolific novelist and screenwriter whose work includes the novel ''42nd Street'' that was adapted for the 1933 film of the same name and then a Tony Award winning musical, also of the ...

Samuel Ornitz Samuel Badisch Ornitz (November 15, 1890 – March 10, 1957) was an American screenwriter and novelist from New York City; he was one of the "Hollywood Ten"Obituary ''Variety'', March 13, 1957, page 63. who were blacklisted from the 1950s on by ...

and Harry Ruskin. The film stars

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 Nighting ...

, Phil Regan,

Max Terhune Max Terhune (February 12, 1891 – June 5, 1973) was an American film actor born in Franklin, Indiana. He appeared in nearly 70 films, mostly B-westerns, between 1936 and 1956. Among these, Terhune starred in ''The Three Mesquiteers'' and ' ...

Edward Brophy Edward Santree Brophy (February 27, 1895 – May 27, 1960) was an American character actor and comedian, as well as an assistant director and second unit director during the 1920s. Small of build, balding, and raucous-voiced, he frequently ...

, Louise Henry and

Pert Kelton Pert or PERT may refer to: Ships * - see List of United States Navy ships: P * , a World War II corvette, originally HMS ''Nepeta'' * ''Pert'' (sidewheeler), a 19th-century steamboat that operated in British Columbia, Canada Statistics * PER ...

. The film was released on April 26, 1937, by

Republic Pictures Republic Pictures Corporation (currently held under Melange Pictures, LLC) was an American motion picture production-distribution corporation in operation from 1935 to 1967, that was based in Los Angeles. It had studio facilities in Studio City an ...

. Republic later reissued the film in 67 minute length as ''I'll Reach for a Star''.

Plot

The plot follows Pete Garland as he gets fired by singer Monica Barrett, and out of spite finds Ruth Allison and decides to make her a star, he succeeds, but Ruth has some dark secrets.

Cast

as Ruth Allison * Phil Regan as Pete Garland *

as Rusty Callahan *

as Mulrooney * Louise Henry as Monica Barrett *

as Eadie White *

Pierre Watkin Pierre Frank Watkin (December 29, 1887 – February 3, 1960) was an American character actor best known for playing distinguished authority figures throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood. He is best remembered for his roles of Mr. Skinner the b ...

as J. B. Hawley *

J. Farrell MacDonald John Farrell MacDonald (June 6, 1875 – August 2, 1952) was an American character actor and director. He played supporting roles and occasional leads. He appeared in over 325 films over a four-decade career from 1911 to 1951, and directed fort ...

as Sgt. O'Hara *

Monroe Owsley Monroe Righter Owsley (August 11, 1900 – June 7, 1937) was an American stage and film actor. Early years The son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Owsley, he was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His father was a manufacturing executive, and his mother was a c ...

as Teddy Leeds *

Inez Courtney Inez Courtney (October 12, 1897 – April 5, 1975) was an American actress on the Broadway stage and in films. Early years Born in Amsterdam, New York, Courtney came from a large Irish-American family. After her father's death when she was fif ...

as Tillie *

William Demarest Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 27, 1983) was an American character actor, known especially for his roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and for playing Uncle Charley in the sitcom ''My Three Sons'' Demarest, w ...

as Parole Officer *

George Givot George David Givot (February 18, 1903 – June 7, 1984) was a Russian Empire-born American comedian and actor on Broadway and in vaudeville, movies, television and radio. He was known for speaking in a comedic fake Greek dialect and was styled th ...

as Herman * Sammy White as Dancer *

Paul Garner Paul Albert "Mousie" Garner (July 31, 1909 – August 8, 2004) was an American actor. Garner earned his nickname by assuming the role of a shy, simpering jokester. He was one of the last actors still doing shtick from vaudeville, and has ...

as Member, The Gentle Maniacs *Sam Wolfe as Member, The Gentle Maniacs *Richard Hakins as Member, The Gentle Maniacs *Yvonne Manoff as Member, The Tic Toc Girls *Mildred Winston as Member, The Tic Toc Girls *Barbara Johnston as Member, The Tic Toc Girls *Carl Hoff as Bandleader of 'The Hit Parade Orchester' *

Ivie Anderson Ivie Anderson (sometimes Ivy) (January 16, 1904 – December 28, 1949) was an American jazz singer. Anderson was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra for more than a decade. Personal life Anderson was born on January 16, 1904, in Gilroy, ...

as Ivy *

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

as Duke Ellington *

Eddy Duchin Edwin Frank Duchin (April 1, 1909 – February 9, 1951), commonly known as Eddy Duchin or alternatively Eddie Duchin, was an American jazz pianist and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s. Early career Duchin was born on April 1, 1909 in Cambri ...

as Eddy Duchin *Pat Padgett as Pat of Pick and Pat / Molasses of Molasses and January *Pick Malone as Pick of Pick and Pat / January of Molasses and January *

Al Pearce Albert Pearce (July 25, 1898 – June 2, 1961) was an American comedian, singer and List of banjo players, banjo player who was a popular personality on several radio networks from 1928 to 1947. Biography After selling insurance door-to-door ...

as Al Pearce *Sayle Taylor as The Voice of Experience *Ed Thorgersen as Ed Thorgersen *Ed 'Oscar' Platt as Oscar *Lou Fulton as Elmer *

Arlene Harris Arlene Harris (July 7, 1896 – June 12, 1976) was a Canadian-born American radio, film, and television actress. (Another source gives her date of birth as July 7, 1898.) She was best known for her role as "the human chatterbox" on Al Pearce's ...

as Arlene 'Chatterbox' Harris * Stanley Fields as Bedtime Story Man

Soundtrack

*''

Happy Days Are Here Again "Happy Days Are Here Again" is a 1929 song with music by Milton Ager and lyrics by Jack Yellen. The song is a standard that has been interpreted by various artists. It appeared in the 1930 film '' Chasing Rainbows'' and was the campaign song for ...

'' Music by

Milton Ager Milton Ager (October 6, 1893 – May 6, 1979) was an American composer, regarded as one of the top songwriters of the 1920s and 1930s. His most lasting compositions include "Ain't She Sweet?” and “Happy Days Are Here Again”. Biography Ag ...

Lyrics by

Jack Yellen Jack Selig Yellen (Jacek Jeleń; July 6, 1892 – April 17, 1991) was an American lyricist and screenwriter. He is best remembered for writing the lyrics to the songs "Happy Days Are Here Again", which was used by Franklin Roosevelt as the theme ...

Performed by Carl Hoff & The Hit Parade Orchestra *''I've Got to Be a Rug Cutter'' Written by

Performed by

and the Duke Ellington Orchestra *''If It Wasn't for Pete'' Music by

Sam H. Stept Samuel Howard Stept (aka Sammy Stept; 18 September 1897 – 1 December 1964) was an American songwriter who wrote for Broadway, Hollywood and the big bands. He became known simply as Sam Stept or Sam H. Stept – he rarely used his full middle n ...

Lyrics by

Ned Washington Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Life and career Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Bes ...

Sung by Sammy White
Danced by Sammy White with chorus *''The Glory Beyond'' Music by

Alberto Colombo Alberto Colombo (born 23 February 1946 in Varedo, Lombardy) is a former racing driver from Italy. He unsuccessfully entered three Formula One Grands Prix in 1978 with ATS (two failures to qualify) and Merzario (one failure to pre-qualify). He ...

Danced by

and

*''I'll Reach for a Star'' Music by Lou Handman
Lyrics by Walter Hirsch
Sung by Frances Langford * ''Sweet Heartache'' Music by Sam H. Stept
Lyrics by Ned Washington
Sung by Phil Regan
Reprised by Frances Langford *''Last Night I Dreamed of You'' Music by

Lou Handman Lou Handman (September 10, 1894 – December 9, 1956) was an American composer. Born in New York City, in his early career he toured in vaudeville shows in Australia and New York. Handman worked closely with Roy Turk. They went on to make su ...

Lyrics by Walter Hirsch
Sung by Frances Langford * '' Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald''/'' Wiener Blut'' - Medley Music by

Johann Strauss Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ove ...

Arranged by

played by Eddy Duchin and His Orchestra
Danced by Galante and Leonarda * ''Was It Rain?'' Music by Lou Handman
Lyrics by Walter Hirsch
Sung by Frances Langford *''Love Is Good for Anything That Ails You'' Written by

Cliff Friend Cliff Friend (October 1, 1893 – June 27, 1974) was an accomplished songwriter and pianist. A member of Tin Pan Alley, Friend co-wrote several hits including "Lovesick Blues", "My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now" and "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down ...

and

Matty Malneck Matthew Michael "Matty" Malneck (December 9, 1903 – February 25, 1981) was an American jazz violinist, songwriter, and arranger. Career Born in 1903, Malneck's career as a violinist began when he was age 16. He was a member of the Paul White ...

Performed by the Tic-Toc Girls, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Eddy Duchin & His Orchestra and Carl Hoff & The Hit Parade Orchestra with chorus *''Sweet Heartache'' Music by Sam H. Stept
Lyrics by Ned Washington
Sung by Phil Regan and Frances Langford *''Hail Alma Mater'' Music by Sam H. Stept

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hit Parade, The 1937 films American musical films 1937 musical films Republic Pictures films Films directed by Gus Meins American black-and-white films Films produced by Nat Levine 1930s English-language films 1930s American films