''What's Cookin'?'' is a 1942 American musical film directed by Edward F. Cline and starring

The Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (January ...

Jane Frazee Mary Jane Frehse (July 18, 1915 – September 6, 1985), was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Professional life Jane, age six, and her 12-year-old sister Ruth formed a singing vaudeville act known as The Frazee Sisters.Robert Paige Robert Paige (born John Arthur Paige, December 2, 1911 – December 21, 1987) was an actor and a TV newscaster and political correspondent and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime: he was the only actor ever allowed t ...

and

Gloria Jean Gloria Jean (born Gloria Jean Schoonover; April 14, 1926 – August 31, 2018) was an American actress and singer who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films from 1939 to 1959, and made numerous radio, television, stage, and nightclub app ...

. The film is based on the story ''Wake Up and Dream'' written by

Edgar Allan Woolf Edgar Allan Woolf (April 25, 1881 – December 9, 1943) was an American lyricist, playwright, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-author of the script for the 1939 film '' The Wizard of Oz''. Early years and education Woolf was the son ...

Plot

Mrs. Murphy's Theatrical Boarding House is a place where young performers reside. A group of those young people try to escape after finding out they are unable to pay the rent. However they get caught by the landlady and fellow tenant Marvo the Great is forced to sell his clothes to pay the rent. They next set out to the radio network WECA to visit singer Anne Payne. Anne is a former boarding house member who now works at the radio station with the Andrews Sisters and Woody Herman and His Orchestra. When Marvo is later conversing with Anne at her apartment, her wealthy neighbour Sue Courtney drops in their conversation and wonders if she can join the group. Meanwhile, at the Courtney estate, Sue's uncle and aunt, J.P. and Agatha, meet with their advertising counselor Bob Riley. She complains that the radio station only plays classical songs. Sue offers to help them out by asking her new friends to make swing music for the radio station. They do so and Bob notices Anne, whom he immediately falls in love with. Sue meanwhile falls in love with young performer Tommy.

Cast

as Themselves *

as Bob Riley *

as Sue Courtney *

Leo Carrillo Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo (; August 6, 1880 – September 10, 1961), known professionally as Leo Carrillo, was an American actor, vaudevillian, political cartoonist, and conservationist. He was best known for playing Pancho in the television ...

as Marvo the Great *

Billie Burke Mary William Ethelbert Appleton Burke (August 7, 1884 – May 14, 1970) was an American actress who was famous on Broadway and radio, and in silent and sound films. She is best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North ...

as Agatha Courtney * Charles Butterworth as J.P. Courtney *

Grace McDonald Grace McDonald Green (June 15, 1918 – October 30, 1999) was an American actress who appeared in films in the early 1940s, mostly B movies. Born in New York City, she and her brother Ray McDonald had their Broadway debut in 1937 in ''Babes in ...

as Angela *

Donald O'Connor Donald David Dixon Ronald O'Connor (August 28, 1925 – September 27, 2003) was an American dancer, singer and actor. He came to fame in a series of films in which he co-starred with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule. His b ...

as Tommy *

Peggy Ryan Margaret O'Rene Ryan (August 28, 1924 – October 30, 2004) was an American dancer and actress, best known for starring in a series of movie musicals at Universal Pictures with Donald O'Connor and Gloria Jean. Career Ryan joined her paren ...

as Peggy *

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 Professor Bistell *Susan Levine as Tag-a-long *

The Jivin' Jacks and Jills The Jivin' Jacks and Jills were a twentieth century American dance group of the World War II era. The group was assembled by Universal Pictures via open audition. The intent was to assemble a group of young dancers with appeal to a teen audience. L ...

as Themselves *

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

as Himself * Charles Lane as K.D. Reynolds * Ray Walker as Happy

Production

The film was known as ''Wake Up and Dream''.

Soundtrack

*Golden Wedding **Written by Gabriel Marie **Special arrangement by Woody Herman **Played by Woody Herman and His Orchestra *

Woodchopper's Ball "Woodchopper's Ball", also known as "At the Woodchopper's Ball" is a 1939 jazz composition by Joe Bishop and Woody Herman. The up-tempo blues tune in D-flat major was the Woody Herman Orchestra's biggest hit, as well as the most popular composition ...

**Written by

Joe Bishop Joe Bishop (November 27, 1907 – May 12, 1976) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist and composer. Early life and education Bishop was born in Monticello, Arkansas. He learned piano, trumpet, and tuba when he was young, and also played ...

**Played by

and His Orchestra *I'll Pray for You **Written by Arthur Altman and Kim Gannon **Played by Woody Herman and His Orchestra **Sung by Jane Frazee, Gloria Jean, and The Andrews Sisters *What to Do? **Written by Sid Robin **Played by Woody Herman and His Orchestra **Sung by The Andrews Sisters *You Can't Hold a Memory in Your Arms **Written by Hy Zaret and Arthur Altman **Played by Woody Herman and His Orchestra **Sung by Jane Frazee *Blue Flame **Written by James Noble **Played by Woody Herman and His Orchestra *Lo, Hear the Gentle Lark **Sung by Gloria Jean *If **Played by the studio orchestra **Sung by the studio vocal group *Love Laughs at Anything **Written by Gene de Paul, and Don Raye **Sung by Gloria Jean *

Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile! "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag, and Smile, Smile, Smile" is the full name of a World War I marching song, published in 1915 in London. It was written by Welsh songwriter George Henry Powell under the pseudonym of "George Asaf", and s ...

**Music by Felix Powell **Lyrics by

George Asaf George Henry Powell (27 April 1880 – 3 December 1951) was a Welsh songwriter who, under the pseudonym George Asaf, wrote the lyrics of the marching song "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag" in 1915.George Asaf.Pack Up Your Troubles in Y ...

**Played by Woody Herman and His Orchestra **Sung by Jane Frazee, Gloria Jean, and The Andrews Sisters *Amen Spitural **Written by

Vic Schoen Victor Schoen (March 26, 1916 – January 5, 2000) was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer whose career spanned from the 1930s until his death in 2000. He furnished music for some of the most successful persons in show business inclu ...

, and Roger Segure **Played by Woody Herman and His Orchestra **Sung by Jane Frazee, Gloria Jean, and The Andrews Sisters

Reception

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 d ...

'' noticed there is "plenty cookin' in this brisk, breezy Andrews Sisters vehicle". It also called the supporting cast "topheavy". The website

Answers.com Answers.com, formerly known as WikiAnswers, is an Internet-based knowledge exchange. The Answers.com domain name was purchased by entrepreneurs Bill Gross and Henrik Jones at idealab in 1996. The domain name was acquired by NetShepard and sub ...

gave the film one star.Answers
What's Cookin? film

References

External links

* * {{Edward F. Cline 1942 films American black-and-white films 1942 musical films Universal Pictures films Films directed by Edward F. Cline American musical films Films with screenplays by Edgar Allan Woolf 1940s English-language films 1940s American films