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Follow the Boys
USA 1944
produced by
Charles K. Feldman for Universal
directed by A. Edward Sutherland
starring George Raft, Vera Zorina, Jeanette MacDonald, Orson Welles, Marlene Dietrich, Dinah Shore, Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, W.C. Fields, the Andrews Sisters (= Laverne Andrews, Maxene Andrews, Patty Andrews), Artur Rubinstein, Carmen Amaya & her Company, Sophie Tucker, Delta Rhythm Boys, Leonard Gautier's Brickslayers, Ted Lewis & Orchestra, Freddie Slack & Orchestra, Charlie Spivak & Orchestra, Louis Jordan & Orchestra, Charley Grapewin, Grace McDonald, Charles Butterworth, George Macready, Elizabeth Patterson, Theodore von Eltz, Regis Toomey, Ramsay Ames, Martha O'Driscoll, Max 'Slapsie Maxie' Rosenbloom
written by Lou Breslow, Gertrude Purcell, music by Leigh Harline, Frank Skinner, Oliver Wallace
American World War II Propaganda
review by
Mike Haberfelner
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The film starts with the fall of the vaudeville, and heartbroken, one
of vaudeville's most beloved performers, Tony West (George Raft), goes to
Hollywood to try and make it in the filmbusiness. He eventually tricks his
way into one of Gloria Vance's (Vera Zorina) films and dances his way into
her heart ... and before you know it, they marry and become Hollywood's
favourite couple. Then World War II breaks out, and Tony West tries to
enlist the very first day, but is rejected due to a childhood back injury
that has never totally healed. Soe he pretty much creates the USO
single-handedly that sends popular performers to all corners of the world
to entertain the troops. Unsurprisingly, the USO becomes a resounding
success, and Tony makes it the center of his life - much to the dismay of
Gloria, who has just learned she's pregnant ... but Tony's so busy she
can't even tell him. The two seperate, and Gloria refuses to tell Tony
about her pregnancy until she's already far along and learns that Tony has
created the USO to compensate for the fact he has gotten rejected. She
tries to call him immediately but learns he has already embarked on a
journey to Australia to entertain the troops there. On the eve of his
landing, he confesses to his sister Kitty (Grace McDonald) that he's still
madly in love with Gloria, and she tells him about her pregnancy. Tony
wants to call her from Brisbane right the next morning, but then his ship
gets sunk by a Japanese submarine. Weirdly enough, Tony ends up to be the
only casualty. Back home, Gloria gives birth to a son, but right out of
hospital, she decides to join the USO in honour of her late husband - now
if that doesn't sound like motherly love ... A propaganda movie
as silly as they come: War is portrayed as soldiers sitting around
wherever waiting for stars from radio, stage and screen stopping by to
entertain them, and these stars are uniformly over-enthusiastic to give
free performances ... problem is, only very few performances can stand the
test of time, the Andrews Sisters are at least as energetic as ever, a
magic trick involving Orson Welles and Marlene Dietrich has at least
curiosity value, and W.C. Fields gives us another taste of his pooltable
routine (though he and his routine have seen better days), but many of the
other songs and performances are rather tiring, especially since they seem
to be thrown into the film without narrative function or even rhyme or
reason - and the undying enthusiasm of the performers gets onto one's
nerves after a while as well. As for the little story segments there
are: George Raft, a fine tough guy actor, just doesn't cut it as performer
with a vaudeville background, and let's face it, he isn't much of a
dancer, either - so yeah, he pretty much sinks the role (probably more the
casting director's fault than his own though). In all, just not
worth your time, believe me.
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