Classic Films in Focus: COVER GIRL (1944)

Rita Hayworth gets top billing in director Charles Vidor’s musical romance, Cover Girl (1944), but most modern viewers will be drawn to the picture as an early Gene Kelly vehicle, and it’s true that the movie would be a lot less memorable without him. Although it’s not the most iconic picture made by either performer, Cover Girl offers a worthwhile look at Hayworth’s star power and Kelly’s rise to fame during the 1940s. Moreover, it's a fun musical outing that pairs two talented dancers with tremendous screen presence, and fans of Hayworth's earlier work with Fred Astaire will appreciate an opportunity to contrast her pairing with Kelly.

Hayworth plays Rusty Parker, a dancer who goes against the wishes of her sweetheart and boss, Danny McGuire (Kelly), by trying out for a magazine’s cover girl contest. She wins the competition and attracts the notice of the magazine’s publisher, John Coudair (Otto Kruger), who long ago fell in love with Rusty’s grandmother, Maribelle (also played by Hayworth). Coudair encourages Rusty to abandon Danny’s small-time Brooklyn show for the glamour of Broadway, especially when a wealthy show producer wants to make her his leading lady on stage and at the altar.

Although her singing is dubbed, Hayworth proves herself as a dancer in the numerous musical scenes. Her signature red tresses are also on full display, and she does look stunning, particularly in the turn-of-the-century costumes worn by Maribelle. By the time Cover Girl was made, Hayworth already had years of screen experience and had become an established leading lady; just before Cover Girl she had co-starred with Fred Astaire in You’ll Never Get Rich (1941) and You Were Never Lovelier (1942). Kelly, in contrast, was only two years into his Hollywood career, having started out on Broadway and then gotten his big break in For Me and My Gal (1942) opposite Judy Garland. Still, the highlights of the picture belong to Kelly, especially the delightfully surreal mirror dance sequence, in which Kelly dances with his own reflection after it escapes from a shop window. Choreographed by Kelly and Stanley Donen, the number would launch the collaborative screen efforts of the pair and lay the foundation for future efforts like On the Town (1949) and the glorious Singin’ in the Rain (1952).

Hayworth and Kelly make the movie worth watching, especially for the Hollywood musical devotee, but the dual plot involving Rusty’s grandmother is pretty thin, really just an excuse to give Hayworth more screen time in various costumes and hairstyles. Phil Silvers, who is much funnier with Kelly and Judy Garland in Summer Stock (1950), adds little to the story and distracts from the romance with his ill-timed gags, while the wonderful Eve Arden deserves more attention and development as Coudair’s wise-cracking, hard-working assistant, “Stonewall” Jackson. Modern viewers probably won’t appreciate the parade of real-life cover girls as much as the original audience, but they will find a lot to enjoy in Leslie Brooks’ performance as the bitchy, ambitious dancer Maurine, who constantly tries to upstage and sabotage Rusty’s career.

Cover Girl was nominated for five Oscars and won for Best Musical Score. Charles Vidor would go on to direct Hayworth in her signature role in Gilda (1946). For more of Rita Hayworth, see Blood and Sand (1941), The Lady from Shanghai (1947), and Pal Joey (1957). You’ll find Gene Kelly in The Three Musketeers (1948), An American in Paris (1951), and Brigadoon (1954). Catch Eve Arden in Mildred Pierce (1945) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959), and give Phil Silvers another look in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966).

An earlier version of this review originally appeared on Examiner.com. The author owns all rights to this content.

Classic Films in Focus: FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP (1944)

Directed by William A. Seiter, Four Jills in a Jeep (1943) is a fictionalized account of the real USO adventures of four Hollywood stars - Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye, and Mitzi Mayfair - who travel to various parts of the globe to entertain the troops during World War II. Although it lacks the sheer entertainment value of other wartime revues like Hollywood Canteen (1944), Four Jills in a Jeep offers a uniquely realistic account of the ways in which stars helped the war effort by using their fame and talents to boost morale. Classic film fans can also enjoy musical performances from top Fox stars like Alice Faye and Carmen Miranda, although the four patriotic ladies who really undertook this trip together provide the picture’s greatest appeal.

Each of the four stars plays herself, with Kay Francis taking the lead as the group’s mother figure and Martha Raye providing the comic relief. Carole Landis is the singer of the bunch, and Mitzi Mayfair is the energetic dancer. Together, the women embark on an overseas tour that includes London and North Africa, and along the way they encounter bad weather, bombing, blackouts, and even romance.

While many of the wartime morale pictures are revues with narrative bits thrown in, Four Jills in a Jeep is more a story with musical segments scattered throughout. Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra provide the accompaniment for most of the performances, and each of the four stars gets her opportunity to shine, but the women’s experiences prove more interesting than the songs and dances. It’s clear early on that the trip is a lot more challenging than they expected, but they gamely persevere, and their patriotism is genuine and affecting. Much of the romance is manufactured for the picture, but Carole Landis really did meet and marry a soldier during the tour. Sadly, by 1945 the two would divorce, and in 1948 the 29 year old actress ended her own life with a drug overdose. Her tragic story makes Landis the most moving presence in this film, since we see her recapturing moments of great happiness and demonstrating the real talent that would be lost with her premature death. Landis, by the way, also wrote the book version of Four Jills in a Jeep, although she had some help from a ghostwriter.

Several male costars support our leading ladies by taking the roles of soldiers, including Phil Silvers as Eddie, who functions as the group’s guide and assistant. Eddie also provides some additional comic relief, especially in his attempts to court Martha Raye, who rebuffs him every time. Singer Dick Haymes has better luck as Dick Ryan, an old flame of Mitzi’s who rekindles their romance and ultimately makes very good use of an otherwise harrowing moment in a North African trench. John Harvey, meanwhile, stands in for Carole Landis’ real life beau, Captain Thomas C. Wallace, as the handsome Ted Warren. Kay Francis enjoys a more muted romance with an English Army doctor, but most of the picture’s narrative attention focuses on the love lives of Landis and Mayfair. Haymes, with an excellent voice, gets the lion’s share of the screen time devoted to the men since he actually sings more songs than any other performer in the film.

In addition to brief appearances by Alice Faye and Carmen Miranda, you’ll also find Betty Grable and George Jessel. William A. Seiter also directed Stowaway (1936), You Were Never Lovelier (1942), and One Touch of Venus (1948). Kay Francis, a major leading lady of the Pre-Code era, stars in Man Wanted (1932), Jewel Robbery (1932), and Trouble in Paradise (1932). See more of Carole Landis in I Wake Up Screaming (1941) and Topper Returns (1941). The preternaturally flexible Mitzi Mayfair never made another feature film, but Martha Raye can also be found in Hellzapoppin’ (1941), Pin Up Girl (1944), and Monsieur Verdoux (1947). For a much more recent story of women’s experiences entertaining wartime troops, try The Sapphires (2012).

Classic Films in Focus: SUMMER STOCK (1950)

Directed by Charles Walters, Summer Stock (1950) is the third and final pairing of Judy Garland and Gene Kelly, two of the greatest musical performers of all time. Many classic movie fans regard it as the best of their pictures together, not only because of their own performances and songs but also because of the first-rate cast in the supporting roles, including Marjorie Main, Eddie Bracken, Phil Silvers, and Ray Collins. Although the story is just another variant of the “let’s put on a show” plot, the comedy and musical numbers make Summer Stock worth watching, especially for fans of the hilarious Phil Silvers.

Struggling farmer Jane Falbury (Garland) isn’t pleased when her spoiled younger sister, Abigail (Gloria DeHaven), returns home with a company of actors in tow, but Jane agrees to let the group stage their production in the barn in exchange for their help around the farm. Jane’s fiancé, Orville (Eddie Bracken), is even less happy about the arrangement, especially because the leader of the group is handsome Joe Ross (Kelly). Despite Jane’s engagement and Joe’s relationship with Abigail, romantic sparks fly as the two get to know one another and work together to accomplish their goals.

Garland’s problems at the time of the production have been thoroughly canvassed by film historians and those who knew her, but the strain that caused her to leave work on Annie Get Your Gun (1950) isn’t visible on screen. She looks heavier, certainly, but the more solid figure works to the advantage of her character, a working farmer, and her opening and closing numbers burst with that iconic Garland power. “Get Happy,” which serves as the film’s finale, doesn’t really fit into the rest of the movie but is such a great performance that nobody really cares. Kelly demonstrates his usual charm and prowess, and his solo dance number in the barn proves one of the high points of the picture.

While the leads stay busy doing the romance thing, the supporting players create comic chaos, and any one of the comedians featured could steal a film right out from under the stars’ perfectly shaped noses. Eddie Bracken blusters, blunders, and sneezes as Jane’s flustered fiancé, and Marjorie Main serves up a hearty helping of her usual “Ma Kettle” character. Phil Silvers, however, gets all the best laughs with his antics and constant stream of jokes. His first number with Kelly, “Dig-Dig-Dig Dig for Your Dinner” is funny enough, but the show stopper is “Heavenly Music,” which features Kelly and Silvers dressed as hillbillies, complete with giant rubber feet and a chorus of barking dogs.

See more of Kelly and Garland together in For Me and My Gal (1942) and The Pirate (1948). Kelly, of course, is best known for Singin’ in the Rain (1952), while Garland is celebrated for The Wizard of Oz (1939). You’ll find Garland and Marjorie Main together in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and The Harvey Girls (1946), but Main also makes memorable appearances in The Women (1939) and Heaven Can Wait (1943). Eddie Bracken stars in the Preston Sturges comedies The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944) and Hail the Conquering Hero (1944). Catch Phil Silvers in Cover Girl (1944) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966). Director Charles Walters also helmed Easter Parade (1948), High Society (1956), and The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964).

This review was originally posted on Examiner.com. The author retains all rights to this content.

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