HELLO,FRISCO,HELLO

Hello, Frisco, Hello
20th Century-Fox, 1943, Color, 99 minutes, ***½
Released March, 1943

Lively and colorful musical set on the sprawling Barbary Coast, where entrepreneur John Payne opens a saloon and becomes romantically involved with socialite Lynn Bari, pushing main singing attraction Alice Faye out of his life. Misfortune and marital problems soon follow Payne around, while Faye finds fame in Europe. Can they reunite?

One of Alice Faye's best films features the Academy Award winning, "You'll Never Know," in a wonderful song score that also includes, "Hello, Frisco, Hello," the rowdy "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," and the bright and cheerful roller-skating production number "It's Tulip Time in Holland." Check out Alice's gorgeous costumes!

Produced by: Milton Sperling
Directed by: Bruce Humberstone
Screen Play by: Robert Ellis and Helen Logan and Richard Macaulay
Musical Direction: Charles Henderson, Emil Newman
Lyrics and Music: "You'll Never Know" by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren
Dances Staged by: Val Raset
Art Direction: James Basevi, Boris Leven
Set Decorations: Thomas Little, Paul S. Fox
Costumes Designed by: Helen Rose
Makeup Artist: Guy Pearce
Supervised by: Fanchon
Sound by: Joseph E. Aiken, Roger Heman
Directors of Photography: Charles Clarke, Allen Davey
Special Photographic Effects: Fred Sersen
Photographed in Technicolor
Technicolor Director: Natalie Kalmus
Associate: Henri Jaffa
Film Editor: Barbara McLean

Awards: Won Best Song Academy Award for 1943 ("You'll Never Know"); Academy Award nomination for Best Color Cinematography (Charles G. Clarke and Allen Davey)

Cast: Alice Faye [Trudy Evans], John Payne [Johnny Cornell], Jack Oakie [Dan Daley], Lynn Bari [Bernice Croft], Laird Cregar [Sam Weaver], June Havoc [Beulah Clancy], Ward Bond [Sharkey], Aubrey Mather [Cochren], John Archer [Ned Clark], George Barbier [Colonel Weatherby], Esther Dale [Aunt Harriet], Frank Darien [Missionary], Harry Hayden [Burkham], Mary Field [Cockney Maid], Fortunio Bonanova, Gino Corrado, Adia Kuznetzoff [Opera Singers], James Sills, Marie Brown [Roller Skating Specialty], Jackie Averill, Jimmie Clemens, Jr. [Child Dancers]

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (with vocals of "Hello, Frisco, Hello" and "San Franciso") (played by Orchestra with some vocals by Chorus behind titles); [0:01] Montage with medley: Yip I Addy I Ay! / San Francisco Bay / A Bird in a Glided Cage / Hello Ma Baby (sung by Chorus behind montage); [0:03] By the Watermelon Vine (Lindy Lou) (sung and danced by John Payne, Alice Faye, Jack Oakie and June Havoc); [0:05] Hello, Frisco, Hello (sung by John Payne, Jack Oakie, June Havoc, Alice Faye) / You'll Never Know (sung by Alice Faye); [0:11] Yield Not to Temptation (sung and played by the "O'Farrell Street Mission" Band); [0:12] Ragtime Cowboy Joe (sung by Alice Faye, June Havoc and Jack Oakie); [0:15] Sweet Cider Time (When You Were Mine) (sung by Alice Faye, joined by audience); [0:16] San Francisco (played on piano behind montage, and used here and there in background score); [0:17] Grizzly Bear ("ragged" instrumental danced by Chorus, then sung and danced by Jack Oakie, June Havoc, Alice Faye and Chorus); [0:23] Vienna Life (Strauss Waltz) (danced by party guests at the Croft home); [0:25] Emperor Waltz (danced by party guests at the Croft home); [0:28] Hello Ma Baby (excerpt danced by Chorus Girls, music fades to background in following scene); [0:34] It's Tulip Time in Holland (Two Lips Are Calling Me) (and some strains of other tunes) (production number skated and sung by Chorus; specialty by James Sills and Marie Brown); [0:38] Why Do They Always Pick on Me? (sung by Alice Faye); [0:49] Bedelia / (sung by Alice Faye and Mens Chorus) / Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (sung and danced by Alice Faye, Jack Oakie and Mens Chorus); [1:04] By the Light of the Silvery Moon (with special lyrics, sung by Alice Faye); [1:17] By the Watermelon Vine (Lindy Lou) (sung by Jack Oakie and June Havoc); [1:18] Gee, But It's Great to Meet a Friend from Your Home Town (sung by Jack Oakie and June Havoc); [1:23] Hello Ma Baby (sung by auditioner); [1:26] You'll Never Know (sung by Alice Faye); [1:30] I've Got a Gal in Every Port / Sailor's Hornpipe (sung by Jack Oakie, June Havoc and Chorus); [1:36] Finale: Hello, Frisco, Hello / You'll Never Know (sung by Alice Faye and John Payne)
This film is wall-to-wall music. It would be very difficult to identify some of the short excerpts. The above list is mostly major numbers and medleys as best as I can manage.