Thousands Cheer

Thousands Cheer
MGM, 1943, Color, 126 minutes, ***
Premiere release September, 1943
General release December, 1943

Kelly is an aerial artist with a chip on his shoulder - he's not happy about having his career interrupted by being drafted. Grayson is the daughter of the C.O. at the base where Kelly is stationed. Kelly falls for Grayson (how could he help it??) and tries to convince her to marry him. But she's more interested in her singing career.

The last part of the film consists of a huge program put on at the base showcasing a myriad of MGM stars. Musical highlights include Kathryn's "Three Letters in the Mailbox" and "Let There Be Music;" "In a Little Spanish Town," sung by Gloria De Haven, June Allyson and Virginia O'Brien, with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra and Lena Horne's "Honeysuckle Rose." Jose Iturbi and and Judy Garland stop the show with "The Joint Is Really Jumpin' in Carnegie Hall."

This film was Jose Iturbi's film debut.

Produced by: Joe Pasternak
Directed by: George Sidney
Original Screen Play by: Paul Jarrico and Richard Collins
Based on their story "Private Miss Jones"
Musical Program: "Daybreak" (by) Ferde Grofe, Harold Adamson; "I Dug a Ditch" (by) Lew Brown, Ralph Freed, Burton Lane; "Three Letters in the Mail Box" (by) Walter Jurmann, Paul Francis Webster; "Let There Be Music" (by) Earl Brent, E. Y. Harburg; "United Nations" (by) Dmitri Shostakovitch, Harold Rome, E. Y. Harburg
Musical Direction: Herbert Stothart
Musical Score: Herbert Stothart
Song Score: various
Art Director: Cedric Gibbons
Associate: Daniel B. Cathcart
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
Associate: Jacques Mersereau
Costume Supervision: Irene
Make-Up Created by: Jack Dawn
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Cinematography: George Folsey
Photographed in Technicolor
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
Associate: Henri Jaffa
Film Editor: George Boemler

Awards: Academy Award Nominations for Best Color Cinematography (George Folsey), Best Score - Musical (Herbert Stothart) and Best Interior Decoration (Color)

Cast: Kathryn Grayson [Kathryn Jones], Gene Kelly [Eddie Marsh], Mary Astor [Hyllary Jones], John Boles [Colonel William Jones], Ben Blue [Chuck Polansky], Frances Rafferty [Marie Corbino], Mary Elliott [Helen], Frank Jenks [Sgt. Kozlack], Dick Simmons [Captain Fred Avery], Ben Lessey [Pvt. Monks], Jose Iturbi [Himself], Guest Stars: Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton, Eleanor Powell, Lucille Ball, Ann Sothern, Virginia O'Brien, Frank Morgan, Lena Horne, Marsha Hunt, Marilyn Maxwell, Donna Reed, Margaret O'Brien, June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, John Conte, Sara Haden, Don Loper, Maxine Barrat, Kay Kyser and His Orchestra, Bob Crosby and His Orchestra, Benny Carter and His Band

Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (includes excerpt of "Let There Be Music" and other excerpts sung by Chorus); [0:01] Caprice Espanol (played by Orchestra Conducted by Jose Iturbi); [0:02] Sempre libera (from the opera LA TRAVIATA, sung by Kathryn Grayson with Orchestra Conducted by Jose Iturbi); [0:06] Daybreak (sung by Kathryn Grayson and Orchestra Conducted by Jose Iturbi); [0:19] Three Letters in the Mailbox (sung by Kathryn Grayson -- I love this song!); [0:22] I Dug a Ditch (sung by Ben Lessey and Male Trio, continued instrumentally and danced by guests at party); [0:26] I Dug a Ditch (sung by Kathryn Grayson and Mens Chorus as the men escort Kathryn Grayson home); [0:43] Let There Be Music (sung by Kathryn Grayson); [0:54] Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (piano solo by Jose Iturbi); [1:05] Let Me Call You Sweetheart / I Dug a Ditch (instrumental arrangements danced by Gene Kelly and mop); The Show: [1:12] American Patrol (played by Orchestra Conducted by Jose Iturbi); [1:15] Boogie Woogie (played by Orchestra, danced by Eleanor Powell); [1:18] In a Little Spanish Town (sung by Gloria De Haven, June Allyson and Virginia O'Brien with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra); [1:22] WAVES Skit (Frank Morgan [Doctor], Ann Sothern [1st recruit], Lucille Ball [2nd recruit], Marsha Hunt [3rd recruit], Sara Haden [Nurse], Henry O'Neill [Doctor at end of skit]); [1:31] I Dug a Ditch (sung and played by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra with Georgia Carroll); [1:34] Should I? (sung by Georgia Carroll with Kay Kyser and His Orchestra); [1:36] Tico Tico (instrumental danced by Maxine Barrat and Don Loper with Chorus Girls); [1:41] Test Pilot (Mickey Rooney impersonates Clark Gable and Lionel Barrymore in a scene from this classic film); [1:42] Honeysuckle Rose (sung by Lena Horne with Benny Carter and His Band); [1:45] Skelton Skit (Red Skelton [Soda Jerk], Donna Reed [lady whose name Red can't remember] and Margaret O'Brien [Little girl ordering ice cream]); [1:50] The Joint Is Really Jumpin' in Carnegie Hall (sung by Judy Garland with Jose Iturbi at the piano); [1:54] The Flying Corbinos (Gene Kelly and Ensemble); [2:01] United Nations (Victory Song) (sung by Kathryn Grayson and the United Nations Chorus and Orchestra Conducted by Jose Iturbi); There are also a number of short segments of various military anthems and marches and several circus tunes.