Two Girls and a Sailor 1944

Two Girls and a Sailor


MGM, 1944, B/W, 125 minutes, ****

Premiere release April, 1944

General release June, 1944

Multi-millionaire gob Van Johnson anonymously buys a warehouse for show-girl sisters June and Gloria to convert into a wartime canteen.  It's pure delight from one end to the other! June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven make a dynamite team, then throw in Jimmy Durante and the rest of this cast, and you're bound to have a winner! Musical standouts include Allyson and DeHaven's "Sweet and Lovely" and "A Love Like Ours," Romay's "Babalu," DeHaven's sultry "My Mother Told Me There'd Be Moments Like This," Durante's "Inka Dinka Doo" ... well... most everything is a standout.



Produced by: Joe Pasternak

Directed by: Richard Thorpe

Original Screen Play by: Richard Connell and Gladys Lehman

Musical Direction: Georgie Stoll

Vocal Arrangements: Kay Thompson

Dance Direction: Sammy Lee

Art Director: Cedric Gibbons

Associate: Paul Groesse

Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis

Associate: John Bonar

Costume Supervision: Irene

Associate: Kay Dean

Recording Director: Douglas Shearer

Director of Photography: Robert Surtees

Film Editor: George Boemler



Awards: Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay (Richard Connell and Gladys Lehman)



Cast: June Allyson [Patsy Deyo], Gloria DeHaven [Jean Deyo], Van Johnson [John Dyckman Brown III], Tom Drake [Frank Miller], Henry Stephenson [John Dyckman Brown I], Henry O'Neill [John Dyckman Brown II], Ben Blue [Ben], Carlos Ramirez [Carlos], Frank Sully [Private Adams], Albert Coates [Himself], Donald Meek [Mr. Nizby], Amparo Novarro [Herself], Jose Iturbi [Himself], Jimmy Durante [Billy Kipp], Gracie Allen [Herself], Lena Horne [Herself], Virginia O'Brien [Herself], The Wilde Twins [Themselves], Frank Jenks [Dick Deyo], Harry James and His Music Makers [Themselves], with Helen Forrest [Herself], Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra [Themselves], with Lina Romay [Herself], Additional Cast: Joan Thorson [Gladys Deyo], Doreen McCann [Patsy as a girl], Eilene Janssen [Patsy as a girl], Sandra Lee [Jean as a girl], Gigi Perreau, Ava Gardner [Rockette Girls], Billy Lechner, Allen Forienza [Call Boys], William Frambes [Boy Vaudevillian], Don Loper [Small Town Wolf], Charles Hayes [Man in Evening Clothes], Eve Whitney [Bejeweled Woman], Sheldon Jett [Fat Man], Ruth Cherrington [Stout Lady], Hazel Dohlman [Dowager], Lynn Arlen, Patricia Lenn [Debutantes], Florence Wix, Harry Adams, Ed Mortimer [Middle-aged Folks], Diana Mumby, Shelby Payne [Cigarette Girls], Fred Rapport [Captain of Waiters], Leo Mostovoy [Waiter], Eddie Kane [Headwaiter], Lee Bennett [Friend], Arthur Walsh [Lonesome Soldier], Joe Yule [Carpenter], Thomas Louden [Butler], Peggy Maley [Girl], Ralph Gardner, James Carpenter, Mickey Rentschler, Doodles Weaver [Soldiers], Fred Beckner (aka Fred Coby) [Sailor], Kay Williams [Girl Flirt], Nolan Leary [Durante's Double], Sol De Garda [Man in Canteen], Buster Keaton [Durante's Son]



Musical Program: [0:00] Overture (played by Orchestra behind titles); [0:07] Did You Ever Have the Feelin' / Who Will Be with You When I'm Far Away (performed by Jimmy Durante); [0:10] Sweet and Lovely (sung and danced by June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven); [0:11] A Tisket, A Tasket (sung and danced by June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven with Chorus Girls); [0:14] Sweet and Lovely (instrumental arrangement played by Harry James and His Music Makers); [0:15] unidentified instrumenal (played by Harry James and His Music Makers); [0:17] A Love Like Ours (sung by June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven accompanied by Harry James and His Music Makers); [0:19] Rumba Rumba (played by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra, vocal by Lina Romay); [0:22] Granada (sung by Carlos Ramirez with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra); [0:27] unidentified instrumental (played by servicemen at the Deyo Sister's open house); [0:28] My Mother Told Me (sung by Gloria DeHaven accompanied by servicemen); [0:34] Estrellita (trumpet solo played by Harry James); [0:40] My Mother Told Me (with special lyric, sung by Van Johnson, Frank Sully and Tom Drake); [0:50] Take It Easy (sung by Lina Romay, the Wilde Twins and Virginia O'Brien with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra); [0:57] unidentified instrumental (played by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra, danced by Lina Romay and Ben Blue); [0:59] Concerto for Index Finger (Gracie Allen at the piano with Albert Coates and the MGM Studio Orchestra); [1:06] In a Moment of Madness (sung by Helen Forrest with Harry James and His Music Makers); [1:15] The Young Man with a Horn (sung by June Allyson with Harry James and His Music Makers); [1:21] Patsy's dream sequence (June Allyson, Jimmy Durante, Van Johnson and Chorus; includes fragment of "Anchors Aweigh," [marching band] "I'll Always Love You" (?) [Harry James and His Orchestra with unidentified male vocalist]); [1:41] Babalu (sung by Lina Romay with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra); [1:46] Inka Dinka Doo (sung by Jimmy Durante with Harry James and His Music Makers); [1:49] Ritual Fire Dance (piano duet played by Jose Iturbi and his sister Amparo); [1:51] Paper Doll (sung by Lena Horne); [2:01] A Love Like Ours (reprised by Gloria DeHaven) / The Young Man with a Horn (reprised by June Allyson) / Inka Dinka Doo (reprised by Jimmy Durante) / Sweet and Lovely (reprised by June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven and Chorus); There are several instrumental numbers danced by canteen guests that I have yet to identify.