weezeralfalfa
This is one of several Universal musical comedies in '42 that combined the very popular Andrew Sisters with other young musical talent, including teenage Don O'Connor and Peggy Ryan and sometimes Gloria Jean, who is missing from this film. The prior "What's Cooking", which included Gloria Jean, is generally regarded as more interesting, but don't count this one out! It's lots of fun too, with lots of comedic dialogue along with the musicals. The second half turns into a Marx Brothers or Lucy-styled zany comedy. Check it out at You Tube: a mere 65 min.As was true of many of the films that included or starred Don,Peggy and/or Gloria, the plot centers around the need to overcome the resistance of some old fuddy duddy, who thinks that swing music and jive dancing is the work of the devil. The plot here centers on millionaire heiress Gracie Waverly(Grace McDonald), adopting a new last name for anonymity in order to join a dance school, where she becomes the lead dancer of the student body. Problem is the school is in deep financial trouble, so needs to be signed as an act by the Flamingo Club. The club owner(William Frawley, as Harrison)insists that Gracie must be included or its no deal. Someone recognizes Gracie as the heiress and she makes the newspaper headlines. Her fuddy duddy rich old 3 spinster aunts she lives with, still living in the Victorian era, forbid her to continue with the dance group, or they will disinherit her.Now, the Marx Brothers-like second half, with dance school co-owner Gribble(Walter Catlett) masquerading as a famous doctor specialist the aunts have called for when one becomes ill after learning that Gracie is in this club show. While he's keeping the sister busy upstairs with his phony diagnosis and remedies,the Andrews are downstairs masquerading as the aunts, for the benefit of Harrison, who has arrived to get their OK that Gracie can perform at his club. Harrison invites them to come to his club that night, thus the Andrews have to maintain their disguises while going to the club, where they are supposed to perform.Meanwhile, the aunts learn they have been duped and rush to the club.. The Andrews perform their song, then redress as the aunts for the benefit of Harrison, not knowing that the real aunts have arrived. Unexpectedly , the Andrews are asked for an encore and thus have to perform in the aunts disguises. Yes, it gets very confusing and hilarious! It all works out in the end, as the aunts discover that modern music and dance can be fun, while they dance with their mirror images. The Andrews set the mood of the film with their swing-styled "It's the New Generation". Later, they sing "You're Just a Flower from an Old Bouquet": an apt(if overly flattering) description of the 3 aunts. With the aunts in the audience, near the end, they sing the, very appropriate for the situation, "Who Do You Think You Are Fooling". Dressed again as the aunts, they do their "Pennyslvania Polka", as part of the finale, then join in the dancing, with the real aunts. I thought all the songs were good and appropriate, if not standards.About every musical of this era needed a new-found romantic couple or two to end the film with. Cute blond Grace McDonald and tall handsome Dan Dailey, as the Orchestra leader, are that couple in this film. Although their romantic development occupies only a tiny portion of the film, their dance and kiss in the finale suggests a future as a couple. Both Grace and Dan had an extensive background in vaudeville and Broadway as singer/dancers before their film careers. Like the Astaires, Grace formed a vaudeville team with her brother Ray, who also had a film career. Along with Dan, they were important players in the Broadway hit, "Babes in Arms", later featuring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in the film version. Ray would later marry Don O'Connor's constant film companion of this era: Peggy Ryan, featured in the present film. Unfortunately, Dan's considerable vaudevillian talents were little utilized in film before he entered military service, although he did a song and dance near the end of this film. After the war, Fox immediately made him a star leading man, mostly in musical comedies. He also costarred in the MGM musical comedy "It's Always Fair Weather", with Gene Kelly. In '49, he cut several records with The Andrew Sisters". A dozen years after the present film, he would again costar with Don O'Connor in the Fox musical comedy "There's No Business Like Show Business". Unfortunately, they didn't get along then, as Don's wife was in the process of switching to being Dan's wife! William Frawley, as the nightclub owner, would of course later gain fame as Fred Mertz, in the "I Love Lucy" TV series. In this film, he's mostly the straight man victim of the schemings of the dance school bunch. He makes use of the Woof name of one of dance school owners when he tells 'Little Red Riding Hood'(Peggy) to 'go back to your grandmother. The wolf will get you' When he meets Prof. Woof(with the 'acrobatic stomach') for negotiation, every time he mentions Woof, the Prof.'s dog barks.
mark.waltz
Just when you thought that one Whistler's Mother was enough, imagine three. Then, times it by two, because the Andrews Sisters are posing as the domineering aunts (who all dress alike in dour long black dresses) of young singer Grace MacDonald who refuse to allow her to be in show business. In order for her to be in their nightclub show, her agents need her aunt's permission. As played by Edith Barrett, Marie Blake (aka Blossom Rock, aka Grandma Addams), and Fay Helm, they have no real reason for not wanting MacDonald in the show other than protecting the family name, if not their reputation for snappy wardrobe. In order to get MacDonald in the show, the Andrews Sisters come along and pose as the imposing aunts, but at the big show (where they are to perform), the aunts show up, and the Andrews Sisters must perform their big number while still dressed as the aunts! All of this wackiness, and Fred Mertz, too! Yes, William Frawley is one of the agents (along with Walter Catlett), and the two of them get a really funny exit scene. Blame it on one of the Andrews Sisters who happened to sprain her ankle, causing them to simply hop off stage since the director was too budget conscious to wait until the sprained gam healed. Maxene Andrews recounted this story at a tribute I saw her at after they played a clip of the film which made for a very amusing anecdote. The film itself (very difficult to find!) is somewhat silly but unpretentious, and features two future stars, Donald O'Connor and Dan Dailey, who would go on to much bigger things. Other than "Pennsylvania Polka", the music is forgotten today. Hopefully, MCA/Universal will put together a DVD set of the Andrews Sisters films, all rare but an important record of what was going on in American culture during World War II.
boblipton
When I saw the cast and behind-the-camera talent involved in this Universal B comedy, I was looking forward to it, but after actually seeing it, I am shocked at how poor it is: director Eddie Cline can't do a thing with the great Walter Catlett and Charlie Butterworth, the one dance number with Dan Dailey is continually cut to a one-shot of Grace McDonald -- whose dancing costume is not particularly useful for the dance numbers. There is one good song in the ensemble -- the Andrew Sisters sing 'The Pennsylvania Polka' in the finale, William Frawley is, as usual good and Leonard Carey has a few good moments, until he begins to mug it up. But those few good moments can't make this turkey fly.
stevendm
This is a very enjoyable film.The Andrews Sisters had only one memorable song in this effort, the Pennsylvania Polka. While it is not as well known as some their other WWII era efforts, it was surprisingly good.William Frawley makes a very good nightclub owner. He is a hardboiled kind of guy, quite a different character from his My Three Sons persona.It will not have you rolling in the aisles. There are some good one-liners, but overall it was just a humorous little flick.If you can catch it on the late-night movies, by all means stay up and watch it.
