Follow the Boys (1944)

Then-topical puttin'-on-a-show-for-the-troops film is now interesting, from a historical perspective, for a certain documentary-like quality. Though it was made by Universal, it doesn't shy away from name-dropping other movie studios and performers, as parts of the collective effort of the entertainment industries to give soldiers a few hours of joy during WWII. Worth catching are the historic first teaming of Orson Welels and Marlene Dietrich (he does some magic tricks, and then saws her in half; "we lose a girl in every performance!", he warns the audience), and a lively Donald O'Connor - Peggy Ryan duet. But the main "plot" is a drag: George Raft is miscast, especially in the early scenes that require a light touch (with that voice, he always sounds as if he is about to punch someone), and Vera Zorina, a real-life dancer, is mostly relegated to a thankless dramatic part. Note: I watched the edited, 110-minute version. ** out of 4.

During the World War II year every major studio contributed at least one all star extravaganza for the movie going public. Many times that portion of the movie going public that was in the Armed Services and over there got to see some of this stuff first. Universal Studio's entry into this field was Follow the Boys. The first twenty five minutes of the film consists of how screen team and married in real cinema life team George Raft and Vera Zorina got together. Raft plays one of the members of an old vaudeville show business family who after vaudeville dies, goes to Hollywood to continue his career. He meets up with Vera Zorina and they meet and fall in love and get married. Their joint careers are going good until Pearl Harbor.Here's the part of the plot I cannot understand. Raft tries to enlist and gets turned down because of a bad knee. He wants it kept quiet for reasons I absolutely can't figure out. A few Hollywood stars like Gary Cooper (a broken hip that never mended properly) and Ward Bond (another broken hip and epilepsy) were quite legitimate 4-Fs. Why this was so embarrassing for Raft didn't make sense to me.But what he does is start organizing shows under the USO auspices and at that point all the stars playing themselves came in. Another thing about Follow the Boys I don't understand is that several of Universal's biggest musical and comedy stars that were there at the time never appeared. I'm talking about folks like Abbott&Costello, Deanna Durbin, Allan Jones and Nelson Eddy. And they even got Jeanette MacDonald over from MGM as one of the guest stars.But it's still a good group that's here. Sophie Tucker, Dinah Shore, Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan and the incomparable W.C. Fields. This was Fields's farewell appearance and he does his famous pool room bit that he perfected in vaudeville long before he became the screen's number one misanthrope.Dinah Shore sang I'll Walk Alone, one of the World War II era's biggest song hits and Follow the Boys only nomination for an Academy Award. It lost that year to Swinging on a Star from Going My Way. Dinah's rendition will moisten the eyes I guarantee. She sold a few 78 platters back in the day off this.Orson Welles is in this one and in it he gets to show off in his number two avocation, prestidigitation. Mr. Welles performs a few feats of magic, something he did when he was not acting, writing, directing, etc. And he had the loveliest of assistants in Marlene Dietrich.Although George Raft was known for his gangster portrayals, back in the day before Hollywood he was a dancer. He showed that talent off in such films as Rumba and Bolero for Paramount in the Thirties and he was pretty good. He and Vera Zorina made a fine dance team and Raft himself does a nice soft shoe routine to Sweet Georgia Brown.Jeanette MacDonald got to reprise one of her early screen hits Beyond the Blue Horrizon and that was a treat indeed. Too bad no one thought to team her with Nelson Eddy or Allan Jones, but I see the fine hand of Louis B. Mayer here who probably didn't want them singing together for anyone else but Leo the Lion.I have a weakness for these all star extravaganzas so there's no way I ever give one a bad review. Despite a story line that defies belief, Follow the Boys should not be missed.

This movie is full of surprises, including an Andrews Sister mimicking a strip tease, a full scale dog act including trapeze tricks, Dinah Shore at the beginning of her long career, George Raft doing a Valentino take-off, Arthur Rubinstein performing on the piano a song that Spike Jones later had a hit with, Charlie Spivak and his orchestra proving that Harry James had no corner on mooing horns and muted muzak, and what appears to be Getty Grable dancing in cold weather issue Micky Mouse boots! Louis Jourdan and his band are the stand-outs among the musical performances, with "Is You Is or Is You Ain't". George Raft doing a soft-shoe in the rain to Jourdan's "Sweet Georgia Brown" is a close second. The big surprise is Orson Welles, relatively svelte, performing some David Copperfield-like magic tricks with a magnificent stage presence. Those who have seen the Peter Seller's and David Niven "Casino Royale" will know what I mean. By the way, "Casino Royale" also included George Raft in a brief cameo.A bit long and interrupted by an unnecessary plot, this flick is worth seeing again and again.

It is difficult in the modern world of mega-entertainment to comprehend how little was available in 1944, especially for troops stationed in remote regions, at least if movies made during World War Two are any testimony. This movie is loaded with talent, singing what the "boys" wanted to hear. The plot is typical of USO movies, lots of entertaining and lots of appreciation. Dinah Shore's "I Promise You" and the Andrew Sisters' "Apple Blossom Time" must have put many minds at ease, at least for a short time. The film is worth seeing, especially when George Raft dances in the rain.