Forty Boys and a Song (1941)

A tribute to the Robert Mitchell Choir School of Hollywood, which trains talented young boys in the musical arts in addition to regular academic studies.

Director:

Irving Allen

Stars:

The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir, Robert Mitchell, Ken Carpenter

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir	...	Themselves (as The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir)
Robert Mitchell	...	Himself (as Bob Mitchell)
Ken Carpenter	...	Narrator

Storyline

This Melody Masters short (WB number 6803) opens in the class room with Robert Mitchell leading the boys in several songs. The other half of the day has the boys, as members of a local Boy Scout troupe, hiking along singing some rousing renditions of some old traditional songs, and then participating in a wiener roast.

---

Plot Keywords:

school | song | singing | boy scouts | boys' choir | 

---

Genres:

Short | Music | Documentary | Family

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Melody Masters 6803: Forty Boys and a Song

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

10 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vitaphone production reel #A414

---

Crazy Credits

The narrator credits Robert Mitchell as Bob Mitchell as he walks into the classroom.

---

Soundtracks

"My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Played on piano by Robert Mitchell
Sung by The Robert Mitchell Boy Choir in class
Reprised by the choir in a swing version

User Reviews

The Legacy Of Bob Mitchell

A Warner Bros. Short Subject.

The Robert Mitchell Choir School of Hollywood, California, provides a solid education for talented boys from ages 8 to 14, giving them the chance to perform and excel academically & musically.

Nominated for an Academy Award, FORTY BOYS AND A SONG is an informative & highly entertaining little film which spotlights a premiere American musical institution from years past. We watch the young fellows in the classroom, at play and at church. Always, music is being taught, performed & enjoyed and we get to hear the boys' renditions of "Home On The Range," "My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean" & "Shortenin' Bread."

Born October 12, 1912, Bob Mitchell showed an acute aptitude & appreciation of music at a very early age. In 1924, when still only 12, Bob started playing organ accompaniment to silent films, beginning a passion for silent cinema music that would last a lifetime. In the 1930's he started his Boys Choir, which gained much success; the Mitchell Singing Boys would appear in scores of films, most notably GOING MY WAY (1944) with Bing Crosby. On his 90th birthday in 2002, Bob Mitchell was still keeping very busy playing the organ for church and weddings, personal appearances and silent films - delighting new audiences with his gift of music.

Bob Mitchell died on July 4, 2009, in Los Angeles, at the age of 96.

**********************************

Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the Studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front & behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something akin to writing a topnotch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget & schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the Studios' feature films.