Las Vegas Nights (1941)

Director:

Ralph Murphy

Writers:

Harry Clork (writer)
Ernest Pagano (writer)

Release Date:

28 March 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Musical

Plot:

A vaudeville act inherits an old, beat-up building and decides to try to turn it into a hip new nightclub. |

Plot Keywords:

Theater | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Constance Moore	...	Norma Jennings
Bert Wheeler	...	Stu Grant
Phil Regan	...	Bill Stevens
Lillian Cornell	...	Mildred Jennings
Virginia Dale	...	Patsy Grant
Hank Ladd	...	Hank Bevis
Betty Brewer	...	Katy
Henry Kolker	...	William Stevens Sr.
Francetta Malloy	...	Gloria Stafford
William 'Red' Donahue	...	Himself, Red Donahue (as Red Donahue and His Mule Uno)
Tommy Dorsey	...	Himself, Tommy Dorsey (as Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra)
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra	...	Themselves
The Pied Pipers	...	Themselves, The Pied Pipers

Also Known As:

The Gay City (UK)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

This musical was Frank Sinatra's movie debut. His appearance, singing "I'll Never Smile Again" with Tommy Dorsey's band, was uncredited.

Soundtrack:

That's Southern Hospitality

At least Dorsey Managed to Survive

Mostly a waste considering the musical talent involved. Wheeler was right-- the film is poorly done, with a lot of second-rate comedy acts, not the least of which is Wheeler himself. The opening scene presents a tracking-down-the-main-street shot of 1940's Las Vegas, so we do get a sketchy view of what glitter gulch was like in those early days. Also, the funky version of the three sisters' "Mary, Mary" is nicely staged and a pleasant surprise. But once Wheeler's unfunny shenanigans take over, the movie heads downhill. Of course, there's a look at the Dorsey band, but except for their "Song of India", the rest of the selections are pretty mediocre, not counting Sinatra's dreamy version of "I'll Never Smile Again". My favorite scene is where Regan and Moore stand before a cardboard backdrop and declare it a "beautiful view". I know, I'm being severe on a B-grade movie that was never intended to be much more than a showcase for the Dorsey band. But , in my view at least, it's a pretty poor showcase.