Presenting Lily Mars (1943)

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

Booth Tarkington (novel)
Richard Connell (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 March 1944 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

Sing Out the News! It's a Honey of a Show!

Plot:

Talented small-town girl Lily Mars hounds producer John Thornway for a part in his new play, but he...

Plot Keywords:

Scrubwoman | Times Square Manhattan New York City | Reference To William Shakespeare | Rehearsal | Playwright

Cast

Judy Garland	...	Lily Mars
Van Heflin	...	John Thornway
Fay Bainter	...	Mrs. Thornway
Richard Carlson	...	Owen Vail
Spring Byington	...	Mrs. Mars
Mártha Eggerth	...	Isobel Rekay (as Marta Eggerth)
Connie Gilchrist	...	Frankie
Leonid Kinskey	...	Leo
Patricia Barker	...	Poppy
Janet Chapman	...	Violet
Annie Ross	...	Rosie (as Annabelle Logan)
Douglas Croft	...	Davey
Ray McDonald	...	Charlie Potter
Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra	...	Themselves
Bob Crosby and His Orchestra	...	Themselves
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Crosby	...	Bob Crosby
Tommy Dorsey	...	Tommy Dorsey
Abigail Adams	...	Woman (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Foncilla Adams	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Busboy (uncredited)
Ray Bauduc	...	Drummer - Bob Crosby's Orchestra (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Barbara Bedford	...	Assistant Boardinghouse Manager (uncredited)
Betty Blythe	...	Dowager (uncredited)
Eric Braunsteiner	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Judy Carol	...	Singer on 'St. Louis Blues' (uncredited)
Pete Carpenter	...	Clarinetist in Bob Crosby's Orchestra (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Bill Cartledge	...	Dixie Brill - Jockey (uncredited)
Lynne Carver	...	Bonnie - Showgirl (uncredited)
Wally Cassell	...	Man (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Robert Cauterio	...	Captain of Waiters (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Captain of Waiters (uncredited)
Milton Chisholm	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Frank Coghlan Jr.	...	Elevator Boy (uncredited)
Cliff Danielson	...	Hotel Clerk (uncredited)
Bryn Davis	...	Fat Woman (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Mrs. Schofield (uncredited)
Bill Dill	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Mary Elliott	...	Woman (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Virginia Engels	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Virginia Gumm	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Max Herman	...	Trumpeter in Bob Crosby's Orchestra (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Marcella Holmes	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Vicky Lane	...	Gwen - Showgirl (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Tired Man (uncredited)
Marilyn Maxwell	...	Prissy - Showgirl (uncredited)
Claire McDowell	...	Dowager (uncredited)
Charles Meakin	...	Mayor (uncredited)
Mary Alice Moore	...	Script Girl (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Man (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Buddy Morrow	...	Musician (uncredited)
Al Murphy	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Lee Murray	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Remington Olmsted	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Lew Payton	...	Andrew - Mrs. Thornway's Butler (uncredited)
Ben Pollack	...	Saxophonist in Bob Crosby's Orchestra (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Frances Rafferty	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Gil Rodin	...	Saxophonist in Bob Crosby's Orchestra (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Harry Rosenthal	...	Pianist (uncredited)
Gus Schilling	...	Scotty - Stage Manager (uncredited)
Almira Sessions	...	Boardinghouse Manager (uncredited)
Mabel Smaney	...	Fat Woman (uncredited)
Bruce Squires	...	Trombonist in Bob Crosby's Orchestra (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Henry Sylvester	...	Professor Eggleston (uncredited)
William Tannen	...	Eugene Shepherd (uncredited)
Jack Vlaskin	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Charles Walters	...	Lily's Dance Partner in Finale (uncredited)
Pat West	...	Bartender in Bar (uncredited)
Frank Whitbeck	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Lee Wilde	...	Singer with Bob Crosby's Orchestra (uncredited)
Lyn Wilde	...	Singer with Bob Crosby's Orchestra (uncredited)
Lillian Yarbo	...	Rosa - Isobel's Maid (uncredited)
Joe Yule	...	Mike - Stage Doorman (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Taurog

Writing credits
Booth Tarkington		(novel "Presenting Lily Mars")
Richard Connell		(screenplay) and
Gladys Lehman		(screenplay)
Jack Mintz		contributor to comedy construction (uncredited)

Produced by
Joe Pasternak	....	producer (as Joseph Pasternak)

Original Music by
George Stoll		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg

Film Editing by
Albert Akst

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Howard Shoup		(gowns) (as Shoup)

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist: Judy Garland (uncredited)

Production Management
Sergei Petschnikoff	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Del Ruth	....	director: additional scenes (uncredited)
Dolph Zimmer	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Harry McAfee	....	associate art director
Richard Pefferle	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Norwood A. Fenton	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Roger Edens	....	music adaptor
Merrill Pye	....	musical presentation
George Stoll	....	musical director (as Georgie Stoll)
Leo Arnaud	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Leo Arnaud	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Bassman	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
George Bassman	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Elinor Davenport	....	vocal stand-in: Judy Garland (uncredited)
Muriel Goodspeed	....	vocal stand-in: Marta Eggerth (uncredited)
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Alex Hyde	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Joseph Nussbaum	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Virginia Rees	....	vocal stand-in: Judy Garland (uncredited)
Nathaniel Shilkret	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Robert Van Eps	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Robert Van Eps	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Ernst Matray	....	dance director
Charles Walters	....	choreographer: finale (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1943) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #8986) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Australia:PG | Australia:G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Judy Garland filmed this along side her other 1943 feature film Girl Crazy (1943).

Quotes:

John Thornway:There's a lily mars in every town and they're all alike: so full of hope and so hopeless.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Meet Me in St. Louis: The Making of an American Classic (1994) (V)

Soundtrack:

(When You Think of Lovin', Baby) Think of Me

Garland Swings!

One of those Garland flicks that never comes up in a list of her good films,which is surprising considering how much fun it is.She plays an ambitious girl determined to make it to Broadway,and chases producer Van Heflin to do it.He's a local guy in her hometown.For a change,Garland is filled out and quite lovely.She's not the emaciated stick she had been in her previous roles.Also,she's not crying because the boy next door won't have her or singing a plaintive love song dealing with rejection! Garland had a fine comedy flair that was seldom exploited in her films.She interplays well with the cast,especially her siblings and Spring Byington as her mom.The music is good but the finale is just a bit out of place.Supposedly,the big brass thought she needed a big finish to show Lily was a big star after all. Wonder what ever happened to the original number, "Paging Mr. Greenback?"