Cover Girl (1944)

Director:

Charles Vidor

Writers:

Virginia Van Upp (screenplay)
Marion Parsonnet (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

30 March 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

A Mirthful, Magical Musical !

Plot:

Rusty Parker wins a contest and becomes a celebrated cover girl; this endangers her romance with dancing mentor Danny.

Plot Keywords:

Cover Girl | Magazine | Contest | 1940s | Pearl

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Rita Hayworth	...	Rusty Parker / Maribelle Hicks (flashback sequence)
Gene Kelly	...	Danny McGuire
Lee Bowman	...	Noel Wheaton
Phil Silvers	...	Genius
Jinx Falkenburg	...	Jinx Falkenburg
Leslie Brooks	...	Maurine Martin
Eve Arden	...	Cornelia Jackson
Otto Kruger	...	John Coudair
Jess Barker	...	Coudair as a Young Man
Anita Colby	...	Miss Colby
Curt Bois	...	Chef at Danny McGuire's
Jean Colleran	...	Cover Girl: American Magazine
Francine Counihan	...	Cover Girl: American Home
Helen Mueller	...	Cover Girl: Collier's Magazine
Cecilia Meagher	...	Cover Girl: Coronet
Betty Jane Hess	...	Cover Girl: Cosmopolitan
Dusty Anderson	...	Cover Girl: Farm Journal
Eileen McClory	...	Cover Girl: Glamour
Cornelia B. von Hessert	...	Cover Girl: Harper's Bazaar
Karen X. Gaylord	...	Cover Girl: Liberty
Chery Archibald	...	Cover Girl: Look
Peggy Lloyd	...	Cover Girl: Mademoiselle
Betty Jane Graham	...	Cover Girl: McCalls
Martha Outlaw	...	Cover Girl: Red Book
Susann Shaw	...	Cover Girl: Vogue
Rose May Robson	...	Cover Girl: Woman's Home Companion
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Grace Albertson	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Eddie Allen	...	Best Man (uncredited)
Lucille Allen	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Eugene Anderson Jr.	...	Busboy (uncredited)
Sam Ash	...	Assistant Cook (uncredited)
Warren Ashe	...	Interviewer (uncredited)
Jackie Barnett	...	Dancer (uncredited)
William 'Billy' Benedict	...	Florist Delivery Boy (uncredited)
Jack Boyle	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Linda Brent	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Betty Brewer	...	Autograph Hound (uncredited)
Betty Brodel	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Edward Brophy	...	Joe - Bartender (uncredited)
Sally Cairns	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Sherry Cameron	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Glenn Charles	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Stanley Clements	...	Elevator Boy (uncredited)
Eddie Cutler	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
George Dobbs	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Eddie Dunn	...	Mac the Cop (uncredited)
Jay Eaton	...	'Vanity' Photographer (uncredited)
Fern Emmett	...	Reporter-Photographer (uncredited)
Sam Flint	...	Coudair's Butler (uncredited)
Miriam Franklin	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Virginia Gardner	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Helene Garron	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Marion Graham	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Diane Griffith	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Eddie Hall	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Thurston Hall	...	Tony Pastor (uncredited)
Eloise Hart	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Grace Hayle	...	Food Critic Dipping Soup (uncredited)
Robert F. Hill	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Pop - Doorman (uncredited)
Randolph Hughes	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Reporter Asking About Flowers (uncredited)
William Kline	...	James - Chauffeur (uncredited)
Miriam LaVelle	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
George Lessey	...	Minister (uncredited)
Martha Mears	...	Rusty Parker (singing voice) (uncredited)
Johnny Mitchell	...	Pianist (uncredited)
Vin Moore	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Frances Morris	...	Marion (uncredited)
Muriel Morris	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Al Norman	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Jack Norton	...	Harry the Drunk (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Cook (uncredited)
Kathleen O'Malley	...	Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Ralph Peters	...	Truckman (uncredited)
Jack Rice	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Larry Rio	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Patti Sacks	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Truckman (uncredited)
Gwen Seager	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Serviceman in Audience (uncredited)
Patti Sheldon	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Bill Sloan	...	Naval Officer (uncredited)
Victor Travers	...	Bartender (uncredited)
John Tyrrell	...	Jim - Electrician (uncredited)
Virginia Wilson	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Shelley Winters	...	Chorus Girl (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Rudy Wissler	...	Chorus Boy (uncredited)
Constance Worth	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Ronald Wyckoff	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Vidor

Writing credits
Virginia Van Upp		(screenplay)
Marion Parsonnet		(adaptation) &
Paul Gangelin		(adaptation)
Erwin S. Gelsey		(story) (as Erwin Gelsey)
John H. Kafka		uncredited

Produced by
Arthur Schwartz	....	producer

Original Music by
Carmen Dragon		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Allen M. Davey
Rudolph Maté

Film Editing by
Viola Lawrence

Art Direction by
Lionel Banks
Cary Odell

Set Decoration by
Fay Babcock

Costume Design by
Travis Banton		(gowns)
Muriel King		(gowns)
Gwen Wakeling		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Clay Campbell	....	makeup artist
Helen Hunt	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Budd Boetticher	....	assistant director (as Oscar Boetticher Jr.)
Jack Voglin	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lambert E. Day	....	sound (uncredited)
John P. Livadary	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Burnett Guffey	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Richard H. Kline	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Homer Plannette	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Ned Scott	....	still photographer (uncredited)

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

Editorial Department
John Hoffman	....	montage

Music Department
Carmen Dragon	....	orchestrator
Philip Faulkner Jr.	....	music recordist (as P.J. Faulkner)
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Gil Grau	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Gil Grau	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Weston	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Robert Coburn	....	magazine cover photographer
Anita Colby	....	technical advisor
Harry Conover	....	technical advisor
Norman Deming	....	assistant to producer
Seymour Felix	....	choreographer
John Hoffman	....	magazine cover photographer
Kenneth Hopkins	....	hat maker (as Keneth Hopkins)
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Morgan Padelford	....	associate technicolor color director
Val Raset	....	choreographer
William R. Anderson	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Anita Colby	....	press agent (uncredited)
Stanley Donen	....	choreographer (uncredited)
Fred Kelly	....	additional choreographer (uncredited)
Gene Kelly	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1947) (France) (theatrical) (35 and 16 mm)
• Columbia (194?) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Compagnia Edizioni Internazionali Artistiche Distribuzione (CEIAD) (194?) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Státní Pujcovna Filmu (194?) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• 4 Front Video (2002) (UK) (VHS)
• Columbia Home Video (video)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS) (collection: Columbia Classics)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Hoffman & Coburn  magazine covers created by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (TV rating) | USA:Approved | France:U | West Germany:12

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

As she stated in her autobiography, Lauren Bacall had been wanted by Columbia to appear in this film as Harper's Bazaar cover girl (as she had appeared on Harper's Bazaar cover in March 1943), but instead filmed To Have and Have Not (1944) at Warner Bros. and became a star.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The guests at the 1904 wedding are the same people, wearing the same clothes and hairstyles, as the guests at the 1944 wedding. Of particular note are the young girl wearing a giant red flower as a hat, and the white-haired old lady with white boa feathers on the side of her head.

Quotes:

Rusty Parker:Oh, how I hate oysters!
Genius:Ain't they repulsive?

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs: America's Greatest Music in the Movies (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

ALTER-EGO DANCE

Gene Kelly's pivotal role and Rita Hayworth's most glamorous.

Cover Girl's importance lies not in its originality as a book (it's a standard backstage Cinderella story), as much as it does in what happened to each of its stars. Gene Kelly was "loaned out" to do it when MGM boss L.B. Mayer didn't have much use for him at his own studio. His performance in this film, coupled with the ground-breaking 'Alter Ego' dance solo (duo?) was so successful that it made MGM take him seriously at last (he was never loaned out again) and allowed him to flourish with the soon-to-come hits of "Anchors Aweigh," "On The Town," and "An American In Paris." Likewise for Rita Hayworth; Columbia had been grooming her for years, but she had done mostly B-level films. CG showed her off as a lead in glorious Technicolor, and paved the way for GILDA, her signature (and much more adult) role. Here she and Kelly make a sweet couple, and dance well in "Put Me To The Test" and the fresh, energetic "Make Way For Tomorrow." They are at their most poignant in "Long Ago And Far Away," but the number (played on piano by Phil Silvers and sung as they both stack up nightclub chairs) seems to beg for a dance number, then doesn't have one. Another good number is the title tune, which pays tribute to the famous American magazines/cover girl models of the day. Hayworth appears as the last model, running down a curved runway in a gold dress with her flaming mane flying behind her. A dream in Technicolor!!