Follow the Boys (1944)

During World War II, all the studios put out "all-star" vehicles which featured virtually every star on the lot--often playing themselves--in musical numbers and comedy skits, and were ... See full summary »

Director:

A. Edward Sutherland

Writers:

Lou Breslow (original screenplay), Gertrude Purcell (original screenplay),

Stars:

George Raft, Vera Zorina, Jeanette MacDonald

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Raft	...	Tony West
Vera Zorina	...	Gloria Vance
Jeanette MacDonald	...	Jeanette MacDonald
Orson Welles' Mercury Wonder Show	...	Mercury Wonder Show
Marlene Dietrich	...	Marlene Dietrich
Dinah Shore	...	Dinah Shore
Donald O'Connor	...	Donald O'Connor
Peggy Ryan	...	Peggy Ryan
W.C. Fields	...	W. C. Fields
The Andrews Sisters	...	Andrews Sisters
Artur Rubinstein	...	Rubinstein
Carmen Amaya and Her Company	...	Performers
Sophie Tucker	...	Sophie Tucker
Delta Rhythm Boys	...	Delta Rhythm Boys
Leonard Gautier's Bricklayers	...	The Bricklayers

Storyline

During World War II, all the studios put out "all-star" vehicles which featured virtually every star on the lot--often playing themselves--in musical numbers and comedy skits, and were meant as morale-boosters to both the troops overseas and the civilians at home. This was Universal Pictures' effort. It features everyone from Donald O'Connor to the Andrews Sisters to Orson Welles to W.C. Fields to George Raft to Marlene Dietrich, and dozens of other Universal players.

---

Plot Keywords:

parade | magic | germany | troop ship | actress | 

---

Taglines:

Hollywood's Biggest Stars Come Together For A Great Cause!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 May 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Three Cheers for the Boys

Filming Locations:

Naval Training Center, San Diego, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min 110 min (edited)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the "Beyond the Blue Horizon" number (previously used in Monte Carlo) the lyric "rising sun" were chanced to "shining sun", to avoid any associations to the Japanese flag.

---

Quotes

Gloria Vance: You have no inhibitions, have you?
Tony West: I can't afford them.

---

Connections

Featured in Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (1998)

---

Soundtracks

"Anchors Aweigh"
(1906) (uncredited)
Music by Charles A. Zimmerman
In the score for the U.S. Naval Training Center

User Reviews

USO training film

In a great tribute to all the performers who have entertained American Fighting Forces, Follow the Boys assembles a nifty all-star group to let the folks on the home front see what the soldiers are getting. The film combines real footage in the field mixed with performers recreating their USO acts.

The result is a bit like a training film for the USO, but it does help us appreciate how so many performers went above and beyond the call of duty. From the wonderful Andrews Sisters to magical Orson Welles, it is an eclectic revue. There is a particularly touching section in the middle, from Artur Rubinstein to a montage underscored by beautifully melancholy songs from Dinah Shore.

Of course to get to all this, you must wade through a negligible plot about a husband-and-wife dance team (George Raft and Vera Zorina) who split over one of those obnoxious movie misunderstanding as he wants to put all his efforts into entertaining the troops. The dialogue is pedantic, Zorina is a cold fish, and Raft is stiff - until he's dancing.

Though he seems to be enjoying himself ONLY when he's dancing, Raft had an emotional investment in the film. In real life, he was among the troop entertainers, and he had also been very close to Carole Lombard, who had died earlier engaged in exactly that work. Perhaps it was his personal tribute to her. He is in one of the best numbers of the film: Louis Jordan and his orchestra perform "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" and then accompany Raft as he dances "Sweet Georgia Brown" in the rain for a group of black soldiers. Though Raft was at his peak weight here, he was still nimble afoot.