Once Upon a Time (1944)

Director:

Alexander Hall

Writers:

Lewis Meltzer (screenplay) &
Oscar Saul (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

29 June 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy

Plot:

Smalltime crookster and showman Jerry Flynn is desperately searching for a new act to promote in order to save him from ruin...

Plot Keywords:

Caterpillar | Dancing Caterpillar | Once Upon A Time In The Title | Con Trick

Cast

Cary Grant	...	Jerry Flynn
Janet Blair	...	Jeannie Thompson
James Gleason	...	McGillicuddy aka The Moke
Ted Donaldson	...	Arthur 'Pinky' Thompson
William Demarest	...	Brandt
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eddie Acuff	...	Shipyard Worker (scenes deleted)
Kirk Alyn	...	Attendant (scenes deleted)
Lionel Braham	...	Weightlifter (scenes deleted)
George Bruggeman	...	Trapeze Artist (scenes deleted)
Leonard Carey	...	English Bobby (scenes deleted)
Lane Chandler	...	Doorman (scenes deleted)
Bill Chaney	...	Call Boy (scenes deleted)
Charles Coleman	...	English Bobby (scenes deleted)
Jeff Donnell	...	Girl from Brooklyn (scenes deleted)
George Eldredge	...	Man (scenes deleted)
Clyde Fillmore	...	FBI Agent (scenes deleted)
Dick Gordon	...	Man (scenes deleted)
Harrison Greene	...	Businessman (scenes deleted)
Frank Hagney	...	Assistant Cyclist (scenes deleted)
Eddie Hall	...	Bike Rider (scenes deleted)
Esther Howard	...	Clerk (scenes deleted)
John Kelly	...	Truckman (scenes deleted)
Phyllis Kennedy	...	Telephone Operator (scenes deleted)
Tom Kennedy	...	Truckman (scenes deleted)
Lawrence Lathrop	...	Call Boy (scenes deleted)
Jung Lim	...	Chinese Man (scenes deleted)
Norval Mitchell	...	Masseur (scenes deleted)
Walter Pietila	...	Trapeze Artist (scenes deleted)
Cyril Ring	...	Man (scenes deleted)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Gaucho (scenes deleted)
Ray Teal	...	Shipyard Worker (scenes deleted)
George Tyne	...	Jitterbug Dancer (scenes deleted)
Charles Waldron	...	Preacher (scenes deleted)
Ruth Warren	...	Fatso's Mother (scenes deleted)
Robert Williams	...	Stage Manager (scenes deleted)
Isabel Withers	...	Woman (scenes deleted)
William Yip	...	Chinese Man (scenes deleted)
John Abbott	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Iris Adrian	...	Theatergoer (uncredited)
Murray Alper	...	Soldier Leaving Theater (uncredited)
George Anderson	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Henry Armetta	...	Barber (uncredited)
Charles Arnt	...	Fred Stacy - Reporter (uncredited)
Nelroy Ashley	...	Businesswoman (uncredited)
Vi Athens	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
William Austin	...	Assistant Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Don Barclay	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Charles Bates	...	Boy (uncredited)
Billy Bevan	...	Patrol Cop-Driver (uncredited)
Lloyd Bridges	...	Aviator Captain (uncredited)
Tom Brown	...	Boy (uncredited)
Lucile Browne	...	Miss Flemming (uncredited)
Eddie Bruce	...	Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Gary Bruce	...	TSgt. Conway (uncredited)
Maurice Cass	...	Man at Bar (uncredited)
Cliff Clark	...	Radio Car Cop (uncredited)
Sandra Coles	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Prof. Van Dorn - Lepidopterist (uncredited)
Mary Currier	...	McKenzie's Secretary (uncredited)
George Davis	...	Room Service Waiter (uncredited)
Vernon Dent	...	Mayor's Aide (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Pauline Drake	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Tom Dugan	...	Callahan - Police Announcer (uncredited)
Fern Emmett	...	Scholarly-Type Woman (uncredited)
Walter Fenner	...	Walt Disney (uncredited)
Mary Field	...	Taxi Girl (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Skeptic on Subway (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Theatergoer (uncredited)
Almeda Fowler	...	Woman (uncredited)
Howard Freeman	...	McKenzie (uncredited)
Edward Gargan	...	Cop Outside Flynn Theater (uncredited)
Vaughan Glaser	...	Prof. Draper - Lepidopterist (uncredited)
William Gould	...	Brandt's Editor (uncredited)
Gary Gray	...	Boy with Shoebox (uncredited)
Joseph J. Greene	...	Rajah Pirate (uncredited)
Eula Guy	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Gabriel Heatter	...	Himself (uncredited)
Fred Howard	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Thelma Joel	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Marilyn Johnson	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Erwin Kalser	...	Scientist #3 (uncredited)
Nell Clark Keller	...	Woman (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Stage Manager (uncredited)
Eddie Laughton	...	Inventory Man (uncredited)
Nolan Leary	...	Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Jack Lee	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Grace Lenard	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Ann Loos	...	Sarah - Jerry's Secretary (uncredited)
Robert Lowell	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	Committee Man (uncredited)
Hugh Maguire	...	Boy (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Harry - Reporter (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Guest (uncredited)
Mickey McGuire	...	Fatso (uncredited)
Alex Melesh	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Sybil Merritt	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Torben Meyer	...	Hotel Manager (uncredited)
June Millarde	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Ida Moore	...	Gossipy Woman on Subway (uncredited)
George N. Neise	...	Aviator Lieutenant (uncredited)
Barry Norton	...	Man at Audition (uncredited)
Jack Norton	...	Barber Shop Customer (uncredited)
Spec O'Donnell	...	Theater Usher (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Man spouting Poetry (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Radio Cart Cop (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper	...	Taxi Girl (uncredited)
Bob Reeves	...	Desk Cop (uncredited)
Christian Rub	...	Mr. Snapps - Janitor (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Shipyard Worker (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Newspaper Office Typist (uncredited)
Paul Stanton	...	Dunhill (uncredited)
Alan Stone	...	Radio Technician (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Patrol Car Cop (uncredited)
Robert Tafur	...	Gaucho (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Shipyard Worker (uncredited)
John Tyrrell	...	Theater Usher (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin	...	Radio Stage Manager (uncredited)
Billy Wayne	...	Businessman (uncredited)
Cecil Weston	...	Woman (uncredited)
Lewis Wilson	...	Man (uncredited)
Ian Wolfe	...	Joe - Reporter (uncredited)
Freeman Wood	...	Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Alexander Hall

Writing credits
Lewis Meltzer		(screenplay) &
Oscar Saul		(screenplay)
Irving Fineman		(adaptation)
Norman Corwin		(story) &
Lucille Fletcher		(story) (as Lucille Fletcher Herrmann)

Produced by
Louis F. Edelman	....	producer

Original Music by
Friedrich Hollaender		(as Frederick Hollander)

Cinematography by
Franz Planer		(director of photography) (as Franz F. Planer)

Film Editing by
Gene Havlick

Art Direction by
Lionel Banks
Edward C. Jewell		(as Edward Jewell)

Set Decoration by
Robert Priestley

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Mull	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jack A. Goodrich	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Jerome Moross	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Marlin Skiles	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1944) (USA) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

"Alexander Hall's Once Upon a Time" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on February 4, 1945 with Ted Donaldson reprising his film role.

Movie Connections:

Version of Sametka (1967)

Soundtrack:

Yes Sir, That's My Baby

Originally, a radio play by Norman Corwin, titled "My Client Curly"

This was a wonderful radio play Norman Corwin wrote for CBS Radio in the 1940s. It starred Fred Allen, and because it was during the infamous Petrillo Musician's Union Strike, the background music was vocalized by a chorus. I was charmed by it then, but felt then (and now) that the imaginative quality of the radio play would be diminished in a film. I also felt Allen would be far better than Cary Grant in the lead role. But Allen would have sold far fewer tickets.