Strike Up the Band (1940)

Jimmy Connors and his girl-friend want to take part in Paul Whiteman's highschool's band contest, but they cannot afford the fare. But per chance the meet Paul Whiteman in person and are ... See full summary »

Director:

Busby Berkeley

Writers:

John Monks Jr. (screen play), Fred F. Finklehoffe (screen play) (as Fred Finklehoffe)

Stars:

Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Paul Whiteman and Orchestra

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mickey Rooney	...	Jimmy Connors
Judy Garland	...	Mary Holden
Paul Whiteman and Orchestra	...	Performers
June Preisser	...	Barbara Frances Morgan
William Tracy	...	Phillip Turner
Larry Nunn	...	Willie Brewster
Paul Whiteman	...	Paul Whiteman
Margaret Early	...	Annie
Ann Shoemaker	...	Mrs. Connors
Francis Pierlot	...	Mr. Judd
Virginia Brissac	...	Mrs. May Holden
George Lessey	...	Mr. Morgan
Enid Bennett	...	Mrs. Morgan
Howard C. Hickman	...	Doctor (as Howard Hickman)
Sarah Edwards	...	Miss Hodges

Storyline

Jimmy Connors and his girl-friend want to take part in Paul Whiteman's highschool's band contest, but they cannot afford the fare. But per chance the meet Paul Whiteman in person and are able to convince him, that their band is good enought, so he lents sem the money. But then one of their friends becomes seriously ill and had to be carried in a hospital per plane, they had to use Whiteman's money for this.

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Plot Keywords:

male female relationship | chicago illinois | mother son relationship | radio broadcasting | county fair | 

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Taglines:

Melodious with WHITEMAN'S BAND

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Armonías de juventud

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$838,661 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 1930 Broadway production of "Strike Up the Band", with music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, had no relation to the story of this film. That was a political satire that had trouble getting to Broadway, and when it did, it had only a short run of 191 performances. However, the title song became very popular and is included in this film.

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Goofs

As Jimmy sets up his fruit orchestra, the third pineapple (string bass) he places falls over. As he finishes conducting and the camera pulls back, we see the fallen pineapple standing up perfectly.

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Quotes

Paul Whiteman: Take that boy on the street. Teach him to blow a horn and he'll never blow a safe.

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Connections

Featured in We Must Have Music (1941)

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Soundtracks

Ta-ra-ra Boom-der-é
(1891) (uncredited)
Written by Henry J. Sayers
Danced to and sung by June Preisser and sung by the chorus in the 'Nell of New Rochelle' sequence
Reprised in the finale of the 'Nell of New Rochelle' sequence

User Reviews

Mickey does it all

A delightful high-energy romp. I think Mickey Rooney outshines Judy Garland in this one (but that might be like comparing apples to oranges, which incidentally play a not incidental role in this movie). Mickey plays the piano, the drums, sings, dances, pitches baseballs and jumps over fences and hedgerows....plus he's good to his widowed mother and turns up the "life's a gas" charm at the drop of a hat. Judy is more serious, reflective, and tender, all of which works well in the songs she performs. I could have done without the extended "Snidely Whiplash" melodrama routine, but hey, what's perfect in this world. The teenagers in this movie, however, look like miniature adults, and moreover, some of Mickey's band members look a little long in the tooth. Was there really a time when jazz was the most shocking thing a kid could be interested in?