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IMDbPro

Follow the Boys

  • 19441944
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 2h 2m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
472
YOUR RATING
Marlene Dietrich, Orson Welles, W.C. Fields, Laverne Andrews, Maxene Andrews, Patty Andrews, Susanna Foster, Grace McDonald, Donald O'Connor, George Raft, Peggy Ryan, Dinah Shore, Vera Zorina, and The Andrews Sisters in Follow the Boys (1944)
Home Video Trailer from Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Play trailer1:08
1 Video
7 Photos
ComedyDramaMusic
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... Read allDuring 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 Univer... Read allDuring 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 ... Read all
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
472
YOUR RATING
    • A. Edward Sutherland
    • John Rawlins(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Lou Breslow(original screen play)
    • Gertrude Purcell(original screen play)
    • Joe Schoenfeld(epilogue "Soldiers in Greasepaint")
  • Stars
    • George Raft
    • Vera Zorina
    • Grace McDonald
    • A. Edward Sutherland
    • John Rawlins(uncredited)
  • Writers
    • Lou Breslow(original screen play)
    • Gertrude Purcell(original screen play)
    • Joe Schoenfeld(epilogue "Soldiers in Greasepaint")
  • Stars
    • George Raft
    • Vera Zorina
    • Grace McDonald
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 13User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar

    Videos1

    Follow The Boys
    Trailer 1:08
    Watch Follow The Boys

    Photos7

    "Follow the Boys" Marlene Dietrich, Orson Welles 1944 Universal **I.V.
    Marlene Dietrich in Follow the Boys (1944)
    Marlene Dietrich, W.C. Fields, Laverne Andrews, Maxene Andrews, Patty Andrews, George Raft, Dinah Shore, Vera Zorina, and The Andrews Sisters in Follow the Boys (1944)
    Charles Butterworth, Charley Grapewin, and George Raft in Follow the Boys (1944)
    Vera Zorina in Follow the Boys (1944)
    Marlene Dietrich, W.C. Fields, George Raft, Vera Zorina, and Orson Welles' Mercury Wonder Show in Follow the Boys (1944)

    Top cast

    Edit
    George Raft
    George Raft
    • Tony West
    Vera Zorina
    Vera Zorina
    • Gloria Vance
    Grace McDonald
    Grace McDonald
    • Kitty West
    Charley Grapewin
    Charley Grapewin
    • Nick West
    Ramsay Ames
    Ramsay Ames
    • Laura
    Charles Butterworth
    Charles Butterworth
    • Louie Fairweather
    Elizabeth Patterson
    Elizabeth Patterson
    • Annie
    Regis Toomey
    Regis Toomey
    • Dr. Henderson
    George Macready
    George Macready
    • Walter Bruce
    Jeanette MacDonald
    Jeanette MacDonald
    • Jeanette MacDonald
    Orson Welles' Mercury Wonder Show
    • Mercury Wonder Show
    Marlene Dietrich
    Marlene Dietrich
    • Marlene Dietrich
    Dinah Shore
    Dinah Shore
    • Dinah Shore
    Donald O'Connor
    Donald O'Connor
    • Donald O'Connor
    Peggy Ryan
    Peggy Ryan
    • Peggy Ryan
    W.C. Fields
    W.C. Fields
    • W. C. Fields
    The Andrews Sisters
    The Andrews Sisters
    • Andrews Sisters
    Artur Rubinstein
    Artur Rubinstein
    • Artur Rubinstein
      • A. Edward Sutherland
      • John Rawlins(uncredited)
    • Writers
      • Lou Breslow(original screen play)
      • Gertrude Purcell(original screen play)
      • Joe Schoenfeld(epilogue "Soldiers in Greasepaint")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In the "Beyond the Blue Horizon" number (previously used in Monte Carlo (1930)) the lyric "rising sun" were changed 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 Arena: The Orson Welles Story - Part 1 (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      I'll Walk Alone
      (1944)

      Music Jule Styne

      Lyrics by Sammy Cahn

      Sung by Dinah Shore (uncredited)

    User reviews13

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Doing It For The Boys Over There
    During the World War II year every major studio contributed at least one all star extravaganza for the movie going public. Many times that portion of the movie going public that was in the Armed Services and over there got to see some of this stuff first. Universal Studio's entry into this field was Follow the Boys.

    The first twenty five minutes of the film consists of how screen team and married in real cinema life team George Raft and Vera Zorina got together. Raft plays one of the members of an old vaudeville show business family who after vaudeville dies, goes to Hollywood to continue his career. He meets up with Vera Zorina and they meet and fall in love and get married. Their joint careers are going good until Pearl Harbor.

    Here's the part of the plot I cannot understand. Raft tries to enlist and gets turned down because of a bad knee. He wants it kept quiet for reasons I absolutely can't figure out. A few Hollywood stars like Gary Cooper (a broken hip that never mended properly) and Ward Bond (another broken hip and epilepsy) were quite legitimate 4-Fs. Why this was so embarrassing for Raft didn't make sense to me.

    But what he does is start organizing shows under the USO auspices and at that point all the stars playing themselves came in. Another thing about Follow the Boys I don't understand is that several of Universal's biggest musical and comedy stars that were there at the time never appeared. I'm talking about folks like Abbott&Costello, Deanna Durbin, Allan Jones and Nelson Eddy. And they even got Jeanette MacDonald over from MGM as one of the guest stars.

    But it's still a good group that's here. Sophie Tucker, Dinah Shore, Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan and the incomparable W.C. Fields. This was Fields's farewell appearance and he does his famous pool room bit that he perfected in vaudeville long before he became the screen's number one misanthrope.

    Dinah Shore sang I'll Walk Alone, one of the World War II era's biggest song hits and Follow the Boys only nomination for an Academy Award. It lost that year to Swinging on a Star from Going My Way. Dinah's rendition will moisten the eyes I guarantee. She sold a few 78 platters back in the day off this.

    Orson Welles is in this one and in it he gets to show off in his number two avocation, prestidigitation. Mr. Welles performs a few feats of magic, something he did when he was not acting, writing, directing, etc. And he had the loveliest of assistants in Marlene Dietrich.

    Although George Raft was known for his gangster portrayals, back in the day before Hollywood he was a dancer. He showed that talent off in such films as Rumba and Bolero for Paramount in the Thirties and he was pretty good. He and Vera Zorina made a fine dance team and Raft himself does a nice soft shoe routine to Sweet Georgia Brown.

    Jeanette MacDonald got to reprise one of her early screen hits Beyond the Blue Horrizon and that was a treat indeed. Too bad no one thought to team her with Nelson Eddy or Allan Jones, but I see the fine hand of Louis B. Mayer here who probably didn't want them singing together for anyone else but Leo the Lion.

    I have a weakness for these all star extravaganzas so there's no way I ever give one a bad review. Despite a story line that defies belief, Follow the Boys should not be missed.
    helpful•20
    1
    • bkoganbing
    • Nov 17, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 5, 1944 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Naval Training Center, San Diego, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours 2 minutes
      • Black and White

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    Marlene Dietrich, Orson Welles, W.C. Fields, Laverne Andrews, Maxene Andrews, Patty Andrews, Susanna Foster, Grace McDonald, Donald O'Connor, George Raft, Peggy Ryan, Dinah Shore, Vera Zorina, and The Andrews Sisters in Follow the Boys (1944)
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