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 »

Directors:

A. Edward Sutherland (as Eddie Sutherland), John Rawlins (uncredited)

Writers:

Lou Breslow (original screen play), Gertrude Purcell (original screen play)

Stars:

George Raft, Vera Zorina, Grace McDonald

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Raft	...	Tony West
Vera Zorina	...	Gloria Vance
Grace McDonald	...	Kitty West
Charley Grapewin	...	Nick West
Ramsay Ames	...	Laura
Charles Butterworth	...	Louie Fairweather
Elizabeth Patterson	...	Annie
Regis Toomey	...	Dr. Henderson
George Macready	...	Walter Bruce
Jeanette MacDonald	...	Jeanette MacDonald
Orson Welles' Mercury Wonder Show	...	Mercury Wonder Show
Orson Welles	...	Orson Welles
Marlene Dietrich	...	Marlene Dietrich
Dinah Shore	...	Dinah Shore
Donald O'Connor	...	Donald O'Connor

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.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to joe e. brown | concert pianist | nurse | wounded soldier | hospital | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

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.

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Quotes

W.C. Fields: You can count on me. You can always find me at Little Joe's Cream Puff Emporium.

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Connections

Featured in Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles (2014)

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Soundtracks

Sweet Georgia Brown
(1925) (uncredited)
Music by Maceo Pinkard, Ben Bernie and Kenneth Casey
Performed by Louis Jordan and his Orchestra
Danced by George Raft

User Reviews

Hollywood Rallying for the War Effort

It seems to take forever to get through a plodding build-up, including a stiff performance by George Raft as a dancer, with Norwegian ballerina Vera Zorina as his partner, but there is no better example of how Hollywood rallied to entertain the troops during World War II than this impressive parade of celebrities, showcasing some of the most popular acts of the time: Sophie Tucker talk- singing "The Better the Loving Will Be," the Andrews Sisters doing a string of their hits, Jeanette MacDonald singing "Beyond the Blue Horizon," Dinah Shore with "I'll Walk Alone," and virtually the entire roster of contract actors at Universal Pictures. The footage of actual soldier audiences is nearly as interesting as the studio performances with which it is interspersed.

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