Once Upon a Time

19441944
ApprovedApproved
1h 29min

Cary Grant, Janet Blair, Ted Donaldson, and James Gleason in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Comedy Family Fantasy

A cash-strapped theater producer promotes a nine-year-old boy's dancing caterpillar.A cash-strapped theater producer promotes a nine-year-old boy's dancing caterpillar.A cash-strapped theater producer promotes a nine-year-old boy's dancing caterpillar.

Director
- Alexander Hall
Writers
- Lewis Meltzer(screenplay)
- Oscar Saul(screenplay)
- Irving Fineman(adaptation)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Cary Grant, Janet Blair, and Ted Donaldson in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Cary Grant and Janet Blair in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Cary Grant, Janet Blair, and Ted Donaldson in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Cary Grant and Ted Donaldson in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Cary Grant and Janet Blair in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Cary Grant in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Howard Freeman in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Cary Grant and James Gleason in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Cary Grant and Janet Blair in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Once Upon a Time (1944)

Cary Grant in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Ted Donaldson in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Jerry Flynnas Jerry Flynn

Jeannie Thompsonas Jeannie Thompson

McGillicuddy aka The Mokeas McGillicuddy aka The Moke

Arthur 'Pinky' Thompsonas Arthur 'Pinky' Thompson

William Demarest

Brandtas Brandt

Reporteras Reporter
(uncredited)

Shipyard Workeras Shipyard Worker
(uncredited)

Theatregoeras Theatregoer
(uncredited)

Soldier Leaving Theatreas Soldier Leaving Theatre
(uncredited)

Attendantas Attendant
(uncredited)

George Anderson

Businessmanas Businessman
(uncredited)

Barberas Barber
(uncredited)

Fred Stacy - Reporteras Fred Stacy - Reporter
(uncredited)

Businesswomanas Businesswoman
(uncredited)

Chorus Girlas Chorus Girl
(uncredited)

Assistant Hotel Manageras Assistant Hotel Manager
(uncredited)

Gabriel Heatteras Gabriel Heatter
(uncredited)

Photographeras Photographer
(uncredited)

Director
- Alexander Hall
Writers
- Lewis Meltzer(screenplay)
- Oscar Saul(screenplay)
- Irving Fineman(adaptation)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

Houseboat

6.6

Bringing Up Baby

7.9

Bringing Up Baby

Smalltime crookster and showman Jerry Flynn is desperately searching for a new act to promote in order to save him from ruin. He meets a boy on the street who claims to have a dancing caterpillar called Curly. Flynn seizes the opportunity for fame and fortune at Curly's expense. —Col Needham <col@imdb.com>

show girl male police officer dancing caterpillar trapeze artist passenger 44 more

Taglines
- It's DIFFERENT! It's WHIMSICAL! It's CHUCKLESOME!
Genres
Certificate
- Approved
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
Rita Hayworth was originally assigned the role of Jeannie Thompson, and when she refused to do it, was placed on a nine week suspension without pay by the head of Columbia, Harry Cohn, and subsequently replaced by Janet Blair.

Quotes
Jerry Flynn: What does the public need in times like these? Escape!

Connections
Referenced in Being Ian: Once a Pawn a Time (2005)

Soundtracks
Yes Sir, That's My Baby
(uncredited)
Music by Walter Donaldson
Lyrics by Gus Kahn
Played often throughout the film

Top review

7/10

Fantasy is the real star

A truly happy film produced in the middle of World War Two. The fantasy of the caterpillar which turns into a butterfly is well-worn, yet always popular. To a large degree, the war is ignored, yet due to the pervasive nature of long-term world conflict, some allusions to the conflict are noted. Especially pointed is the crew of the B-17 bomber who name their plane "Curly" after the caterpillar. They highlight the event with: "I've been in London, Chun King, and Malta and saw kids dodge bombs to try to save some mangey dog." Why not save a dancing caterpillar? The remarkable thing about this film is how many times one sees the caterpillar. Curly the caterpillar is a welcomed respite from the drudgery of prolonged war. Even with one hundred and fifteen credited actors, in this movie fantasy is the real star.

helpful•11

4

dexter-10
Oct 25, 2001

Release date
- June 29, 1944 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- My Client Curly
Filming locations
- Chaplin Studios - 1416 N. La Brea Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
Production company
- Columbia Pictures
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Runtime
- 1h 29min
Color
- Black and White
Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1

Cary Grant, Janet Blair, Ted Donaldson, and James Gleason in Once Upon a Time (1944)

Top Gap

By what name was Once Upon a Time (1944) officially released in Canada in English?

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