Call Me Mister (1951)

A G.I. in occupied Japan tries to re-woo his old love, who's putting on a show for the troops.

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Albert E. Lewin, Burt Styler

Stars:

Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, Danny Thomas

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Betty Grable	...	Kay Hudson
Dan Dailey	...	Shep Dooley
Danny Thomas	...	Stanley
Dale Robertson	...	Capt.Johnny Comstock
Benay Venuta	...	Billie Barton
Richard Boone	...	Mess Sergeant
Jeffrey Hunter	...	The Kid
Frank Fontaine	...	Sergeant
The Three Dunhills	...	Speciality Act (as The Dunhills)

Storyline

G.I. Sergeant Shep Dooley, former stage star awaiting discharge in postwar Tokyo, meets his estranged love Kay when she arrives to entertain the troops. Shep, who hasn't exactly lost his former irresponsibility, does his best to court Kay anew...but she has no lack of other admirers as she labors to put on a soldier show.

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Plot Keywords:

japan | trial separation | show within a show | awol | army life | 

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Taglines:

From 20th Century-Fox...The All-Time Big-Time Good-Time Show of the Year!

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Genres:

Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

In this musical, director Lloyd Bacon and dance director Busby Berkeley worked together for the first time since 42nd Street (1933).

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Goofs

Shep Dooley hops a ride on a rickshaw to reach his military base and passes a stonewall flower garden. Several hours and a very tired rickshaw runner later, he reaches his destination, and we pass the very same flower garden.

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Quotes

Stanley: How do you like that? An American Greek copying Japanese numbers in English. Boy is this Army gonna be mixed up.

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Soundtracks

JAPANESE GIRL LIKE 'MERICAN BOY
(uncredited)
Written by Sammy Fain
Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Sung and danced by Betty Grable and chorus

User Reviews

GIs Wanna Go Home

There was not much you could do with Call Me Mister after 20th Century Fox bought the rights. Unless of course you wanted to do a review like Ziegfeld Follies. So the title is retained and a few songs and a story is written. Of course when you have Betty Grable doing her fourth and last film with Dan Dailey that usually sold any film that Fox put out.

Harold Rome wrote the score for the Broadway revue Call Me Mister. The theme was about the end of World War II and the return to civilian life for the troops. The songs and sketches reflected that. The very topicality of the show is the reason it's not revived today. The plot here concerns the end of the war. Betty Grable is a WAC and her estranged husband are both in occupied Japan. They were a double act in vaudeville, she's looking to put on a GI show. He's looking to get the title of civilian again.

But Dailey who arrives at base a little late finds his ship has sailed for the USA and discharge. So he fakes some orders and gets himself assigned to Grable's show. Where he has to deal with Captain Dale Robertson to win back his wife.

Let's say it helps that Dailey sings and dances in his quest. And through some typical army red tape his potential jackpot disappears.

Danny Thomas is in the cast also and he gets one of the Rome retained songs Military Life. Bobby Short also is lead singer with Going Home Train also retained from the original.

I can't understand myself why the biggest hit of the show South America Take It Away didn't make the film. It sold a lot of records for Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. As the film itself was about putting on a show it could have been worked in easily enough. It's heard in passing briefly.

One song I always liked was The Shiny New Face On The Dime in tribute to Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1946 with FDR's death still fresh it was a poignant show stopper. I guess that Darryl Zanuck felt it wouldn't have the same impact in 1951. A pity, it's a great song.

In small roles at the start of their careers are Richard Boone and Jeffrey Hunter both Fox contract players. Benay Venuta is Grable's girl sidekick and she and Thomas pair off well.

For fans of any of the cast members in this still amusing and entertaining musical.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 1951 (UK)

Also Known As:

Amores de Tokio

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,900,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1