“Thousands Cheer” is a musical comedy featuring Gene Kelly as a trapeze artist who joins the Army in World World II and has an idea to put on a huge show for his fellow soldiers. His new girl friend’s father, an Army colonel, disapproves, so things get complicated. Director George Sidney (“Viva Las Vegas” 1964) put together quite a musical extravaganza with outstanding production values, big band music, and a great screenplay by Paul Jarrico and Richard Collins.
The stars of the first half of the movie’s 125 minute running time includes Gene Kelly as the new private, Kathryn Grayson as his girl friend, Mary Astor and John Boles as her parents, Ben Blue, Frances Rafferty, Frank Jenks, Frank Sully, Dick Simmons, Ben Lessy, and Sarah Haden as the nurse.
The MGM roster of stars was raided for the second half of the film, the show within a show, including host Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Donna Reed, Ann Southern, Frank Morgan, Virginia O’Brien, Eleanor Powell, Marilyn Maxwell, June Allison, Gloria DeHaven, Margaret O’Brien, the Kay Kyser Orchestra, and pianist Jose Iturbi, who appeared in both segments of the movie.
Musical numbers were composed by Irving Berlin, Lorenz Hart, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Max Steiner, among others. If you want to see a typical 1940’s movie loaded with big band and swing music, then you will enjoy the watchable “Thousands Cheer,” a huge hit at the 1943 box office for producer Joe Pasternak and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Cinematography (George J. Folsey), Best Score, and Best Art Direction. “Thousands Cheer” was intended as a World War II morale booster for U. S. troops and their families, as well as for the general public.
Thousands Cheer (1943)
cinema
My Review
“Thousands Cheer” is a musical comedy featuring Gene Kelly as a trapeze artist who joins the Army in World World II and has an idea to put on a huge show for his fellow soldiers. His new girl friend’s father, an Army colonel, disapproves, so things get complicated. Director George Sidney (“Viva Las Vegas” 1964) put together quite a musical extravaganza with outstanding production values, big band music, and a great screenplay by Paul Jarrico and Richard Collins.
The stars of the first half of the movie’s 125 minute running time includes Gene Kelly as the new private, Kathryn Grayson as his girl friend, Mary Astor and John Boles as her parents, Ben Blue, Frances Rafferty, Frank Jenks, Frank Sully, Dick Simmons, Ben Lessy, and Sarah Haden as the nurse.
The MGM roster of stars was raided for the second half of the film, the show within a show, including host Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Donna Reed, Ann Southern, Frank Morgan, Virginia O’Brien, Eleanor Powell, Marilyn Maxwell, June Allison, Gloria DeHaven, Margaret O’Brien, the Kay Kyser Orchestra, and pianist Jose Iturbi, who appeared in both segments of the movie.
Musical numbers were composed by Irving Berlin, Lorenz Hart, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Max Steiner, among others. If you want to see a typical 1940’s movie loaded with big band and swing music, then you will enjoy the watchable “Thousands Cheer,” a huge hit at the 1943 box office for producer Joe Pasternak and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Cinematography (George J. Folsey), Best Score, and Best Art Direction. “Thousands Cheer” was intended as a World War II morale booster for U. S. troops and their families, as well as for the general public.