1943 (August) A Warners Bros. First National Production Produced by Mark Hellinger Directed by David Butler Written by Norman Panama, Melvin Frank, and James V. Kern, based on a story by Everett Freeman and Arthur Schwartz Photographed by Arthur Edeson Songs by Arthur Schwartz and Frank Loesser Music direction by Ray Heindorf 127 minutes Starring Humphrey Bogart, Eddie Cantor, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Errol Flynn, John Garfield, Joan Leslie, Ida Lupino, Dennis Morgan, Ann Sheridan, Dinah Shore, Alexis Smith; with Jack Carson, Alan Hale, Geoge Tobias, Edward Everett Horton; and S. K. Sakall, Hattie McDaniels, Ruth Donnelly, Don Wilson, Spike Jones and His City Slickers A vintage WWII moral-booster, the movie was one of several all-star musical revues out of Warner Bros. This one, however, is more memorable than the others, in part because it gave audiences a chance to hear Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and other Warner Bros. contract players try out their singing pipes. Most of the stars appear as themselves, putting on a show for an Allied charity. The principles -- Eddie Cantor (Joe Simpson), Joan Leslie (Pat Dixon), and Dennis Morgan (Tommy Randolf) -- are three unknowns who dream of crashing into the entertainment business. The plot centers around their efforts to get singer Tommy Randolf into the Calvacade of Stars by kidnapping chairman Eddie Cantor (playing himself in a dual-role), and substituting for him look-alike Joe Simpson. As Pat Dixon, an energetic, delightful, but not-very-talented songwriter, Joan Leslie is funny and touching. "Moon Dust" seems to be her only composition, and it of course is dreadful. In one of the movie's funniest scenes, Pat attempts to convince Tommy to sing "Moondust" at his meeting with impresario Cantor. Here she breaks into an impromptu imitation of Ida Lupino in They Drive By Night. Pat (in a fake Britsh accent, with her eyes bulging out in the Lupino manner): "You've got to listen to my song, do you hear? You've got to! You've been putting me off long enough. 'Yes, Miss Dixon. No, Miss Dixon. I've got to go, Miss Dixon.' You've got it all figured out, haven't you? Don't you think I know you're not interested in my song, or in the moon for that matter? Well, get this. I wrote that song for you, do you hear? You made me do it. Yes. Yes, that's it! You made me do it!" Her Cagney impersonation is even more hilarious. Very highly recommended. Pic #1 Favorite Joan Leslie Film Select your favorite Joan Leslie film here. High Sierra The Great Mr. Nobody The Wagons Roll at Night Sergeant York The Male Animal Yankee Doodle Dandy The Hard Way This Is the Army The Sky's the Limit Thank Your Lucky Stars Hollywood Canteen Where Do We Go From Here? Rhapsody in Blue Too Young to Know Cinderella Jones Two Guys from Milwaukee Repeat Performance Northwest Stampede The Skipper Surprised His Wife Man in the Saddle The Woman They Almost Lynched Flight Nurse Jubilee Trail Hell's Outpost Other Current Results [Sign My Guestbook] [View My Guestbook]