Two Girls and a Sailor
| Two Girls and a Sailor | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Richard Thorpe |
| Written by | Richard Connell Gladys Lehman |
| Produced by | Joe Pasternak |
| Starring | June Allyson Gloria DeHaven Van Johnson |
| Cinematography | Robert Surtees |
| Edited by | George Boemler |
| Music by | Calvin Jackson George Stoll |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
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Running time | 124 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,420,000[1] |
| Box office | $4,576,000[1] |
Two Girls and a Sailor is a 1944 musical film about two singing sisters who are helped to set up a canteen to entertain soldiers by a mysterious wealthy admirer. It featured a host of celebrity performances, including Jimmy Durante doing his hallmark "Inka Dinka Doo", Gracie Allen, and Lena Horne. Richard Connell and Gladys Lehman were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Plot
Two sisters, Jean (Gloria DeHaven) and Patsy Deyo (June Allyson), are born into a vaudeville family, and when they grow up, start an act themselves. One night, they invite a bunch of servicemen to their apartment. They are both attracted to a sailor named Johnny (Van Johnson). Jean points out to Johnny an unused nearby warehouse they wish they could make into a canteen to entertain the troops.
An anonymous benefactor they call "Somebody" starts fulfilling that goal. First, a Mr. Nizby (Donald Meek) shows up and hands them the keys to the warehouse, announcing they now own it. As the two sisters explore the dusty building, they discover that Billy Kipp (Jimmy Durante), an old vaudeville performer they knew as kids, has been squatting there ever since his wife left him and took their infant son many years ago. A horde of cleaners tidy up, and the place is made into an inviting canteen, all courtesy of "Somebody". Famous entertainers perform, as do Jean and Patsy.
Johnny starts dating Jean, unaware that Patsy is also in love with him. Meanwhile, Patsy tries to discover who "Somebody" is. Finally, she learns that it is none other than Johnny. It also turns out that Johnny is in love with Patsy, and Jean with Sergeant Frank Miller (Tom Drake), but both did not want to hurt the other. Everything gets straightened out in the end. To top it off, Billy spots a sailor who looks just like a younger version of himself, down to his nose. He and his son are joyfully reunited.
Cast
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Soundtrack
- Sweet and Lovely - words music by Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias, Jules Lemare - Performed by June Allyson (dubbed by Virginia Rees) and Gloria DeHaven (dubbed by Dorothy Jackson)
- My Mother Told Me - Sung by Gloria DeHaven
- In A Moment of Madness - words by Ralph Freed, music by Jimmy McHugh - Sung by Helen Forrest, accompanied by Harry James and His Music Makers
- A-Tisket, A-Tasket - words music by Al Feldman and Ella Fitzgerald - Performed by June Allyson and Gloria DeHaven
- Babalú - words music by Margarita Lecuona - Performed by Lina Romay with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra
- Charmaine - by Erno Rapee and Lew Pollack - Performed by Harry James and His Music Makers
- Concerto for Index Finger - Performed on piano by Gracie Allen with orchestra, conducted by Albert Coates
- Estrellita - music by M. M. Ponce - Performed by Harry James and His Music Makers
- A Love Like Ours - words by Mann Holiner, music by Alberta Nichols - Performed by June Allyson (dubbed by Virginia Rees) and Gloria DeHaven, with Harry James and His Music Makers
- Granada - words music by Agustín Lara - Performed by Carlos Ramírez, with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra
- Paper Doll - words music by Johnny S. Black - Performed by Lena Horne
- Rumba Rumba - words by Sammy Gallop, music by José Pafumy - Performed by Lina Romay with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra
- Take It Easy - words music by Al DeBru, Irving Taylor, Vic Mizzy - Performed by Virginia O'Brien, Lee Wilde, Lyn Wilde, and Lina Romay with Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra
- Anchors Aweigh - Performed by an unidentified marching band in the dream sequence
- Did You Ever Have the Feeling That You Wanted to Go? - Written and performed by Jimmy Durante
- Inka Dinka Doo - words music by Jimmy Durante, Ben Ryan, Harry Donnelly - Performed by Jimmy Durante
- Thrill of a New Romance - Played by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra. Danced by Ben Blue and Lina Romay
- You, Dear - words by Ralph Freed, music by Sammy Fain - Performed by Harry James and His Music Makers
- Who Will Be with You When I'm Far Away - Performed, words, music by Jimmy Durante
- The Young Man with a Horn - words by Ralph Freed, music by Georgie Stoll - Performed by June Allyson and Harry James and His Music Makers
- Ritual Fire Dance - by Manuel de Falla - Performed on pianos by José Iturbi and Amparo Iturbi
- Flash - by Harry James[3][4]
Reception
According to MGM records the film earned $2,852,000 in the US and Canada and $1,724,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $1,726,000.[1]
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2004: AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
- "Inka Dinka Doo" – Nominated[5]
References
Notes
- ^ a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- ^ (her Wikipedia filmography)
- ^ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=476&category=Music
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037408/soundtrack
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-05.
External links
- Two Girls and a Sailor at the TCM Movie Database
- Two Girls and a Sailor at IMDb
- Two Girls and a Sailor at AllMovie
- Two Girls and a Sailor at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films