Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)

People are voting emotionally.

good back-story, and good acting

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

What? No plot? Sure it has a plot, mostly involving star Eddie Cantor in his dual roles as himself and Joe: the ex-Broadway acting city bus driver, the Dennis Morgan-Joan Leslie romantic duo, and the 'Cuddles' Sakal-Edward Everett Horton show producing duo. Very strangely, the last two aren't even included in the major players list at this site, whereas Bogart, who had one short minor scene with Sakal, is at the top of the list!!The film begins with Dinah Shore singing the title song, composed by the team of Frank Loesser and Arthur Schwartz, who composed the numerous additional novel songs. This was Dinah's first film role, she being cast as the primary female singer, with virtually no role in the dramatic scenes. No doubt , she achieved this status thanks to Cantor, who often included her on his radio shows in the early 40s, being groomed by Cantor to become a significant singing star. She has 2 additional songs, well separated from each other. She comes across much better than in the rather similar type of film "'Til the Clouds Roll By", perhaps because of the influence of Cantor. She is followed by a comedy routine by John Garfield and Cantor, in which Garfield attempts to sing(not very successfully) Dinah's recent hit "Blues in the Night" Actually, this routine is rather good, with Garfield playing a tough guy gangster, with Cantor his periodic victim.Next, we have Spike Jones and his inimical cutup band, initially alone, then backing up the primary male singer Dennis Morgan, who is nearly always in the company of girlfriend spunky Joan Leslie. ....After Cantor does a typical Cantor song : "We're Staying Home", relating to the war, Alan Hale and Jack Carson do a vaudevillian song/dance/ comedy routine to "Way up North", rather reminding me of the Bing Crosby/Bob Hope team in "Road to Utopia", filmed that same year, but not released for several years.Between bits of drama is the "Love Isn't Born, It's Made" number, featuring Anne Sheridan, surrounded by a female chorus group who look to be at a slumber party. Anne's sophisticated singing style is quite different from Dinah's. The last time I saw her in a film, she was chasing Frank Sinatra, as 'the other woman', in the musical "Step Lively". After additional songs by Morgan, and by Dinah, we have an all African American production, centered around the song "Ice Cold Katie, Why Don't You Marry the Soldier". Hattie McDaniel starts off the singing, but various others dominate the singing at times, in a crowded street scene, in which another actress plays Katie, and is encouraged to marry a scared -looking soldier(Willie Best), who doesn't say or sing anything. Charismatic AA actor Jesse Lee Brooks is the tall robust justice of the peace, who dominates the dialogue and singing at times. He previously played the preacher in the well-remembered AA church scene, in "Sullivan's Travels", and would die the year following the present film. This was certainly one of the highlights of the film. Warner's flag-waving revue of the previous year: This is the Army", had also featured one all AA musical-comedy production.The musical production featuring Errol Flynn I didn't think much of. Not Flynn's fault. This was followed by Betty Davis's performance of "They're either too old or too Young", in which she laments that all the potential appropriate men for her are overseas in the armed forces. This was much more focused than Flynn's number, and Betty was quite good.The last original musical production was meant to contribute to FDR's 'good neighbor policy' to try to keep Latin American countries from siding with the European fascists. Morgan serenades a Latin senorita with "Good Neighbor, Good Night" . Interspersed between his singing bouts, Alexis Smith, with several male dancers, entertain with a romantic dance. Alexis would become Flynn's most frequent romantic lead in his 40s films, after he said goodbye to Olivia de Havilland, who had a small dancing part in this show, with Ida Lupino. Alexis would be featured as Cole Porter's wife in the tribute to Porter's music : "Night and Day".The last of the film deals with Cantor's problem that his look-alike, Joe, has taken over his identity as a showman and stage producer, and he is in a mental hospital, slated for a lobotomy. The finale consists of brief reprises of the major musical productions, some with rather elaborate sets. Then, orchestra conductor Sakal is spooked when he sees that all his players have Cantor faces, some with fiendish grins, after Cantor has been whisked off for a lobotomy. Not clear if this is supposed to indicate that Joe has suddenly become more dominating than the obnoxiously dominating real Cantor, whom Sakal helped get rid of.Of the 3 Warner films released in '43-44 in the current Warner Homefront DVD set, this is clearly the most entertaining, overall. In part, this is because of the pervading presence of Cantor and Sakal. But, it's also because it's the least saturated with flag-waving and enlistment promotional innuendos, and has the most semblance of a fairly entertaining story to go along with the many musical and comedy productions.

Thank Your Lucky Stars starts with two producers trying to get Dinah Shore to appear in their all star benefit. When one producer (Dr. Schlenna played by SA.Z. Sakall) says in his thick German accent he wants Dinah Shore, I think he says dinosaur. Speaking of dinosaurs, Eddie Cantor plays a caricature of himself and also plays a poor schlep who wants to break into show biz, but is thwarted because he looks like Eddie Cantor (what?).Shot during the shortages of WWII, you might think there's a talent shortage, but this film has plenty of talent. Unfortunately, it's used in hammy, half-baked scenes and performances. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more of this 2nd class collection of scenery-chewing and bad lyrics, I started enjoying the show. Yes, I said it. It surprised me, too. The movie is pure corn and I was eating it up. This collection of resurrected vaudeville zingers and minstrel show prancing somehow wormed its way into my heart. Maybe it's the puerile pratfalls or the gee-whiz dialogue or the one-joke skits or the Humphrey Bogart look alike... Hey wait, can that be the real Bogie? Don't fight it. Embrace the film. Get on to enjoying this diversion from the realities of war in 1943.Dennis Morgan and Joan Leslie play the two romantic leads.Most of the soundtrack is by by Schwartz and Loesser, but these are some of Loesser's lesser efforts, often sung by B-grade singers. Still, the novelty of seeing Bette Davis singing, for example, is engaging. By the time we get to the actual Cavalcade of Stars, we have an opportunity to see some bona fide stars in some interesting musical numbers.Note the great pas de trois. Great dancing.And my favorite part of the movie: the jive performance of "The Dreamer" by Ida Lupino, Olivia De Havilland and George Tobias. What gum-smacking fun!There are real rewards if you stick with this film.

This is a Cavalcade of Stars ( the storyline production of which is the pretext for the show) an inside look at showbiz. which is all great. With Bogart and Garfield doing extemporaneous drama, it is every bit like a TV variety show. The effect is very modern and the talent all top notch. Edie Cantor, even after familiarity during the Fifties seems bizarre as ever. Cantor dances like a magician and/or juggler. When he starts clapping and dancing like a seal, it is really all him. Quite a display. And it could be said to be pretty much the Edie Cantor Show. The songs in this particular flick hold up really well. It is still entertaining and it is history as well.This film is a great little entertainer and carries you along all the way to The End in first class spirits. The War plays almost no part in the story.

The unforgettable Eddie Cantor is the glue which holds this wartime extravaganza together. He was one of the few great singers who could double as a first rate comedian.Other reviewers have pretty much covered all angles but for me the high point is the appearance of Spike Jones and his City Slickers, performing one of their hilarious numbers. Once you've experienced Spike, you just can't get enough of his unique style, if that's the right word.Bogart's appearance is amusing while Miss Davis provides a memorable performance. None of the other Warners stars really stand out. For me, 'Starlift' is a better star vehicle, though it would come almost a decade later.