Hey Boy! Hey Girl! (1959)
Meant primarily as TV fare, this standard, song-filled romantic drama stars Louis Prima as himself, and his real-life wife Keely Smith as Dorothy Spencer, a devout woman with a good singing voice. Dorothy is active in her local parish which like all parishes, is constantly thinking of ways to raise funds. One of the needy projects is a boys' camp, so when Dorothy is approached by Louis Prima to sing with his band she agrees only on one condition -- that he perform a concert benefit for the parish church and boys' camp. The interactions between Dorothy and Prima lead toward romance and a happy ending, as well as a popular album with the same title song featured in this film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi (NY Times Review).
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Reviews
Simply A Masterpiece
It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
I bought "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" because I'm a huge Louis Prima fan. But because of some IMDb members reviews I was afraid to watch it. Well, let me tell you, this is a very nice movie. There's nothing lewd, nothing that could offend anyone, and it has it's funny moments too. You may not like it if you're into all that heavy Drama or action-adventure stuff. People complain about the poor acting, which is something else that made me nervous about watching it, but they all did a great job for musicians. Seeing Louis perform was fantastic, another reason to get this would be to see him. Great casting as well. Seeing James Gregory as the Priest was a real treat.Well, it may be just me, but I really like this movie. I can't tell you that you'll love it right away, it's really a "hit or miss" type of thing. Depending on your taste and/or personality you might like it, you might not. The only thing I can tell you is to try it out and see for yourself.But if I had to sum it up, I'd say, if you love Louis Prima and if you like fun carefree movies, I'd go with this one.
I believe I saw this movie when it first hit the theatres. There are only two things I really remember about it.First and above all - Keely Smith. I fell in love with that straight fringe of hair across her forehead and the unmoving expression. Still love her, though it's been a long long time.My other recollection of the movie, if this title is the same one, is a marvellous long shot of the band cavorting across a field in single file, playing their instruments as they parade along.That's all I recall, so I guess the rest of the film must have been rather forgettable.But, Keely, you were unforgettable. Love you.
As a long time fan of Louis Prima and someone who went to Las Vegas to the Lounge just to watch the show, this movis brought back really fine memories. The movie itself was definitely class B, not much of a plot and not very good acting, but the music was the greatest. I could watch it a dozen times, especially if I can fast foward over the non music parts.
It's not meant to be Showboat or American in Paris. It's a low budget movie that showcases the amazing musical talents of Keely Smith and Louis Prima. And it succeeds. Not familiar with their music, I promptly went out and bought 'Louis and Keely' and I have enjoyed the CD ever since.As for the movie....it's a typical gee-whiz boy (okay, older man) meets girl with a heck of a singing voice. They cat and mouse it. They have conflict (baby brother feels neglected, she feels guilty) and they overcome it. Again, so what. Watch it for the music and the chemistry between Keely, Prima, and even Butera and the Whispers. A plus...seeing 'the old Inspector', Barney Miller's James Gregory as the priest.Happy viewing!