This little WWII era musical was one of a half-dozen or so B movies Universal Pictures produced "starring" the legendary sister trio The Andrews Sisters, although here as in the others they are subordinate to the main storyline and are basically around just to sing. This is a typical, unmemorable boy meets girl tale starring the utterly gorgeous Elyse Knox (later, Mark Harmon's mother) and the pleasant but obscure Tom Seidel. Seidel owns a dude ranch and when he and his service buddies (most of them remarkably long in the tooth like Shemp Howard and Tom Kennedy) have a 10 day pass he takes them back home where he finds a young beauty (Elyse) is now managing the place with a all-girl crew including the Andrews gals. She's doing a fairly great job - though has a "little" problem with somebody apparently stealing some of the cattle! The storyline is second to the songs which are almost non-stop once the Andrews appear by the end of the second reel. The songs themselves aren't that much but their singing is wonderful. Blonde Patty Andrews has more to do in the story than older sisters Laverne and Maxine and she has a bit of a Betty Hutton touch to her limited number of lines (her sisters have virtually none).Elyse Knox is utterly beautiful and carries herself with a pleasant dignity like something of an American Madeleine Carroll. The most amusing moment has Shemp Howard pretending to be Patty as he runs his hands over Tom Kennedy's torso from behind in hopes of locating the money Kennedy has won from him in a crap game. This little movie shot on just a few sets (and not a cactus in sight, by the way) has some charm and if you admire any of the cast it's definitely worth a look.
2 Reviews
Mediocre western musical with feminist view to make it a bit more interesting.
mark.waltz20 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
A group of cowgirls (lead by the Marjorie Main-like Minerva Urecal) run a dude ranch while its owner is off in the navy, and when he comes home, he is stunned to discover what's been going on in his absence. Of course, romance ensues with one (Elyse Knox), an alleged cow thief (Leo Carrillo) stirs up trouble, and the Andrews Sisters sing. There's one very funny moment when one of the Andrews Sisters sings while Shemp Howard pretends to be her in drag in order to get a document from another one of the men. Another funny gag involves magnetic horse shoes that turn into boomerangs thanks to an electrical contraption.
Some of the comedy though is rather forced, but when the Andrews Sisters sing (especially "The Happy Hand-Clapping Song"), all that is forgotten. A few of Carrillo's malapropisms are creative, and the presence of "Stooge" Shemp Howard is always certain to add amusement. Tom Kennedy, brother of slow-burning Edgar, is funny as a supposedly tough guy who gets teary eyed when the Andrews Sisters break into a chorus of "Down in the Valley". Tom Seidel seems rather bland in comparison with all of the comic talent supporting the sisters.
It's obvious that with the war seemingly wrapping up that the Andrews sisters days as movie headliners was wrapping up, and then Universal studios was determined to get as much out of them as they could. Other than a few guest appearances on T.V., they would head into obscurity until two of them reunited for the Broadway musical "Over Here!" If this movie did accomplish something, it was pointing out the fact that women were just as capable of doing men's jobs while they were gone, and this would create another war, that being one of a "domestic" kind.
Some of the comedy though is rather forced, but when the Andrews Sisters sing (especially "The Happy Hand-Clapping Song"), all that is forgotten. A few of Carrillo's malapropisms are creative, and the presence of "Stooge" Shemp Howard is always certain to add amusement. Tom Kennedy, brother of slow-burning Edgar, is funny as a supposedly tough guy who gets teary eyed when the Andrews Sisters break into a chorus of "Down in the Valley". Tom Seidel seems rather bland in comparison with all of the comic talent supporting the sisters.
It's obvious that with the war seemingly wrapping up that the Andrews sisters days as movie headliners was wrapping up, and then Universal studios was determined to get as much out of them as they could. Other than a few guest appearances on T.V., they would head into obscurity until two of them reunited for the Broadway musical "Over Here!" If this movie did accomplish something, it was pointing out the fact that women were just as capable of doing men's jobs while they were gone, and this would create another war, that being one of a "domestic" kind.
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