Hit Parade of 1941

This picture's plot has shocking similarities to "Singing in the Rain", (particularly ironical since Ann Miller was almost cast in that MGM film as well).

As it stands, "Hit Parade of 1941" is a pleasant, slickly mounted minor musical, not unlike those being turned out by Universal Studios during the same period, (one keeps expecting the Andrews Sisters to appear).

In their place, we have radio songstress Frances Langford who harmonizes beautifully with Kenny Baker in the film's best song, "We Shall Meet in the Cool of the Evening," as well as her own bluesy solo: "Swing Lo Sweet Rhythm." The latter tune is also used to back Ann Miller's first dance routine which is presented in a night club setting. Miller's final contribution is a Pan American samba. Miss Miller's routines are superb, but as "Variety" noted at the time, are not photographed to her advantage, (the camera is too far away from her).

Comic honors easily go to dithery Mary Boland and Hugh Herbert, (though the film pushes credulity by pairing them off romantically.) The music is excellent though the film's principal interest to today's viewers will be for Ann Miller completists.

Republic Pictures cut 28 minutes from this film's original running time of 88 minutes and reissued it in 1952 (no less) as "Romance and Rhythm." A lot of the cuts involved Ann Miller's dancing and left a lot of the film's rhythm out of the edited film even if it was included in the new title.

The unedited plot found independent radio station WPX losing its important ad accounts to network stations and is about to go belly-up. One of its most important accounts is the Farraday Trading Post, a "swap shop" in a Connecticut suburb. Ferdinand Farraday (Hugh Herbert), entirely devoid of business acumen, accepts the decree of his nephew, David Farraday (Kenny Baker), that their sponsorship of a radio program be discontinued. Station manager Harrison (Donald MacBride) rushes to Wyndham Ferry, flanked by two of his singers, Pat Abbott (Frances Langford) and Judy Abbott (Patsy Kelly), to save the account. Harrison quickly sizes up Uncle Ferd as an unqualified screwball and contrives to trade his insolvent station for the Farraday Trading Post.

Television takes the country by storm (in the film, at least, and was about to in the real world if World War II hadn't put it on hold for the duration)and all radio stations, if they are to survive, are obliged to install expensive television equipment. Uncle Ferd borrows money and places the Wyndham Trading Post, which he no longer owns, as security. This makes it vitally necessary for the Farradays to make the station profitable within the ninety-day period of the loan.

Mrs. Emily Potter (Mary Boland), a Brooklyn department store tycoon (tycooness?), is persuaded to sponsor a television program, but only if her daughter, Annabelle (Ann Miller), be starred as a singer. Annabelle can dance up a storm on legs that stretch from Monday to at least Friday but singing is not one of her many attributes. No problem. David persuades Pat to supply the singing voice, while Annabelle appears on the television screen, singing into a dead mike.

Annabelle becomes a big singing star and Pat is okay with this because she loves David. But, for publicity purposes, David must be seen in public frequently with Annabelle, and he thoughtlessly breaks dates with Pat to do so. Sister Judy is indignant but Pat refuses to expose the hoax. So Donald O'Connor....uh...sorry...make that Judy, taking things in her own hands, switches controls during Annabelle's telecast, and Annabelle's real voice is heard.

The jig is up but no harm, no foul for all hands. Pat becomes a singing star and Annabelle a show-stopping dancer. And any film with a cast that includes Phil Silvers as a brassy radio announcer, crying-voice Sterling Holloway as a philosophical soda jerk, prissy-as-usual Franklin Pangborn, Barnett Parker's English-variety humor ( beg pardon, humour), ditzy Mary Boland, little Annie Miller's dancing and Frances Langford's singing is a keeper. At least, in the original 88-minute version. A whole lot of the above is missing in the 60-minute "Romance and Rhythm" version.

Bradford Ropes' paean to the earliest days of TV includes many delightful performances from all involved. Frances Langford returns to Hit Parade territory with several maudlin and syrupy sweet numbers. She handles both ballad and swing time with equal aplomb. The bubbly plot involves the trading of a trading post in Connecticut for a Brooklyn radio station that eventually becomes a television station, with the attention primarily heaped upon a starry-eyed young lady singer who is actually a toe-tapping hoofer with a pair of golden gams in disguise. Langford provides the pipes for Miss Miller incognito, who is clearly a much better dancer than she is a singer (in much the same fashion Debbie Reynolds provided vocals for Jean Hagen in "Singin' in the Rain"). This was Miss Miller's first foray into the movie business, and she was already a Texas tornado by then! Lucky charm Patsy Kelly (playing Langford's sister) provides second banana antics with her boyfriend Phil Silvers in his film debut, the start of a long and successful career in comedy, still years away from Sgt. Bilko. The tender Oscar-nominated "Who Am I" by Jule Styne and Walter Bullock tugs adeptly on the heartstrings and is crooned by Buddy Baker's velvet soprano and Langford with gilded-throated style and class. Only "When You Wish Upon a Star" was the better song that year. Among the abounding talent contained herein, you will find Borrah Minevitch and his harmonica-playing band of lunatics monkeying around the microphones, and Six Hits and A Miss provide a Greek (Jazz) Chorus of sorts. Hugh Herbert (not to be confused with one of the film's storytellers F. Hugh Herbert) shines like a copper pot as the silly goose who ends up owning the radio station, and he carbonates like a foaming Bromo with his usual "whoo-hoo" brand of tomfoolery. Baker plays his skeptical nephew, in a role usually fit for Dick Powell. Sterling Holloway lends a helping hand playing a milquetoast soda jerk who furnishes meals for this gung-ho group of radio personalities. Be warned, however, fellow film buffs. There ARE editing flubs, and they mess with the flow of this picture. Don't expect the flawless type of editing you may find in your typical Broadway Melody or Gold Digger affair. This ain't MGM, and it shows, but it's still an amusing pastiche, with the flavor of a banana split (without the bananas) and die-hards of the earliest days of television will not be disappointed. Sticklers for quality might find it to be tripe. Those who don't mind a continuity hiccup or two (or seven), you'll be as amused as I was. It might have even caused the tossing of a tomato or two at the screen during its run in theaters, but I'd rather eat a tomato than heave one.

Ho-Hum, another "B" musical from the 1940's. Right away you just know it's silly and stupid. What a waste of good film! Unfortunately a lot of people are ready to apply these tags upon seeing the title and the year. I feel sorry for people like that because they are missing out on some wonderful films with very talented actors and actresses.

Hit Parade of 1941 stars the beautiful and utterly charming Frances Langford and the smooth voiced Kenny Baker as the girl and boy who find love. Film veterans Hugh Herbert, Mary Boland, Phil Silvers, Patsy Kelly, Donald MacBride, Sterling Holloway and Ann Miller in her first film add their support and strength to make this a real ensemble piece. The pacing of this movie is superb, it moves right along from one situation to another. The score and the song, the beautiful "Who Am I" were nominated for Academy Awards. They should have won! Is it too late to demand a recount? Frances Langford sings "Who Am I" first as a lovely duet with Kenny Baker, and then Frances does it as a solo in that wonderful dreamy voice of hers. Words cannot describe the honeyed voice of this gorgeous woman. By all means see this movie if you can, and make sure it's not the edited version. You don't want to miss a second of this charming movie. Of course it's all a matter of opinion, if you don't like 40's music and musicals you won't like this one...or will you?

I bought a copy of this film off ebay as there is little chance that this will ever be shown in the UK.I am a great fan of Ann Miller.What a disappointment this turned out to be.She is not shown dancing in the reissue and according to the times shown on the listing it has lost 28 minutes.The fact that the plot makes little sense from halfway through is of little concern.However when the main reason for seeing this film is cut out it makes it rather a pointless exercise.What is left is really not very good.It is a typical B musical turned out by Republic.Plenty of music little in the way of plot.Even Phil Silvers and Hugh Herbert fail to shine.In all then rather a disappointment.