Reveille with Beverly

Ann Miller gets her chance on radio with a fill-in show when Franklin Pangborn takes off from his early-morning classical music show for a vacation. Miss Miller loves swing, and the spinning records turn into the actual performers doing their numbers: Ellington & band "Take the A Train"; Bob Crosby for "Big Noise From Winnetka; two helpings of the Mills Brother, and so forth. Meanwhile the plot has Will Wright and chauffeur Dick Purcell drafted, and both courting Miss Miller; to prove it isn't his money that makes women like him, they switch identities when she's around.

Good music, and Miss Miller goes a big tap routine at the end, so it's all good. What's astonishing to me is that there seems to be no way to cut the Black performers out without trimming the movie to a sub-second-feature length, and ruining the pacing. During this period, specialty numbers by Black performers were placed so they could be removed for the Whites-only theaters in the South.

I gave the movie a 9 out of 10, despite the small plot. However, there is a reason for the story line. The basis for the movie was the story of Jean Ruth Hay. Probably the first DJ in the U.S., she was able to get an early morning spot on the radio in Colorado with a musical program for the soldiers stationed at Fort Logan; when her picture and story of her "Reveille" program was featured in Time magazine she was hired by a Los Angeles radio station (KNX-AM). Her programs from this station were broadcast all over the world to our troops engaged in WWII. An interesting side note is that, as a adviser to this film, she met and married band leader Freddy Slack, featured in the film.

A young (19 when the picture was filmed in late 1942) Ann Miller does her best in this film - it's too bad that they didn't add another dance number or two for her, though! But the one number she does perform is done very, very well (as usual for Ms Miller).

Watch for Ella Mae Morris and Freddy Slack's Orchastra with an excellent example of WWII music! Ella Mae Morris was one of the most requested singers by our soldiers during WWII - and you can see why after watching this film! At that time, Ella Mae was to singing as Ann Miller was to dancing - and Slack's Orchastra was one of the top bands during the war era, mainly because of Freddy Slacks ability with the Piano.

Also, a rather stiff young singer by the name of Frank Sinatra has a musical number in the film. In it you can see why he was becoming the heart throb of the female teens back then.

I was a preteen and then a very young teen during this era and it brings back many memories. In late 1942 when this movie was filmed (released in early 1943), the U.S. was not winning the war at all - just battling almost to a stalemate in the Pacific (at a terrible cost of lives), and not able to do much of anything in Europe. A small number of U.S. troops were sent to Africa to help the British that were having a rough time with the German/Italian forces entrenched in the Northern coast, though.

America desperately needed films like this to keep peoples spirits up. Like many Americans, I had relatives in Europe that were literally run over by Hitler's troops - troops that were easily sweeping through European country after country. Would America fall to the German Blitzgrieg? No one knew at that time, and everyone was scared! Films such as this helped rally American workers to produce an unbelievable amount of weapons. The shear number of planes, tanks, artillery, and the like that were turned out played a large part in overwhelming the enemy.

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Built around a thin plot which serves as an excuse to parade a bunch of then current pop bands, singers and comedy acts, this little programmer from Columbia spotlights ANN MILLER in the central role as a disc jockey who directs her show at the U.S. Armed Services.

She gets involved with two young soldiers--WILLIAM WRIGHT (who resembles John Carroll) and DICK PURCELL, has frequent disagreements with her radio boss, and ends up as the feature attraction in a service show where she displays her tap-dancing skills. The plot, almost non-existent, serves as a prop to show some of the performers whose records she plays for the soldiers--including Count Basie, Duke Wellington, Frank Sinatra, Bob Crosby, The Radio Rogues and The Mills Brothers.

In a strictly subordinate role is LARRY PARKS, only a few years away from stardom in "The Jolson Story", but here a virtual unknown as a fellow soldier. IRENE RYAN has a small role as a ditsy secretary.

The acts are standard stuff, except for singer FRANK SINATRA who does a standout job on "Night and Day" and performs before the camera with remarkable ease and poise a few years before becoming a major film star.

Pleasant WWII musical gets a lift from the musical numbers, but it's strictly second-rate as a substantial musical.

In "Reveille with Beverly", you get to see a LOT of famous musical acts of the day...such as Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, the Mills Brothers as well as Duke Ellington! They all are playing themselves in this film based on a radio program of the same name, "Reveille with Beverly".

Beverly (Ann Miller) works in a music store, though jumps at a chance to work for a local radio station. She'd love to have her own radio musical show...and she hopes that working there as a receptionist will lead to a chance to be on the air. Well, after a bit of conniving, she gets to fill in for one of the disc jockeys and soon she's a hit...especially with the soldiers (since it was made during WWII, they were sure to add this to make the film seem patriotic). But her boss is a knucklehead and he fires her instead! What's next? Well, a lot...including a case of two guys pretending to be each other!

The story is slight but enjoyable but THE reason to see the film is to see and hear the great musical acts. This alone makes the film well worth your time.

By the way, the film also has support from Irene and Tim Ryan, who were married but in the midst of getting a divorce when they appeared in the movie. You might remember Irene, as she played 'Granny' on "The Beverly Hillbillies".

Beverly Ross (Ann Miller) is a switchboard operator at a radio station. She dreams of hosting a program for swing music. She gets her chance and transforms an early morning boring classical music show. She becomes the favorite of many soldiers on their way to the front.

I love the music. Frank Sinatra sings Night and Day which is probably my least favorite. I'm more interested in the big band swing music. I even like the Cow song and some of the weirder performances. As for the actual movie, I can mostly leave it. It doesn't help that it gets chopped up by the music interludes. By the time they get back to the story, I had forgotten what was going on. This is better off without a story. It's really only compelling as a performance for the troops and that's what happens in the end. During wartime, that's all that's truly needed.