La parade aux étoiles

Tonight was the first time I'd seen this one. I thought I had seen most of Kathryn Grayson's work.It was enjoyable. Of course there's not much plot as I believe it was made to take the civilian's mind off the tension of WWII.

I'm a big Kathryn Grayson fan (along with Jane Powell and Deanna Durbin), and take umbrage to Dreamer36's reference to her singing as "chirping". While I realize that not everyone likes coloraturas, you have to give credit for the sheer talent alone. After all, where is that kind of talent in the movies they put out today? It gets tiring seeing a flick where's there's an obligatory scene where someone or something get blown to h*** and back and every other word is f***.

Gene Kelly's dancing was fantastic as usual, especially the scene with the broom and it's always a pleasure to see what classical treats José Iturbi has in store.

This is one of those WWII era musicals where a studio assembles all their top talent for an all-star extravaganza. The stars' appearances are incorporated via a very thin plot. The plot doesn't matter, because the real point in watching this film is to see the musical talent.

This film stars Kathryn Grayson who is the daughter of military colonel John Boles and Mary Astor. Grayson is a singer who is performing onstage with Jose Iturbi. Grayson decides to put her musical career on hold in order to entertain the troops on her father's base. One of her father's new recruits is acrobat Gene Kelly, who is drafted into the Army, but would rather be in the Air Force. Kelly and Grayson end up falling in love (of course). Things are complicated when Astor wants to take Grayson back home because she doesn't want Grayson falling in love with a soldier. Astor tells her that being the wife of a soldier is undesirable because the army will always be a priority. There is also another subplot where Grayson tries to get her parents back together. The highlight of the first half, IMHO, is Gene Kelly's "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" dance with a broom.

However, all of that plot is meaningless, because the second half of the film is where all the action is. Mickey Rooney appears as himself. He emcees the show and also provides some impressions along the way. The best performances in the second half are Eleanor Powell, Lena Horne and Judy Garland's. Lucille Ball, Ann Sothern and Marcia Hunt appear in a skit with Frank Morgan, and Donna Reed and Margaret O'Brien appear in a routine with Red Skelton. Virginia O'Brien does another of her awful deadpan routines with Gloria de Haven and June Allyson providing support. Gene Kelly's stunt double performs a trapeze act. Kathryn Grayson come out to sing another song while, almost literally, "thousands cheer" - the soldiers that is.

Thousands Cheer is an average film viewed from today, although it is fun to watch for Kelly, Garland, Powell, and Horne. As little as they gave Kelly to do here, you can tell MGM just didn't know what to do with the fellow yet After all he had only been on the MGM lot for about a year. However, they did give him some great comic bits.

I guess you have to view this one from the wartime perspective of when the world was a canteen and morale boosting on the home front was the order of the day.

When You watch Thousands Cheer please note the plot similarities between it and the two John Ford cavalry classics Fort Apache and Rio Grande. Kathryn Grayson is an army brat whose army father John Boles and show business mother Mary Astor separated years ago as in Rio Grande. Kathryn like Shirley Temple has fallen for a man of the ranks, a recent draftee. Fortunately John Boles is a bit more understanding than Henry Fonda was.

But folks, you don't watch films like Thousands Cheer for the story, thin as it is. You watch to see a whole lot of fabulous acts and a kind of film that can never be done again because we don't have all that talent under one studio roof. Gene Kelly the object of Grayson's affections was fairly new to films and is only give one dance number, an impromptu affair with a broom. With Eleanor Powell in the same film it would have been nice had they partnered in a number. But back then MGM wasn't thinking of posterity.

Just like in Paramount's Star Spangled Rhythm, the hook is a show that is being put on at the camp John Boles is in charge of. Mickey Rooney serves as one lively master of ceremonies and does some wicked impersonations of fellow MGM players Lionel Barrymore and Clark Gable.

My favorite though is Lena Horne singing Honeysuckle Rose. Best thing about a very entertaining film.

Gene Kelly plays the "King of the Trapeze turned buck army private" magnificently, supplemented with the chirping of Kathryn Grayson. It shows how, even in his early years, (This is only the second year of Gene in Hollywood pictures) he was a great dancer/actor. (His dance with the mop was the best part of the movie for me) This great movie is supplemented by the great bands of Jose Iturbi and Bob Crosby, and with the great talents of silver screen greats like Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gloria DeHaven, June Allyson, and the spectacular Judy Garland. This movie is a must for all classic musical buffs!!!

And because it clicked, MGM did what all the other major studios were doing--hiring their big stars to do cameos in a picture obviously aimed at entertaining the troops overseas. Paramount did it with STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM, Warners with THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS, Universal with FOLLOW THE BOYS, so it was only a matter of time before MGM came up with THOUSANDS CHEER.

If nothing else, it serves as a good showcase for the talents of KATHRYN GRAYSON (their newest singing bird) and GENE KELLY (although his dancing is limited here). For good measure they gave them MARY ASTOR and JOHN BOLES for parents, a story about a girl who wants to get her mom and dad back together again (where have we heard that one before?), and a whole bunch of MGM's brightest stars or character players in a "let's put on a show for the boys" routine.

Too bad the only thing missing is a good script. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy the gorgeous Technicolor, the dreamy close-ups of Kathryn Grayson at her musical best, and guest stars like LUCILLE BALL, JUDY GARLAND, LENA HORNE, FRANK MORGAN, VIRGINIA O'BRIEN, RED SKELTON and MICKEY ROONEY to perk up interest in a sagging script for the second half of the movie.

Summing up: Could have been a lot better. If this is your kind of ticket, check out THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS for a better star-filled time.