I Won't Play

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

In this Warner Bros. short, a Marine in a South Sea island during World War II, Joe Fingers, tells tales of the influence he's had on various personalities. In the words of one of his buddie... Read allIn this Warner Bros. short, a Marine in a South Sea island during World War II, Joe Fingers, tells tales of the influence he's had on various personalities. In the words of one of his buddies, he's either the biggest liar in the world or the most important man in show business. H... Read allIn this Warner Bros. short, a Marine in a South Sea island during World War II, Joe Fingers, tells tales of the influence he's had on various personalities. In the words of one of his buddies, he's either the biggest liar in the world or the most important man in show business. He claims to be a piano player and his stories are brought to life in the minds of the boys... Read all

Director
- Crane Wilbur
Writers
- Laurence Schwab
- James Bloodworth
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.8/10

445

YOUR RATING

Director
- Crane Wilbur
Writers
- Laurence Schwab
- James Bloodworth
Stars

14User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 1 Oscar
- 1 win total

Photos1

Top cast8

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Dane Clark

Joe Fingers

Janis Paige

Kim Karol…

Warren Douglas

Rusty aka 'Handsome'

Robert Shayne

Chaplain aka 'Padre'

William Haade

Chicago

William 'Billy' Benedict

Florida
(as William Benedict)

Milton Kibbee

U.S.O. Show Emcee
(uncredited)

Rocco Lanzo

Soldier
(uncredited)

Director
- Crane Wilbur
Writers
- Laurence Schwab
- James Bloodworth
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews14

6.8445

Featured reviews

6SnoopyStyle

Oscar winning short

Joe Fingers is a Marine stuck on an outpost in the South Pacific. He loves telling tall tales out of boredom. The men don't always believe him but can't get enough of his stories. Movie star Kim Karol makes a surprise visit and the boys see an opportunity to catch him out on one of his lies.

It's a nice little story. It's a short. It could do more but it's still only a short. I'm not sure that it deserved to get the Oscar. The story and the times probably had a lot to do with the win. It's a fine short and it brought the war home in a non-threatening way.

7boblipton

Might Be Tarawa

Somewhere in the South Pacific, some marines are holding an advance position. There's not much to do but yarn, and Dane Clark is the champion at that. According to him, he fixed Rhapsody in Blue for Gershwin, got Sinatra his first gig and arranged his music for him, and made Janis Paige a star. Also he's a great piano player. The other marines don't know what to make of him until they get a piano.... which he refuses to play. Then they shun him, until Janis Paige, on a USO tour, makes a stop for refueling and puts on a show.

It's Dane Clark being a sleazy sort of guy, which he did a lot in this stage of his career. He was, of course, much more, as he would demonstrate over the next 44 years and more than 150 screen appearances.

3brausahol

Is he a liar or. . .? Who cares?

The two most noteworthy things about "I Won't Play" are: It won an Academy Award as the best two-reel short film of 1944; and it was directed by silent-era leading man Crane Wilbur. The plot of this run-of-the-mill short is inconsequential, the dialogue lacks spark, while the acting is no better and no worse than that found in most war-themed Hollywood movies of the 1940s (in other words, it's awful). Admittedly, there are moments when "I Won't Play" is funny -- Janis Paige's totally artificial look and line delivery are precious -- but one laughs AT the picture, not with it.

stareyes24

Enjoyable

Even though this film was a short-subject film, I totally enjoyed it. I found it touching and funny at the same time. I can see why Janis Page and Dane Clark would become more popular later on in their careers. I highly recommend this short film.

7planktonrules

What if he ISN'T full of hot air?

Joe (Dane Clark) is a rather unpopular guy in his unit fighting in the South Pacific. That's because he is a name-dropper...and he claims not only to know some of the biggest stars but claims to have actually helped the likes of George Gershwin and Frank Sinatra to hit it big! He's obviously a blowhard and time and time again, the guys try to trap him in his lies. Imagine their surprise when one of the folks Joe claims to have helped in her career lands at their base! Now, it's time to put up or shut up, Joe!

This is well acted and shows that Warner Brothers could make some nice short films to help the war effort. It hold up nicely over time and is worth seeing.

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Janis Paige plays a singer on a USO tour in the South Pacific. In real life, she was spotted by a Warner Bros. talent scout at the Hollywood Canteen where she had a job singing for servicemen. She was signed to a contract with the studio, and this short is her second film appearance after her debut in Le bal des sirènes (1944).

Quotes
'Handsome': [Referring to a famous singer Joe has told him he knows] So what did she do?
Joe Fingers: She burned. She gave me a look that curled my hair, and she walked out,

Soundtracks
Body and Soul
(1930) (uncredited)
Music by Johnny Green
Lyrics by Edward Heyman, Robert Sauer and Frank Eyton
Played during the opening credits and occasionally in the score
Sung by Janis Paige