A studio switchboard operator helps a gatekeeper convince his sailor son that he is a powerful movie mogul.
At Paramount Studios, gatekeeper William Webster (Victor Moore), known as ‘Bronco Billy’ from his silent film days, has led his sailor son Johnny (Eddie Bracken) to believe he is a studio executive. When Johnny returns from active duty, he brings a ship full of sailors eager for a show. To maintain the charade, a spirited switchboard operator, Polly Judson (Betty Hutton), helps Bronco Billy commandeer the studio. They rally Paramount’s entire roster of stars, who agree to stage a massive musical revue for the servicemen.
Paramount’s contribution to the all-star wartime revue genre is a formidable display of the studio system’s power. The film’s thin but charming plot serves as a framework for a parade of the studio’s biggest names, turning the picture into a cinematic time capsule of 1940s Hollywood. The flimsy narrative is an excuse for a series of sketches and musical numbers featuring virtually every actor on the payroll, from Bob Hope and Bing Crosby to Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd. The result is less a coherent film than a buoyant, patriotic variety show designed to boost morale. A commercial success, its legacy is cemented by the Oscar-nominated song “That Old Black Magic,” which remains a highlight.
Production Co: Paramount / 99 mins / 1942
Director: George Marshall
Screenplay: George S. Kaufman, Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
Main Cast: Betty Hutton (Polly Judson), Eddie Bracken (Johnny Webster), Victor Moore (William ‘Bronco Billy’ Webster), Bing Crosby (Bing Crosby), Bob Hope (Bob Hope), Fred MacMurray (Frank), Franchot Tone (John), Ray Milland (Joe), Veronica Lake (Veronica Lake), Dorothy Lamour (Dorothy Lamour), Alan Ladd (Alan Ladd), Susan Hayward (Genevieve)
