During her career at 20th Century Fox, Alice Faye was lent out for two films. You're A Sweetheart was the second of the two and Alice was sent to Universal Pictures to co-star with George Murphy in this backstage story.
Alice is a young budding star who's set to open in a show produced by Ken Murray called incredibly enough Oh Oh Oklahoma. They were six years early with that one. But catastrophe looms for Murray and the cast. A big benefit is set to open the same night and no one who's anyone will be there. And for reasons not quite explained, Murray can't push the day forward or back.
What to do, Murray is in a tizzy and he fires press agent William Gargan for not coming up with solution. But a sharp eared waiter, George Murphy, who used to be in the publicity game gets an idea. Why not say that the house was bought out like Walter Brennan would do three years later in The Westerner to see Lily Langtry. Who to buy it. An eccentric Oklahoma oil millionaire who is said to be madly in love with Alice Faye.
Now where to get a millionaire. No problem, Murphy pretends to be one and he gets to rather like the idea, especially since he's living high on the hog with Ken Murray's money. He likes it even more when he meets Alice Faye and of course they fall for each other. She's not in on the fact it's a publicity stunt.
Now you'll have to see You're A Sweetheart to see how this all resolves itself. But along the way you'll be treated to a very nice score of songs written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields. Interestingly enough they were the songwriters on Alice Faye's other loan out film to Paramount, Every Night At Eight.
Of course the title song, sung warmly and winningly by Faye, became a popular standard. She has another nice number in the film, My Fine Feathered Friend and the rest of the score is good as well.
One musical number I did enjoy in his only film appearance is jazz harpist Casper Reardon. And I thought Harpo Marx was the only one who played a harp in film. He does a nice medley of jazz on the harp, an instrument not associated with that style of music.
And can you imagine anyone thinking of using Oklahoma in the title of a Broadway musical?
Though You're A Sweetheart got an Oscar nomination for Art&Set Direction, personally I think Alice Faye was far better served in that department over at her home studio at 20th Century Fox. Still the cast performs well and the songs are fine with one of them becoming a classic.
