Reveille with Beverly

Rather subdued war-time musical, not as sparkling as other Miller vehicles, but still entertaining with some of the top musical acts of the time-- Duke Ellington's Take the A-Train, Bob Crosby's Big Noise from Winnetka, Frank Sinatra's Night and Day, along with The Mills Brothers, Count Basie, and my favorite, Ella Mae Morse's styling of Cow-Cow Boogie. The music is there, but somehow there's not the flair nor the energy that would normally be expected of these headliners. Miller gets a final production number and a belated chance to tap dance her way into our proverbial hearts, but the staging comes across on the skimpy side. I suspect the flaming "V" (rather too close to the stage curtain) at number's end was an attempt to compensate.

Naturally, in a musical not much is expected from the story. Miller's yo-yoing between the radio station and the music store is somewhat amusing, as is her competition with the incomparably fussy Franklin Pangborn whose cartoonish eyebrows appear ready to jump off the screen. Irene Ryan (later, Granny, on the Beverly Hillbillies) has the best bits as the scatterbrained secretary. The romantic subplot is lame, to say the least, at the same time, leading man William Wright seems oddly to disappear from the movie's last half. In fact, the screenplay as a whole appears uncertain what to do with Wright and buddy Purcell once they're introduced into the plot.

A couple of noteworthy sidelights. Good to see the presence of a backyard Victory garden, that staple of civilian support for the war effort. Then too, if food prices keep going up in 2008, we may see them returned and renamed Survival gardens. Note also how class differences between Wright and his chauffeur are symbolically eliminated in support of the common war effort. Finally, note the rather surprising downbeat ending with the boys marching off to war, leaving Miller looking unkissed and forlorn. Perhaps the rather subdued mood of the musical as a whole has to do with it being 1943 and a lot of boys and their girls having to face a very uncertain future. Though not the best Miller musical, there are compensations.

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.

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.

..

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".

Looking luscious at the age the ripe old age of 20, Ann Miller stars in this 1940s equivalent of today's music videos on MTV or VH1. The flimsy plot is just an excuse to string together musical performances of recording artists of that era.

The musical performance by Frank Sinatra of Cole Porter's "Night And Day" is a noteworthy highlight. His stage is set with six lady pianists at grand pianos and six lady violinists.

Although flimsy, the plot has some merit. Comic relief is provided by veteran character actors, Tim Ryan and Irene Ryan, along with perpetually persnickety Franklin Pangborn. You'll also recognize other character actors in this film.

The film wraps up with a splendid tap dancing production number by Miller, to a patriotic World War II-era song.

It's 78 minutes of nostalgia and worth watching just to see Miller at her loveliest. The print recently broadcast by Turner Classic Movies was in very good condition.