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Thousands Cheer
MGM, 1943 (Color, 126 minutes, Production No. 1274)
Brimming with music and boasting a parade of legendary movie personalities, Thousands Cheer features Gene Kelly in one of his best early roles as a circus aerialist who reluctantly becomes an army private.
Complications ensue when he falls in love with the colonel's beautiful daughter (Kathryn Grayson), but there's always plenty of time for singing and dancing - highlighted by Gene Kelly's dance with a mop in an army canteen - and when the colonel's
daughter decides to put on a mammoth show for the servicemen, she succeeds in bringing together an array of dazzling guest stars, including Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball and Eleanor Powell.
[MGM/UA tape sleeve]
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Crew
Produced by: Joe Pasternak
Directed by: George Sidney
Original Screen Play by: Paul Jarrico and Richard Collins
Based on their story "Private Miss Jones"
Musical Program: "Daybreak" (by) , ;
"I Dug a Ditch" (by) , , ;
"Three Letters in the Mail Box" (by) , ;
"Let There Be Music" (by) , ;
"United Nations" (by) , ,
Musical Direction: Herbert Stothart
Musical Score: Herbert Stothart
Song Score: various
Art Director: Cedric Gibbons
Associate: Daniel B. Cathcart
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
Associate: Jacques Mersereau
Costume Supervision: Irene
Make-Up Created by: Jack Dawn
Recording Director: Douglas Shearer
Cinematography: George Folsey
Photographed in Technicolor
Technicolor Color Director: Natalie Kalmus
Associate: Henri Jaffa
Film Editor: George Boemler
Filmed: Judy's number filmed December 1942
Released: October 1943
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Cast
... Kathryn Jones
... Eddie Marsh
... Hyllary Jones
... Colonel William Jones
... Chuck Polansky
... Marie Corbino
... Helen
... Sgt. Kozlack
... Captain Fred Avery
... Pvt. Monks
... Himself
and Guest Stars: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Program
[0:00] Overture (includes excerpt of "Let There Be Music" and other excerpts sung by Chorus)
[0:02] (Rimsky-Korsakov; played by Orchestra conducted by Jose Iturbi)
[0:03] (from Verdi's La Traviata; sung by Kathryn Grayson with Orchestra conducted by Jose Iturbi)
[0:07] (Adamson-Grofé; sung by Kathryn Grayson with Orchestra conducted by Jose Iturbi)
[0:20] (sung by Kathryn Grayson)
[0:23] (sung by Ben Blue and unidentified trio)
[0:27] (sung by Kathryn Grayson and Male Chorus)
[0:44] (sung by Kathryn Grayson)
[0:55] (Liszt; piano solo by Jose Iturbi)
[1:05] / (instrumental danced by Gene Kelly and mop)
The Show:
[1:13] (played by Orchestra conducted by Jose Iturbi)
[1:16] (danced by Eleanor Powell)
[1:19] (sung by Gloria De Haven, June Allyson and Virginia O'Brien with Bob Crosby and His Orchestra)
[1:22] WAVES Skit (Frank Morgan [Doctor], Ann Sothern [1st Recruit], Lucille Ball [2nd Recruit], Marsha Hunt [3rd Recruit], Sara Haden [Nurse], Henry O'Neill [Doctor] )
[1:32] (sung and played by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra with Georgia Carroll)
[1:34] (sung by Georgia Carroll with Kay Kyser and His Orchestra)
[1:37] (danced by Maxine Barrat and Don Loper)
[1:41] "Test Pilot" (Mickey Rooney impersonates Clark Gable and Lionel Barrymore in a scene from this classic film)
[1:43] (sung by Lena Horne with Benny Carter and His Band)
[1:46] Skelton Skit (Red Skelton [Soda Jerk], Donna Reed [lady with forgotten name], Margaret O'Brien [little girl])
[1:51] (sung by Judy Garland with Jose Iturbi at the piano)
[1:55] The Flying Corbinos (performed by Gene Kelly and Aerialists)
[2:02] (sung by Kathryn Grayson and the United Nations Chorus with Orchestra Conducted by Jose Iturbi)
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Notes
Herbert Stothart was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (he won that Academy Award in 1939 for his scoring of ).
Judy's number was introduced by Mickey Rooney (see ). Judy had only one number in this film, but what a number! Jose Iturbi, one of the greatest concert pianists
of all time and MGM musical star in the 1940s, begins the number with a solo classical mood, then turns on the Boogie as Judy asks him to "get in the groove." They really stop the show, and there's no doubt they are both having a great time! was filmed in December 1942, while Judy was working on .
This was Jose Iturbi's MGM film debut.
Judy's number from the film, "The Joint Is Really Jumpin' in Carnegie Hall", is included on the laser disc box set, "Judy Garland: The Golden Years at M-G-M," MGM/UA Home Video .
See for information about the latest releases of home video and sountrack.
See for more information on this and other classic films.
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Awards
Thousands Cheer received Academy Award nominations for Best Color Cinematography (George Folsey), Best Score - Musical (Herbert Stothart) and Best Interior Decoration - Color (Cedric Gibbons, Daniel B. Cathcart, Edwin B. Willis and Jacques Mersereau).
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Critical Response
"It's been a long time since Metro spread itself so lavishly as in Thousands Cheer. And it's been longer than that since the screen provided such a veritable grab-bag of delights. Musically, there is something for all
tastes, from Jose Iturbi to boogie-woogie, from Kathryn Grayson and "Sempra Libera" to Judy Garland and "The Joint Is Really Jumpin!" ... It would have been easy for Metro's labor to result in a top-heavy production under a less resourceful producer than
Joe Pasternak. His steadying hand is quite evident..."
- T.M.P., The New York Times
"... It is a prodigal and sumptuous motion picture. Gene Kelly ... is so superb in the role of a distinguished draftee who discovers a few things about discipline and teamwork that he dominates the proceedings ... It is
Kelly who saves the picture from being merely a parade of personalities ... The specialty acts are introduced in an Army camp show ... Judy Garland is attractive as she gets Iturbi to bang out some swing rhythms on the piano..."
- Howard Barnes, The New York Herald Tribune
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Memorable Lines
Mickey Rooney: "And now I'd like to introduce a young lady - a young lady that I've been dying to meet for some time. She's so cute and sweet...and, boy, can she sing a song! Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Judy Garland!"
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