Best Foot Forward (film): Difference between revisions

Best Foot Forward
Best Foot Forward
	Original window card
Directed by	Edward Buzzell
Written by	Irving Brecher; Fred F. Finklehoffe; Dorothy Kingsley
Based on	Best Foot Forward; 1943 book; by John Cecil Holm
Produced by	Arthur Freed
Starring	Lucille Ball; William Gaxton; Virginia Weidler
Cinematography	Leonard Smith
Edited by	Blanche Sewell
Music by	Lennie Hayton
Distributed by	Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Release date	October 8, 1943;
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,162,000
Box office	$2,704,000

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Best Foot Forward is a 1943 American musical film adapted from the 1941 Broadway musical comedy of the same title. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Edward Buzzell, and starred Lucille Ball, William Gaxton, Virginia Weidler, Chill Wills, June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, and Nancy Walker.

The actors did their own singing, except for Lucille Ball, whose singing was dubbed by Gloria Grafton; Virginia Weidler, whose singing was dubbed by Jeanne Darrell; and Jack Jordan, whose singing was dubbed by Ralph Blane.

Weidler, then 16 years old, retired from acting after this film was made, making Best Foot Forward her final screen appearance.

Plot

Lucille Ball is at a military academy full of frisky boys. Ball is the reluctant guest of a diminutive cadet, Bud Hooper, who wrote her a "mash note" and invitation to be his date at a school prom.

Ball's publicity man, Jack O'Riley, seizes upon the situation as a perfect PR stunt, and convinces her to travel 3,000 miles to join Hooper at Winsocki Military Institute's dance. When Ball actually shows up, mayhem ensues. Hooper, who never dreamed she would accept, has to disinvite his girlfriend, Helen Schlesinger, and ask Ball to pretend to be Helen, lest the actress herself not pass muster with the institution's screening committee.

Helen fights back while Hooper tries to keep Ball from the clutches of other cadets who want to steal her for themselves. Meanwhile, Harry James and his orchestra perform various songs, including "The Flight of the Bumblebee".

Cast

Lucille Ball as herself
William Gaxton as Jack O'Riley
Virginia Weidler as Helen Schlesinger
Tommy Dix as Bud Hooper
Nancy Walker as Nancy
June Allyson as Ethel (the movie credits incorrectly list her as Minerva)
Kenny Bowers as Dutch Miller
Gloria DeHaven as Minerva (the movie credits incorrectly list her as Ethel)
Jack Jordan as Hunk Hoyt
Beverly Tyler as Miss Delaware Water Gap
Chill Wills as Chester Short
Henry O'Neill as Major Reeber
Sara Haden as Miss Talbert
Donald MacBride as Captain Bradd
Bob Stebbins as Greenie
Darwood Kaye as Killer
Morris Ankrum as Colonel Harkrider
Nana Bryant as Mrs. Dalrymple
Harry James and His Music Makers as Themselves

Musical numbers

All songs by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin.

"Buckle Down, Winsocki" - Sung by Tommy Dix and Chorus behind titles.
"Wish I May Wish I Might" - Sung and Danced by Gloria DeHaven, June Allyson, Kenny Bowers, Jack Jordan (dubbed by Ralph Blane), Sara Haden, Donald McBride, and Chorus.
"Three Men on a Date" - Sung by Tommy Dix, Kenny Bowers, and Jack Jordan (dubbed by Ralph Blane).
"Two O'Clock Jump" - Played by Harry James and His Music Makers.
"Ev'ry Time" - Played by Harry James and His Music Makers.
"Ev'ry Time" (vocal reprise) - Sung by Virginia Weidler (dubbed by Jeanne Darrell).
"Flight of the Bumblebee" - Played by Harry James and His Music Makers.
"The Three B's" - Sung and Danced by June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, Nancy Walker, and Chorus with Harry James and His Music Makers.
"I Know You by Heart" - Played by Harry James and His Music Makers.
"My First Promise (The Ring Waltz)" - Sung by Beverly Tyler and Chorus with Harry James and His Music Makers.
"Alive and Kickin'" - Performed by Nancy Walker and Harry James and His Music Makers, Danced by Harry James and Nancy Walker.
"You're Lucky" - Sung by Lucille Ball (dubbed by Gloria Grafton).
"Buckle Down, Winsocki" (reprise) - Sung by Tommy Dix and Chorus.

Box office

According to MGM records, the film earned $2,051,000 in the US and Canada, and $653,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $398,000.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
^ Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) Trivia at IMDb

External links

Best Foot Forward at IMDb
Best Foot Forward at the TCM Movie Database
Best Foot Forward at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
Best Foot Forward at Rotten Tomatoes

[Mannix-1] The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.

[2] Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) Trivia at IMDb

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|1943 film by Edward Buzzell}}
-{{Other uses|Best Foot Forward (disambiguation)}}
+{{Other uses|Best Foot Forward (disambiguation){{!}}Best Foot Forward}}
 {{Infobox film
 | name           = Best Foot Forward
 | image          = Best Foot Forward Movie Poster.jpg
-| image size     =
 | caption        = Original window card
 | director       = [[Edward Buzzell]]
 | producer       = [[Arthur Freed]]
-| based on       = {{based on|''[[Best Foot Forward (musical)|Best Foot Forward]]''<br>1943 book|[[John Cecil Holm]]}}
+| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Best Foot Forward (musical)|Best Foot Forward]]''<br>1943 book|[[John Cecil Holm]]}}
 | writer         = [[Irving Brecher]]<br>[[Fred F. Finklehoffe]]<br>[[Dorothy Kingsley]]
 | starring       = [[Lucille Ball]]<br>[[William Gaxton]]<br>[[Virginia Weidler]]
@@ Line 29: / Line 30: @@
 ==Plot==
-The story centers around [[Lucille Ball]], who plays herself against the backdrop of a military academy full of frisky boys. Ball is the reluctant guest of a diminutive cadet, Bud Hooper, who wrote her a "mash note" and invitation to be his date at a school prom.
+[[Lucille Ball]] is at a military academy full of frisky boys. Ball is the reluctant guest of a diminutive cadet, Bud Hooper, who wrote her a "mash note" and invitation to be his date at a school prom.
-Ball's publicity man, Jack O'Riley, seizes upon the situation as a perfect [[Publicity stunt|PR stunt]], and convinces her to travel 3,000 miles to join Hooper at Winsocki Military Academy's dance. When Ball actually shows up, mayhem ensues. Hooper, who never dreamed she would accept, has to disinvite his girlfriend, Helen Schlesinger, and ask Ball to pretend to be Helen, lest the actress herself not pass muster with the institution's screening committee.
+Ball's publicity man, Jack O'Riley, seizes upon the situation as a perfect [[Publicity stunt|PR stunt]], and convinces her to travel 3,000 miles to join Hooper at Winsocki Military Institute's dance. When Ball actually shows up, mayhem ensues. Hooper, who never dreamed she would accept, has to disinvite his girlfriend, Helen Schlesinger, and ask Ball to pretend to be Helen, lest the actress herself not pass muster with the institution's screening committee.
-Helen fights back while Hooper tries to keep Ball from the clutches of other cadets who want to steal her for themselves. Meanwhile, [[Harry James]] and his orchestra perform various songs, including "[[The Flight of the Bumblebee]]". The cast also sing and dance their way through such numbers as "Buckle Down, Winsocki" (the tune co-opted in the 1960s for "Buckle Up for Safety"), "Wish I May", "Three Men on a Date", "Alive and Kickin'", "The Barrelhouse, the Boogie-Woogie, and the Blues", and "Ev'ry time". (The soundtrack CD also includes the cut "What Do You Think I Am?".)
+Helen fights back while Hooper tries to keep Ball from the clutches of other cadets who want to steal her for themselves. Meanwhile, [[Harry James]] and his orchestra perform various songs, including "[[The Flight of the Bumblebee]]".
 ==Cast==
+{{Cast listing|
-{{div col}}
-* [[Lucille Ball]] as Herself
+* [[Lucille Ball]] as herself
 * [[William Gaxton]] as Jack O'Riley
 * [[Virginia Weidler]] as Helen Schlesinger
-* Tommy Dix as Bud Hooper
+* [[Tommy Dix]] as Bud Hooper
 * [[Nancy Walker]] as Nancy
 * [[June Allyson]] as Ethel (the movie credits incorrectly list her as Minerva)
@@ Line 46: / Line 47: @@
 * [[Gloria DeHaven]] as Minerva (the movie credits incorrectly list her as Ethel)
 * Jack Jordan as Hunk Hoyt
-* [[Beverly Tyler]] as Miss Delaware Water Gap (she has one scene with Virginia Weidler, using the term "BO for Brush OFF", and a solo song with chorus)
+* [[Beverly Tyler]] as Miss Delaware Water Gap
 * [[Chill Wills]] as Chester Short
 * [[Henry O'Neill]] as Major Reeber
@@ Line 56: / Line 57: @@
 * [[Nana Bryant]] as Mrs. Dalrymple
 * [[Harry James]] and His Music Makers as Themselves
+}}
-{{div col end}}
 ==Musical numbers==
 [[File:Lucille Ball in Best Foot Forward trailer.jpg|250 px|thumb|right|[[Sydney Guilaroff]] tinted [[Lucille Ball]]'s hair flame red for her previous film, ''[[Du Barry Was a Lady (film)|Du Barry Was a Lady]]'' (1943). She was so pleased, she kept it red for the rest of her life.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035829/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' (1943) Trivia] at IMDb</ref>]]All songs by [[Ralph Blane]] and [[Hugh Martin]].
 * "Buckle Down, Winsocki" - Sung by Tommy Dix and Chorus behind titles.
-* "Wish I May Wish I Might" - Sung and Danced by Gloria De Haven, June Allyson, Kenny Bowers, Jack Jordan (dubbed by Ralph Blane), Sara Haden, Donald McBride, and Chorus.
+* "Wish I May Wish I Might" - Sung and Danced by Gloria DeHaven, June Allyson, Kenny Bowers, Jack Jordan (dubbed by Ralph Blane), Sara Haden, Donald McBride, and Chorus.
 * "Three Men on a Date" - Sung by Tommy Dix, Kenny Bowers, and Jack Jordan (dubbed by Ralph Blane).
 * "Two O'Clock Jump" - Played by Harry James and His Music Makers.
@@ Line 83: / Line 84: @@
 {{Commons category|Best Foot Forward (film)|Best Foot Forward}}
 * {{IMDb title|0035675|Best Foot Forward}}
-* {{Amg movie|4926|Best Foot Forward}}
+* {{TCMDb title|68488|Best Foot Forward}}
-* {{tcmdb title|68488|Best Foot Forward}}
 * {{AFI film|id=12263|title=Best Foot Forward}}
 * {{Rotten-tomatoes|best_foot_forward|Best Foot Forward}}
@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 {{Arthur Freed}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:Best Foot Forward (film)}}
 [[Category:1943 films]]
-[[Category:1940s musical comedy films]]
+[[Category:1943 musical comedy films]]
 [[Category:American musical comedy films]]
-[[Category:American films]]
+[[Category:1940s English-language films]]
-[[Category:English-language films]]
 [[Category:Films directed by Edward Buzzell]]
 [[Category:Films produced by Arthur Freed]]
@@ Line 102: / Line 100: @@
 [[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
 [[Category:Films about proms]]
+[[Category:Films based on musicals]]
+[[Category:1940s American films]]
+[[Category:English-language musical comedy films]]

v t e Arthur Freed productions
As producer	Babes in Arms (1939) Strike Up the Band (1940) Little Nellie Kelly (1940) Lady Be Good (1941) Babes on Broadway (1941) Panama Hattie (1942) For Me and My Gal (1942) Cabin in the Sky (1943) Du Barry Was a Lady (1943) Best Foot Forward (1943) Girl Crazy (1943) Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) Yolanda and the Thief (1945) The Harvey Girls (1946) Ziegfeld Follies (1946) Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) Good News (1947) Summer Holiday (1948) The Pirate (1948) Easter Parade (1948) Words and Music (1948) Take Me Out to the Ball Game (1949) The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) On the Town (1949) Annie Get Your Gun (1950) Pagan Love Song (1950) Royal Wedding (1951) Show Boat (1951) An American in Paris (1951) The Belle of New York (1952) Singin' in the Rain (1952) The Band Wagon (1953) Brigadoon (1954) It's Always Fair Weather (1955) Kismet (1955) Invitation to the Dance (1956) Silk Stockings (1957) Gigi (1958) Bells Are Ringing (1960)
Uncredited as producer	The Wizard of Oz (1939) Meet the People (1944)
Non-musicals	The Clock (1945) Any Number Can Play (1949) Crisis (1950) The Subterraneans (1960) Light in the Piazza (1962)