Strike Up the Band(1940).

Strike Up the Band(1940). Directed by Busby Berkeley. Cast: Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.

High school band drummer Jimmy Connors, decides to take some of his friends from Riverwood High School Band and start up a swing orchestra. Jimmy asks Mary, to sing with the band and then asks Mr. Judd, the school principal, if the band could perform at the school dance. Mary, becomes frustrated with Jimmy, because he is more interested in her voice than their romance.

The band sounds great and everyone has a good time at the dance. Jimmy decides to enter Paul Whiteman's school band contest in Chicago. To raise money for their traveling expenses, the band holds a Gay Nineties melodrama for the Elks Club, but they are still short fifty dollars.

If Jimmy does not have enough trouble, here comes Barbara, a flirtatious blonde, who enrolls in Riverwood High School and sets her cap for him. Jimmy takes notice in her when her father hires Paul and his band to play at his daughter's birthday party. At the party, Jimmy and his band give a spur of the moment performance. Whiteman, is impressed and offers Jimmy a job playing drums, but Jimmy refuses, not wanting to brake up his band.

On the day they were suppose to leave, Willie, one of the band members, becomes seriously ill from an injury while performing at the Elks show and needs an operation to save his life. Jimmy, uses the band's travel money to fly Willie to Chicago. Mr. Morgan sends the band to Chicago by train. At the big broadcast, Jimmy and his band are the winners.

If Strike Up The Band, is a wonderful film and has some great musical numbers. Also, the Gay Nineties spoof is very entertaining, I think that you will also enjoy the 'fruit orchestra' doing Our Love Affair.



Fun Fact:

The puppet orchestra made of fruit that comes to life playing instruments for Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland on a kitchen table, was the work of animator George Pal. He had just arrived in Hollywood from Europe via New York and this was among his first projects. Pal's work was relatively unknown by American audiences, thus he was uncredited. The idea for the sequence was that of another New York-to-Hollywood transfer: Vincente Minnelli.

June Preisser (June 26, 1920 – September 19, 1984). Was an actress popular in musical films during the late 1930s and early 1940s, many of which showcased her skills as an acrobat. When Preisser was nine years old an actor noticed the two sisters performing acrobatics on a sidewalk near their home, which landed them a job working in vaudeville, and later for the Ziegfeld Follies in 1934 and 1936.

Cherry retired in 1938 after her marriage and June was signed to a film contract by MGM. Her first film, Dancing Co-Ed (1939) provided only a small part, but her next film, Babes in Arms (1939), gave her a significant role opposite Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. She performed with Rooney and Garland again in, Strike Up the Band (1940) and with Rooney in two "Andy Hardy" films, Judge Hardy and Son (1939) and Andy Hardy's Private Secretary (1941).

She went on to perform in the films,Gallant Sons (1940), Henry Aldrich for President (1941), Sweater Girl (1942). She played the character "Dodie Rogers" in seven "high school" comedy films with Frankie Darro and Noel Neill from 1946 to 1948. Her final film was Music Man (1948).

Words and Music(1948)

Words and Music(1948) is a movie loosely based on the lives of composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Lorenz Hart. Cast: Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Janet Leigh, Betty Garrett, and Ann Sothern and is best remembered for the final scene with, Rooney and Judy Garland.




Vera Ellen and Gene Kelly.

Happy Birthday Mickey Rooney (1920 - present)

The super talented actor/dancer/comedian and all around entertainer turns 90 today. Mickey who recently starred with Ben Stiller in A Night at the Museum is one of my favorite actors. He could do anything: sing, dance, do comedy or drama. A very talented man. And I didn't realize he was married 8 times. But he has been with his current wife, Jan since 1978. My favorite Rooney films are The Andy Hardy films, It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World; Girl Crazy, Babes On Broadway, National Velvet, and Boys Town. He was at his musical best when paired with Judy Garland for all those "let's put on a show" type musicals of the early 40's.

Strike up the Band (1940)

Strike Up the Band(1940). Black and white musical film. Directed by Busby Berkeley and stars Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.

Jimmy Connors and his girl-friend want to enter in Paul Whiteman's high school's band contest, but they do not have the money. Fortunately, they run into Paul Whiteman and convince him, that their band is good enough. He gives them the money, but... one of their friends becomes very ill.

A very famous, memorable quote from the film is "Take that boy on the street. Teach him to blow a horn and he'll never blow a safe.", spoken by Paul Whiteman.

I'm not really a fan of Mickey Rooney, but.. he was very much apart of the 40s, musicals.


"Drummer Boy"
(1939)
Music by Roger Edens
Lyrics by Roger Edens and Arthur Freed
Performed at Barbara's party by Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney (on drums and vibraphone) and other band members
Reprised by the cast in the finale