Meet The People (1944)

Got nothing special for the main page today, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on another musical I recently watched.

This movie had more then a few stars in it that I normally enjoy. Unfortunately I found myself fairly bored most of the time during the movie. It definately has a few highlights worth noting & watching, but watch this movie with your thumb on the "fast forward" button.

It stars Dick Powell & Lucille Ball, and is a pretty typical war movie. Has a love story, a show that must go on & it's packed full of patriotism. It also features the likes of Bert Lahr (aka The Cowardly Lion from "The Wizard Of OZ"), Virginia O'Brien (aka Miss Deadpan or Frozen Face), Rags Ragland, June Allyson & Spike Jones. If you pay attention you might catch a glimpse of Robert Blake who was an extra.

I couldn't find a couple of the numbers I wanted to share. "It's Smart To Be People" is the big closing number with basically all the main characters playing some sort of role. I was shocked that Lucille Ball actually did her own singing, it wasn't good...but not bad either. I also wanted to share "I Got Ants In My Pants" performed by Ziggie Talent. Mata & Hari performed what is simply called "Oriental Music" on IMDB. It was an entertaining dance routine, but alas...I couldn't find it either. The 2 numbers I could find are below...

Say That We're Sweethearts Again
This was the highlight of the entire movie for me. It's Virginia O'Brien singing a lighthearted, but dark ditty.

Acrobatic Dance Music
Yeah the title is stupid, but that's what it's called on IMDB. It's a short dance routine featuring Miriam LaVelle doing some acrobatic tricks.


MOVIE TRIVIA:

- This movie was shown overseas to servicemen before it was released in the United States.

- Daws Butler, the voice actor for Hanna Barbera cartoon characters, patterned the voice of the lion Snagglepuss after Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. Butler took Snagglepuss's catchphrase "Heavens to Mergatroid" from Bert Lahr's having said it in the movie Meet the People.