Growing Up Stooge
THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS (1943)
Film Pick of the Day
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Joe DeRita's first film role was as a meek diner customer, but his role was cut from the final release.
Almost every star under contract with Warner Brothers turned out for this musical-comedy showcase starring Eddie Cantor. Two producers (Edward Everett Horton, S. Z. Sakall) are putting together a celebrity charity event for the war effort, and when they approach Dinah Shore (herself) to headline, Dinah's boss Eddie Cantor (also, as himself) steps in and tries to run the show. Meanwhile, a con man posing as a booking agent has convinced aspiring singer Tommy Randolph (Dennis Morgan) that he's been signed as Cantor's protege. Cantor throws him out on his ear and Tommy heads back to Gower Gulch, a Hollywood Hills camping community for showbiz hopefuls that he and Spike Jones (as himself) have built from discarded studio sets. Tommy meets fellow aspiring songstress Pat Dixon (Joan Leslie), falls in love, and becomes determined to find a place in Cantor's staff. Helping Tommy and Pat is tour bus driver Joe Simpson (Eddie Cantor, in a dual role), a struggling dramatic actor who can't get a job because of his resemblance to Cantor. Some Indian character actor friends kidnap the real Cantor, and Joe takes his place at the show, hiring Tommy as his new sensational find!
The actors' Hollywood Hills campground is called "Gower Gulch." That was also the nickname of Columbia's short subject department, located on the SW corner of Sunset Blvd. and Gower St. The old buildings housing the shorts department were used in the 1920s for low-budget western productions, hence the western-themed name. On that site today is a Denny's restaurant and a strip mall. The name of the strip mall? "Gower Gulch."
Details
Average Rating:   [ 6.50/10 ] 2 votes |
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| Featuring | Joe DeRita (Solo) |
|---|---|
| Release Date | Friday, October 1, 1943 |
| Studio | Warner Bros. |
| Production Type | Feature Film |
| Duration | 127 min. |
