Why "Soitenly," You're the Best DAD
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Featuring Joe DeRita (Solo)
127 min. (Feature Film)
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."
Eddie Cantor
Himself / Joe Simpson
Joan Leslie
Pat Dixon
Dennis Morgan
Tommy Randolph
Edward Everett Horton
Farnsworth
S. Z. Sakall
Dr. Schlenna
Dinah Shore
Herself
Don Wilson
Himself
John Garfield
Himself
David Butler
Himself
Mark Hellinger
Himself
Spike Jones and His Orchestra
Themselves
Jack Carson
Himself
Alan Hale
Himself
Ann Sheridan
Herself
Hattie McDaniel
Herself
Humphrey Bogart
Himself
Errol Flynn
Himself
Bette Davis
Herself
Olivia de Havilland
Herself
Ida Lupino
Herself
George Tobias
Himself
Alexis Smith
Herself
Bert Moorhouse
Man in radio audience
Harry Pilcer
Man in broadcast station
Jack Mower
Engineer
Creighton Hale
Engineer
Richard Lane
Barney Johnson
Don Barclay
Pete
Lily West
Bus passenger
Phyllis Godfrey
Bus passenger
Dorothy Vernon
Bus passenger
George B. French
Bus passenger
Leah Baird
Bus passenger
Joan Matthews
Bus passenger
Morgan Brown
Bus passenger
Frank Faylen
Sailor
Eleanor Counts
Sailor's girlfriend
Doodles Weaver
Himself
Noble Johnson
Charlie
J. W. Cody
Indian
Charles Soldani
Indian
Tex Cooper
Westerner, Dennis Morgan number
Ben Corbett
Westerner, Dennis Morgan number
William Desmond
Westerner, Dennis Morgan number
Mike Mazurki
Olaf
William Haade
Finchley
Anne O'Neal
Maid
Jerry Mandy
Chef
Betty Farrington
Assistant chef
Billy Wayne
Chaffeur
Benny Bartlett
Page
Joyce Reynolds
Girl with book, Ann Sheridan number
Helen O'Hara
Girl, Ann Sheridan number
Georgia Lee Settle
Girl, Ann Sheridan number
Virginia Patton
Girl, Ann Sheridan number
Edward Gargan
Stage doorman
Mary Treen
Autograph fan
Howard M. Mitchell
Policeman in restaurant
Billy Benedict
Bus boy
Angi O. Poulos
Restaurant patron
Juanita Stark
Secretary
Matt McHugh
Fireman in theatre
Henry Armetta
Angelo
Hank Mann
Assistant photographer
Rita Christiani
Ice Cold Katy
Willie Best
Pvt. Jones, Ice Cold Katy number
Jess Lee Brooks
Justice of the Peace, Ice Cold Katy number
Matthew Jones
Sergeant, Ice Cold Katy number
Avanelle Harris
Dancer, Ice Cold Katy number
Juliette Ball
Dancer, Ice Cold Katy number
Millie Monroe
Dancer, Ice Cold Katy number
Louise Franklin
Dancer, Ice Cold Katy number
Doris Ake
Dancer, Ice Cold Katy number
Lennie Bluett
Dancer, Ice Cold Katy number
Florence O'Brien
Singer & Dancer, Ice Cold Katy number
Mildred Boyd
Singer & Dancer, Ice Cold Katy number
Cleo Herndon
Singer & Dancer, Ice Cold Katy number
Madame Sul-Te-Wan
Ice Cold Katy number
Duke York
Wooden Indian
Ruth Donnelly
Nurse Hamilton
James Burke
Freddie, intern
Dick Rich
Marty, intern
Ralph Dunn
Bill, intern
Monte Blue
Bartender, Errol Flynn number
Fred Kelsey
Pub waiter, Errol Flynn number
Henry Iblings
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Charles Irwin
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Hubert Head
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Bobby Hale
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Howard Davies
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Alan Cook
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Tudor Williams
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Dudley Kuzelle
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Will Stanton
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Earl Hunsaker
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Buster Wiles
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
David Thursby
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Art Foster
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Ted Billings
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Elmer Ballard
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Fred McEvoy
Pub character, Errol Flynn number
Boyd Irwin
Harry, man in audience
Sam Harris
Man in audience
James Conaty
Man in audience
Harry Adams
Doorman, Bette Davis number
Sam Adams
Bartender, Bette Davis number
Henri DeSoto
Maitre d'Hotel, Bette Davis number
Harry A. Bailey
Bald man, Bette Davis number
Charles Francis
Bald man, Bette Davis number
Edmund Mortimer
Dancer, Bette Davis number
Jack Norton
Drunk, Bette Davis number
Sylvia Opert
Hatcheck girl, Bette Davis number / Lucky Star
Nancy Worth
Hatcheck girl, Bette Davis number / Lucky Star
Conrad Wiedell
Jitterbugger, Bette Davis number
Joan Winfield
Cigarette girl, Bette Davis number
Harry Depp
Customer, Bette Davis number
Dick Elliott
Customer, Bette Davis number
Dick Earle
Customer, Bette Davis number
Paul Harvey
Dr. Kirby
Frank Mayo
Dr. Wheaton
Bert Gordon
Himself, the Mad Russian
Brandon Hurst
Cab driver, Good Neighbor number
Lynn Baggett
Miss Latin America, Good Neighbor number
Angelita Mari
Duenna, Good Neighbor number
Igor Dega
Dancer, Good Neighbor number
Arnold Kent
Dancer, Good Neighbor number
Iris Flores
Dancer, Good Neighbor number
Margarita Savilla
Dancer, Good Neighbor number
Paulita Arvizu
Dancer, Good Neighbor number
James Flavin
Policeman in theatre
Janet Barrett
Lucky Star
Joy Barlow
Lucky Star
Mary Landa
Lucky Star
Dorothy Dayton
Lucky Star
Lucille La Marr
Lucky Star
Dorothy Schoemer
Lucky Star
Harriet Olsen
Lucky Star
Harriette Haddon
Lucky Star
Lou Marcelle
Commentator
Joe DeRita
Meek man, scene deleted
Jack L. Warner
Executive Producer
David Butler
Director
Mark Hellinger
Producer
Everett Freeman
Original Story
Arthur Schwartz
Original Story
Melvin Frank
Screenplay
James V. Kern
Screenplay
Norman Panama
Screenplay
Arthur Edeson
Director of Photography
Irene Morra
Film Editor
Leo K. Kuter
Art Director
Anton Grot
Art Director
Walter F. Tilford
Set Decoration
Francis Scheid
Sound
Leo F. Forbstein
Musical Director
Ray Heindorf
Orchestral Arrangements
Dudley Chambers
Vocal Arrangements
Arthur Schwartz
Music and Lyrics
Frank Loesser
Music and Lyrics
Maurice De Packh
Orchestrator
Heinz Roemheld
Music Arranger
LeRoy Prinz
Dance Numbers
Perc Westmore
Makeup Artust
Milo Anderson
Gowns
Philip Quinn
Assistant Director
Hans F. Koenekamp
Special Effects
Herbert Farjeon
Dialogue Director
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