It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Moonlight and Cactus (1944) – Musical #778

Studio:
Universal Pictures

Director:
Edward F. Cline

Starring:
Themselves: Patty Andrews, Maxene Andrews, Laverne Andrews
The cast: Leo Carrillo, Elyse Knox, Tom Seidel, Shemp Howard, Eddie Quillan, Murray Alper, Tom Kennedy, Frank Lackteen, Minerva Urecal, Jacqueline deWitt, Mary O’Brien, Mady Correll
Performers: Chitita Tovar, Lollita Tovar, Mitchell Ayres Orchestra

Plot:
When the Merchant Marines go on leave, Tom Garrison (Seidel) invites everyone to his ranch in San Diego. While the group is willing to go, they are disappointed knowing there won’t be any women on the ranch. Much to everyone’s surprise — including Tom — his ranch is filled with women who are working the farm while the men are fighting overseas. The workers are female students from the local agricultural students, and while Tom automatically assumes they are ruining his business, he finds that they have doubled his business, led by the foreman, Louise Ferguson (Knox). The only problem is that someone has been stealing their cattle, and Louise hires Pasqualito Luigi (Carrillo).

Trivia:
• Re-released in the U.S. in March 1953.
• One of three films featuring big band leader, Mitch Ayers
• Made in 14 days in Aug. 1943.
• Columnist Frederick C. Othamn quoted director Edward Cline as being frustrated with the title, as it should be “Moonlight and Cacti,” according to a Sept. 4, 1943, news clipping.
• News announcements in 1943 announced that Pigmeat Markham would appear in the picture, but he wasn’t in the final film.

Highlights:
• The songs
• Leo Carrillo

Notable Songs:
• “WaHoo” performed by the Andrew Sisters and the Mitchell Ayers Orchestra
• “Down in the Valley” performed the Andrew Sisters and the Mitchell Ayers Orchestra
• “C’Mere Baby” performed by Patty Andrews
• “The Handclapping Song” performed by the Andrew Sisters

My review:
If you’ve followed this blog long enough, you know I love a wartime era film. But a wartime-era film that’s a musical on a dude ranch setting? Sign me up! MOONLIGHT AND CACTUS (1944) is so much fun.

The film begins on a U.S. Merchant Marine ship with Mitchell Ayres and his Orchestra performing, and shortly after, it’s announced that the Merchant Marines have a leave coming up in California. In one sub-plot, Marines Stubby (Quillan), Punchy (Howard) and Slugger (Alper) have lost all of their money to Lucky (Kennedy) when they were gambling. Hearing that they are left broke for their leave, fellow Marine Tom Garrison (Seidel) invites the group and the whole ship to his ranch in San Diego. However, Tom warns the guys that there won’t be any women at his ranch, which is run by men.

Because of that, Tom is shocked when several women meet the arriving group, Tom is shocked and outraged, believing women have no place on a ranch. All of his original staff, like him, are serving in the military during the war. But Toms quickly proven wrong when he meets the foreman (or forewoman), Louise Ferguson (Knox), who runs a tight ship and proves that his ranch is even more successful under her watch. There’s only one problem … someone has been stealing cattle and she hires Pasqualito Luigi (Carrillo) to investigate. In addition, Stubby, Punchy and Slugger continue to try to get their money back from Lucky.

With all of that plot summary, this movie is a brisk 65 minutes! Because of this brief run time, the Andrew Sisters (as themselves who also work on the ranch) sing several songs that are practically back-to-back. It’s hard to pick one song that is the best, because all of them are performed wonderfully.

It’s interesting, because in Andrew Sisters biographies, the historians put down this movie as another Andrew Sisters film that isn’t great. But my question is, what kind of movie did anyone expect to see the singing sisters in? I think this is fun and it’s what it should be—a brief, fun musical to disperse worries for wartime audiences. The music is great and the Andrew Sisters are a highlight—so what does anyone expect? MILDRED PIERCE with the Andrew Sisters? (Though come to think of it, it could have been interesting for them to appear in a film noir.)

While the Andrew Sisters receive top billing, the actors who shape the plot are Elyse Knox and Tom Siedel, who are bland but pleasant. Siedel reminds me of a poor man’s Lew Ayres. The real highlight is Leo Carrillo, who is quite funny, especially when he first arrives mid-way into the film.

Now unfortunately, this film isn’t streaming or on a studio-released DVD. But if you search around online, you can find someone selling a DVR-ed copy of a DVD, like I did.

I just had a great time watching this one. I love the wartime women working on the farm aspect, I love the Merchant Marines on leave, and most of all, I love the music. This is just an all-around great time.

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