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:
Happy Go Lucky (1943) – Musical #841

Studio:
Paramount Pictures

Director:
Curtis Bernhardt

Starring:
Mary Martin, Dick Powell, Betty Hutton, Rudy Vallee, Eddie Bracken, Mabel Paige, Eric Blore, Clem Bevans, Irving Bacon (uncredited), Dorothy Dandridge (uncredited), Kay Linaker (uncredited), Lillian Randolph (uncredited)
Themselves: Rita Christiani, Sir Lancelot

Plot:
Marjory Stewart (Martin) travels to Trindad posing as an heiress trying to hunt for a wealthy husband, with the help of her friend, Bubbles Hennessy (Hutton). She meets Pete Hamilton (Powell), who is also financially down-on-his-luck. Pete quickly figures out Marjory is a phony, but offers to help her catch a real millionaire, the stuffy Alfred Monroe (Vallee). All the while, Pete’s pal, Wally Case (Bracken) is outrunning Bubbles.

Trivia:
• Working title was “Cupid with a Beard”
• Originally was set to be a vehicle for Bing Crosby
• Betty Hutton’s third film, and her first film released in color.
• Mary Martin’s eighth film and second to last Paramount Pictures film.

Highlights:
• Costumes designed by Raoul Pene Du Bois
• The cast
• Betty Hutton’s performance of “Murder, He Says”
• The fashion show that seems to be plaid focused

Notable Songs:
• “Murder, He Says” performed by Betty Hutton
• “Sing a Tropical Song” performed by Sir Lancelot, Dick Powell and Eddie Bracken
• “Happy Go Lucky” performed by Mary Martin and Dick Powell
• “Ugly Woman” performed by Sir Lancelot
• “Lets Get Lost” performed by Mary Martin

My review:
I know it may be a bit early to start dreaming about summer, but this week’s Musical Monday will put you in that vacation mood.

Filmed in Technicolor and set in the tropical climate of Trinidad, HAPPY GO LUCKY (1943) will leave you just as the title promises.

In the film, Mary Martin plans Marjory Stewart, who travels to Trindad posing as an heiress trying to hunt for a wealthy husband, with the help of her friend, Bubbles Hennessy (Hutton). She meets Pete Hamilton (Powell), who is also financially down-on-his-luck. Pete quickly figures out Marjory is a phony, but offers to help her catch a real millionaire, the stuffy Alfred Monroe (Vallee). All the while, Pete’s pal, Wally Case (Bracken) is outrunning Bubbles.

What a cast this film has! Mary Martin was best known for her Broadway stage performances and originating famous roles like Maria in “Sound of Music,” Nellie Forbush in “South Pacific,” and the title role in “Peter Pan.” Briefly, from 1939 to 1943, film audiences had the opportunity to see Martin in film. With her vibrant red hair and beautiful singing voice, Martin is great on screen. It’s a shame she didn’t continue making films, but she preferred the more intimate and audience reactions she received on stage. Martin is great fun in this film and is an excellent comedian as well.

I know that Betty Hutton isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but she’s great fun in HAPPY GO LUCKY.

“Although I was still goofy in the film, it was more sophisticated humor,” Hutton wrote in her memoir, “Backstage, You Can Have.”

In the film, Hutton also performs her most famous song, “Murder, He Says.”

She also sings the song, “Fuddy Duddy Watchmaker,” which she wrote didn’t have the commercial appeal of “Murder, He Says,” but she said it was fun to perform.

“The well-written songs and great lyrics went far in making the film a real success,” Hutton wrote.

The first time the audience sees Hutton is great fun. She takes off a mink, revealing only a bathing suit. Someone says, “Are you anemic?” and she says, “Are you kidding?”

Dick Powell, who cut his teeth in musicals at Warner Bros. in the 1930s, is underutilized in this musical and barely gets to sing. He’s still great in this, but it’s a shame we don’t get to hear him croon. Bing Crosby was originally supposed to star in this, and as soon as we saw Powell in a sailor hat and beach-comber costume, I could see it.

Eddie Bracken is his usual goofy self, but perhaps less annoying than other times.
The most fun was to see Trinidad-born singer, Sir Lancelot, after I had only seen him in ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS (1948). His song “Ugly Woman” is entertaining, since he sings “Run from a Pretty Woman” in the previously mentioned film.

It was also interesting to see Rita Christiani, who was one of Katherine Dunham’s company dancers.

I also love the elderly couple played by Clem Bevans and Mabel Paige.

The music is also top notch, aside from an odd swing version of “Ta-ra-ra Boom-der-é.”

My only real complaint is that this film feels very similar to MOON OVER MIAMI (1941), made two years earlier at 20th Century Fox. Portions of this film even have a Fox musical vibe, like with the big band music playing as the score.

My other complaint is that there were a few odd or annoying parts. One is a frustrating cooking scene with Mary Martin and Betty Hutton, who fail miserably with cooking dinner for Rudy Vallee. In the scene, they both get their dresses caught in the oven and the backs are burned off. This results in a scene where they have to walk back to back a la BRINGING UP BABY.

There is also a weird voodoo subplot that involves a love potion that’s rather silly.

Despite these slight flaws, this film is still a good time.

“It is not super-dooper entertainment, but it does leave you a bit happier,” wrote T.S. in their March 25, 1943, review.

And it’s true. This musical felt like a relaxing and vibrant vacation. The only downside is that it’s not easy to find a great copy of this film. If you sniff around online though, you can find it.

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