Tag Archives: Republic Pictures

Musical Monday: Youth on Parade (1942)

Posted on by
Reply

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:
Youth on Parade (1942) – Musical #820

Studio:
Republic Pictures

Director:
Albert S. Rogell

Starring:
John Hubbard, Ruth Terry, Martha O’Driscoll, Tom Brown, Charles Smith, Lynn Merrick, Nana Bryant, Ivan F. Simpson, Chick Chandler, Richard Beavers (billed as Bruce Langley), Marlyn Schild, Betty Atkinson (uncredited), Ruth Day (uncredited), Yvonne De Carlo (uncredited), Paul Fix (uncredited)
Specialty Dancers: Bud Mercer, Jim Mercer

Plot:
Students at Cotchatootamee College have been under an experiment by Professor Payne (Hubbard). They aren’t allowed to go on dates or go to parties to see if it positively impacts their grades. They are all also assigned numbers to eliminate bias and favoritism. In retaliation, the students create a fictional genius, Patty Flynn, who passing every class with flying colors. When the dean (Simpson) wants to meet the star student, student Bingo Brown (Brown) searches for someone to as Patty. He finds singer Betty Reilly (Terry), who fits the bill, especially as she needs to hide out due to a racing debt she owes.

Continue reading →

Musical Monday: Sitting on the Moon (1936)

Posted on by
Reply

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.

sitting on the moonThis week’s musical:
Sitting on the Moon (1936) – Musical #770

Studio:
Republic Pictures

Director:
Ralph Staub

Starring:
Roger Pryor, Grace Bradley, Pert Kelton, William Newell, Henry Kolker, Henry Wadsworth, Joyce Compton, Pierre Watkin, George Cooper,

Plot:
Danny West (Pryor) is a successful songwriter, when he crosses paths with Hollywood actress Polly Blair (Bradley). Polly used to be a successful Hollywood star, but her career is on the skids when she walked out on a producer who now has her blackballed in Hollywood. Danny is successful because Polly introduced one of his songs in a film. Now, Danny tries to help her in a comeback by writing her a song. In the meantime, they fall in love, but his association with Polly hurts his career.

Continue reading →

Olympics to Hollywood: Vera Ralston

Posted on by

Vera Hrubá Ralston

At the start of World War II, Olympic athlete Vera Ralston found herself without a country. The Nazis invaded her home country of Czechoslovakia while she was touring in the United States with ice skating shows. The United States became her home, and she turned to acting as her ice skating contemporaries Sonja Henie and Belita had.

Born Vera Hrubá, Vera studied ballet as a child and turned to ice skating when she was 10 years old, according to her 2003 Los Angeles Times obituary.

She competed for Czechoslovakia in the women’s figure skating singles in the 1936 Winter Olympics, which are now famous because of Adolf Hitler’s attendance. Vera came in 17th place at the Olympics.

Continue reading →