Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943)

Thank Your Lucky Stars is a Warner Bros. hit parade of their famous stars from the 1930s and 1940s. This film was made to benefit World War II and give the audience a good time seeing some of their favorite stars in short parts and in ways they were not used to seeing them.

            There is a plot to this film but it is rather silly and boring. An actor named Tommy Randolph (Dennis Morgan) wants a contract with Eddie Cantor’s variety show. He cannot get anywhere near Eddie Cantor no matter how hard he tries. Outside the theater where the show is being staged is a bus tour guide named Joe Simpson (Eddie Cantor in a dual role). Joe wants to be an actor but he looks too much like Eddie Cantor and everyone laughs at him. Tommy also meets a girl named Pat (Joan Leslie) who wants to be a songwriter. He tries to win her over by bringing her back to a place called Gower Gultch. Gower Gultch is a small little village of old movie sets where Tommy and some of his friends live.

            The show’s producers wants Dianh Shore for a number but they cannot get her unless they talk to Eddie Cantor since she is under contract to him. They do not want Eddie in the show because he has a reputation for taking over everything.

            To make a long story very short Eddie Cantor gets kidnapped, Joe takes his place and makes the show run a lot smoother, Tommy gets into the show along with Dinah and Pat.

            It was so cool to see so many dramatic actors being funny and singing. The first number I ever saw from the film was the one with Olivia de Havilland and Ida Lupino singing with George Tobias. De Havilland and Lupino did a few comedies here and there in their careers but they were never all out screwy. In their number they were a panic and totally silly. I honestly have a whole new respect for de Havilland and Lupino. Every time I watch the number I start cracking up with tears in my eyes.

            Errol Flynn even sings a song! It is called “That’s What You Jolly Well Get.” He was so silly and so adorable I love him even more.

            Jack Carson and Alan Hale have a number. They were funny together. It was weird to hear them sing, they were not bad at all I could just never picture them singing.

            Bette Davis sings. I could not believe the studio let Davis do this. She was so bad! She reminded me of Madeline Kahn singing in Blazzing Saddles haha. The only difference is Madeline Kahn could actually sing.

            There are so many more good song and dance numbers done by actors and actresses you never would have thought could sing. Dennis Morgan sings a song and he was perfect.

            Humphrey Bogart in no way sings but he is made to question his toughness by S.Z. Sakall which I found amusing since they were in Casablanca together.

            This was the first time I ever saw Joan Leslie in a film. She does the most fabulous impression of Ida Lupino and James Cagney. Her impression of Lupino is so spot on and her impression of Cagney is hysterical.

            Thank Your Lucky Stars was fun to watch only when the musical numbers were on. The whole story with Eddie Cantor and Dennis Morgan and Joan Leslie was annoying. If you are a fan of the big stars from Warner Bros. from the 1930s and 1940s you will have a good time sitting through Thank Your Lucky Stars.