Hit Parade of 1943

Summary One of the many films made at Republic with a year attached to the "Hit Parade" title, which came from the "Hit Parade" radio program sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes. On re-issue, all of the entries underwent a title change from "Hit Parade of 19??" to, usually, a title of a song contained in the film, as happened in the case of this film when it was reissued as "Change of Heart" in 1949. Not re-issuing the film under the original title of "Hit Parade of 1943" had a two-fold purpose; the audiences of that era were not much interested in seeing a film twice, and a changed title - even when the original title was clearly shown in (very) small print in the ads and on the posters---had a chance of being seen again by that segment of the ticket-buying public who didn't read the small print. The plot here is just a trifle---Susan Hayward ghost writes songs for composer John Carroll, whose charms evidently outweighed his song-writing ability---played in and around some great singing and dancing numbers by, for its time, a large number of black performers including Dorothy Dandridge, Count Basie, dancing by the great Jack Williams and the team of "Pops and Louie" (Albert Whitman and Louis Williams) and others, including Spanish dancer Chinita Marin, billed as Chinita. The song "Change of Heart", by Jule Styne and Harold Adamson, was Oscar-nominated, and also became the title of the film on 1949 re-issue. Walter Scharf also was Oscar-nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical. Republic seldom got two nominations in any single year, much less two in the same film. View more details

Hit Parade of 1943

Directed : Albert S. Rogell

Written : Frank Gill Jr. Frances Hyland

Stars : Susan Hayward John Carroll Gail Patrick Eve Arden

5.5

Details

Genres : Romance Music

Release date : Mar 25, 1943

Countries of origin : United States

Language : English

Filming locations : Republic Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Production companies : Republic Pictures (I)

Summary One of the many films made at Republic with a year attached to the "Hit Parade" title, which came from the "Hit Parade" radio program sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes. On re-issue, all of the entries underwent a title change from "Hit Parade of 19??" to, usually, a title of a song contained in the film, as happened in the case of this film when it was reissued as "Change of Heart" in 1949. Not re-issuing the film under the original title of "Hit Parade of 1943" had a two-fold purpose; the audiences of that era were not much interested in seeing a film twice, and a changed title - even when the original title was clearly shown in (very) small print in the ads and on the posters---had a chance of being seen again by that segment of the ticket-buying public who didn't read the small print. The plot here is just a trifle---Susan Hayward ghost writes songs for composer John Carroll, whose charms evidently outweighed his song-writing ability---played in and around some great singing and dancing numbers by, for its time, a large number of black performers including Dorothy Dandridge, Count Basie, dancing by the great Jack Williams and the team of "Pops and Louie" (Albert Whitman and Louis Williams) and others, including Spanish dancer Chinita Marin, billed as Chinita. The song "Change of Heart", by Jule Styne and Harold Adamson, was Oscar-nominated, and also became the title of the film on 1949 re-issue. Walter Scharf also was Oscar-nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical. Republic seldom got two nominations in any single year, much less two in the same film. View more details

Details

Genres : Romance Music

Release date : Mar 25, 1943

Countries of origin : United States

Language : English

Filming locations : Republic Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Production companies : Republic Pictures (I)

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Lake Placid Serenade

Lake Placid Serenade

On a peaceful, pre-war winter in Czechoslovakia, the genial godfather, Jaroslaw Haschek, of Vera Haschek, presents the young girl with her first pair of ice skates. Soon, she astonishes the warm-hearted people of her village with her skill and she is acclaimed a marvel on ice. She wins the ice-skating championship of her country and is invited to skate at the fabulous Lake Placid Carnival in the United States. Vera receives an offer of a contract from eager showman, Carlton Webb, and his press agent Jiggers - but she turns them down. The financial backer for the two men is a wealthy, gabby, man-chasing woman called "Countess". Vera is a sensation at Lake Placid when she learns of Germany's move on Czechoslovakia, and she immediately attempts to abandon her career and rejoin her people. The trip cannot be arranged and, alone in a strange country, she seeks an uncle, Carl Cermack, who has become a prosperous American citizen. The uncle welcomes her to his sumptuous Long Island home, where he lives with his spoiled débutante daughters Irene and Susan. Vera learns that the two sisters are fighting it out over the same man, Paul Jordan, Cermack's junior partner, who isn't overwhelmed by either sister. Vera invites her uncle and cousins to join her at Lake Placid, where she is to appear in the dazzling New Year's Eve ballet. She is named "queen" of the ballet, and Roy Rogers, a visiting movie-star cowboy is named "king." Paul begins to pick up interest in Vera, and she agrees to sign a contract with Webb, provided she can use an assumed name in his shows. Jiggers suggests they call her "Cinderella," because she has lost one of her famous skates. When Vera opens at Madison Square Garden, Jiggers plants the story that she refuses to appear until her skate is returned. Aware that Paul has kept her skate as a souvenir, Cermack telephones his partner in Texas. On the night of the opening, Webb and Jiggers are driven to desperation since Vera has taken their publicity gag in earnest and refuses to go on unless her skate is returned. None of the phony "Prince Charmings" Jiggers has hired has the right skate, of course. The weary Vera doesn't even look at the last applicant - but the skate is hers. She stares down and recognizes her godfather, Jaroslav, who has been brought to America by her uncle. He explains that her skate was given to him by a young man. He beckons into the crowd and Paul emerges. Vera finds herself in the arms of her own Prince Charming.

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