When Johnny Comes Marching Home (film)

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When Johnny Comes Marching Home
When Johnny Comes Marching Home.jpg
Directed by Charles Lamont
Written by Dorothy Bennett
Oscar Brodney
Produced by Bernard W. Burton
Starring Allan Jones
Jane Frazee
Gloria Jean
Donald O'Connor
Peggy Ryan
Cinematography George Robinson
Edited byCharles Maynard
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • December 24, 1942 (1942-12-24)
Running time
74 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

When Johnny Comes Marching Home is a 1942 musical film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Allan Jones and Jane Frazee. The film is loosely based on the song with the same title.

Contents

Plot

Allan Jones and Jane Frazee during the production, 1943 Allan Jones Jane Frazee 1943.jpg
Allan Jones and Jane Frazee during the production, 1943

Johnny Kovacs (Jones) is a war hero who comes back home for a ten-day leave. Pursued by a woman (Shelton) who considers herself his fiance, he works with his superior officers to hide during his leave. He adopts the name Johnny O'Rourke, and finds a room at a theatrical boarding house. He becomes friends with some other boarders (including O'Connor, Ryan and Gloria Jean) and falls in love with a woman (Frazee). His friends overhear him talking to his officer on the phone. They misinterpret the conversation and conclude that he is a deserter. They push him into giving himself up and returning to duty. Confused by their behavior at first, he figures out what they are up to, and plays along. It all works out in the end. The closing song in the picture is a rousing patriotic number sung directly to the audience by the main players in the film.

Cast

Soundtrack

Reception

The New York Times called Universal Pictures "miraculous" for "bringing this star-studded entertainment in under budget and within a 73-minute running time". [1]

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References

  1. The New York Times When Johnny Comes Marching Home (1942)