Four Jills In A Jeep (1944)

Four Jills In A Jeep - 1944

Today's film is 1944's "Four Jills In A Jeep", starring Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye, and Mitzi Mayfair.  The film was based upon the real life experiences of the four ladies and the title comes straight from Carole Landis' book "Four Jills In A Jeep".

The supporting cast includes Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra, John Harvey, Phil Silvers, Dick Haymes, Alice Faye, Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, George Jessel, and Paul Harvey.

The film opens with the four stars doing a radio broadcast.  Kay Francis recruits the other three ladies to join her in entertaining the troops in England.  All the ladies are thrilled to be going, accompanied by Jimmy Dorsey with his Orchestra.

It's during the radio broadcast that we hear from Betty Grable, singing "Cuddle Up A Little Closer".

The girls head to England where they stop in at a mess hall.  The girls learn quickly the hardships of war...before they even begin, these guys are off to their planes.  Love blooms in the camp as well.  Mitzi Mayfair falls in love with her old partner, Dick, and Carole Landis meets Capt. Ted Warren (a real-life fact: Landis did meet her husband on their trip, details described in her book).

The girls make it to London and some of the glitziest parties to raise funds for the war effort.

Back at the base, the girls listen with the soldiers to a radio program.  Alice Faye comes on and sings the beautiful "You'll Never Know", her signature song.

That tender ballad is followed by Carmen Miranda and the Banda da Lua singing "I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much)".

Shortly afterwards (and during Carole and Ted's wedding), our four stars receive orders to report to the front lines of the war in northern Africa.  Not only do the girls perform, they also work: tending the wounded, scrubbing floors, etc.  One nurse who scoffed at them on their arrival quickly had a change of heart: "Alright, I take it back.  You're about the hardest working batch of wenches I've ever met".

Mitzi even meets up with Dick.  "Gee, it's good to see you," he says.  "You look big time."  She grins from ear to ear and says, "If you'd always said that to me in that way, we'd never have split up".

The sound of an air raid siren sends the girls and their guide Eddie to the slit trenches with the rest of the soldiers.  Everything is all right, and smiles are all around when it's over.

The film ends with the girls and Eddie waving off a convoy of soldiers and singing along with "Those Caissons Go Rolling Along".

Cast rundown:

   Kay Francis...................................Herself

   Carole Landis.................................Herself

   Martha Raye..................................Herself

   Mitzi Mayfair..................................Herself

   Jimmy Dorsey................................Himself

   John Harvey..................................Capt. Ted Warren

   Phil Silvers....................................Sgt. Eddie Hart

   Dick Haymes.................................Lt. Dick Ryan

   Alice Faye......................................Herself

   Betty Grable..................................Herself

   Carmen Miranda.............................Herself

   George Jessel................................Himself

   Paul Harvey...................................General

And that's all for Four Jills In A Jeep.  The film is a wonderful salute to entertainers who provided our servicemen with some laughter, songs, and comedy routines.  Of particular note in this film is Martha Raye and Phil Silvers, whose chemistry is wonderfully fun to watch.  George Jessel makes a brief appearance as a Master of Ceremonies on the radio, and his scene is humorous as well.  

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