TheLittleSongbird With so much talent, while definitely worth watching, 'Four Jills in a Jeep' could have been great. Instead, to me, it was more decent but uneven, and while most of the cast fare well and there are many entertaining bits a couple are not used well.It is easy to see why some may dislike 'Four Jills in a Jeep'. The story isn't much of one and is more an excuse to string along the acts together. The dialogue is forgettable at best and often stilted and on the wrong side of silly. While singing beautifully (of course), Dick Haymes is somewhat dull with his performance betraying acting inexperience and Kay Francis is rather wasted.However, Carole Landis epitomises class and glamour and Martha Raye brings a lot of manic energy to her performance here. Practically forgotten Mitzi Mayfair is a vivaciously cute presence and does a great job in the dance department.Supporting them more than ably are a dynamite Carmen Miranda (living up to her nickname "The Brazilian Bombshell"), a heartfelt Alice Faye (her rendition of "You'll Never Know" is more than likely to induce tears in the eyes and even rolling down the cheeks), an amusing Phil Silvers (in a hilarious scene involving an audience heckler) and charming Betty Grable even if she has been much better elsewhere. Jimmy Dorsey provides invaluable support too, and the Jitterbug sequence is a delight.Production values are very nicely done, black and white is crisp and the photography is pleasing enough. Some songs are more memorable than others but most are a very pleasant listen, though "You'll Never Know" comes closest to being a classic, and cleverly and dynamically choreographed.On the whole, uneven but entertaining. 7/10 Bethany Cox

MartinHafer "Four Jills and a Jeep" is a film about four entertainers who leave the comfort of the United States and head overseas to do their part for the war effort. The stars are Kay Francis, Martha Raye, Carole Landis and Mitzi Mayfair (who was famous for her stage work).When I watched "Four Jills and a Jeep", a assumed that this film was pure fiction. While I know some actresses DID go to the front lines during WWII, I assume Twentieth Century-Fox chose the four featured actresses purely according to who was available. However, after watching one of the special features on the DVD for this film, I watched "The Real Four Jills" and learned much about the background for the film. It turns out that the story was based on a book by Kay Francis about her and the other three women in the film and their experiences traveling together to entertain the US troops in North Africa and England! So, the story is ESSENTIALLY true. What I mean by that is that the four stars were correct but the film was made here in the States AND liberties were taken with their story. So, while the film is pretty good, it's even better knowing the background for their story. Overall, it's enjoyable and worth your time. Plus, while I usually don't like cameos, I really liked seeing and hearing Alice Faye (in a tiny scene) sing her signature song, "You'll Never Know"--a tune that always gets me. And, that jitterbug sequence....WOW! By the way, I was just curious and read through the five stars' biographies on IMDb for Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Mitzi Mayfair, Martha Raye and Dick Haymes and found that between them, they had 24 marriages! And, while I already knew this, Landis killed herself at age 29. Yikes...such is the Hollywood life.

spiffy51 It is a good, light-hearted story for the day. Funny and cute. Does not follow the genre of today of having to be realistic. Even at that, it is a great reference to 40's fashions and styles, and the girls are great. Martha Raye is just beginning to slap stick in the Phillis Diller style of later years, Carole Landis is just SO gorgeous, Kay Francis only lisps once (which I caught, but didn't understand until I read about it later), Mitzy Mairfair dances beautifully with such powerful legs that one wishes she would have done more movies, and it is so fun to see Phil Silvers in a row that had to be a prelude to Sgt. Bilko eventually. Overall, it was a very delightful film of an era long passed.

roadlt Four Jills In A Jeep in based loosely on the true story of a USO unit which went overseas. Headed by Kay Francis, it also included Martha Raye, Carole Landis, and Mitzi Mayfair. In the movie version, there are romances which didn't really take place, plus all-too-frequent appearances by Phil Silvers as an Army sargeant who is their escort. This film also marked the first "official" appearance of Dick Haymes in a movie, although he actually appeared in a film earlier. As with USO type musicals of this period, there are specialty numbers by guest stars including Jimmy Dorsey and his band (in top form here), Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, and Alice Faye, in one of her last films. She sings a heart rending version of "You'll Never Know" which make one realize what a beautiful song this really is, how much it meant to service men and women far from home, and what a jerk Englebert Humperdinck is for the way he sings it. The movie was also the last high water mark for the four leading actresses. Mitzi Mayfair never made another movie. Kay Francis made only two or three more before retiring. Carole Landis would suffer personal problems and die a few years later. Martha Raye moved on to a successful career in 1950's television, and twenty years later would entertain troops in Viet Nam in much the same way as she does here.