John T. Ryan ONCE AGAIN WE bring you a picture to be reviewed that we should have done some time ago. In fact, we did believe that we had done this for SEVEN DAYS LEAVE (RKO Radio Oictures, 1942), but we must have confused this with another Service Comedy. (I think it was DONDI.) ANYWAY, THIS MOVIE stands out as being quite unique, difficult to classify and definitely custom tailored to a United States just entering World War II. From beginning to end all of the action takes place in NYC with a gang of newly trained, uniformed Soldiers. But it is far, far away from any Theatre of War. It would appear that it is a sort of 'Bachelors Party' for the Military.THE CAST OF this one features so many of the performers who were popular at this time. This featured group was not only made up of film actors; but who was on top of his game in Music, Theatre, Vaudeville and Radio. So, we had a healthy helping of the varying musical talents of Les Brown, Freddy Martin, Mapy Cortes, Ginny Simms and the eccentric dance team of Lynn, Royce & Vanya.FROM THE WORLD of big time Network Radio, we see Ralph Edwards & Company recreate a broadcast of TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES. The 'show' interestingly enough includes the pre-show warm-up and 'selection' of contestants.AND THOSE CONTESTANTS were the co-stars Lucielle Ball & Victor Mature. For the muscular Mr.Mature, this was a radical departure from his other roles that he would play. His 'Johnny Grea' proved that he could handle comedy, as well as his greatly varied characterizations in ONE MILLION B.C., KISS OF DEATH and SAMSON & DELILAH.OF COURSE THE co-star, Lucielle Ball was smooth in her performance; which was more of a straight role. This was long before she had become both a Redhead, as well as being 'Lucy Recardo.' THE VERY TALENTED Peter Lind Hayes made a rare film appearance as a sort of second banana to Victor Mature; giving him ample screen time to both do some great comic bits and to display his abilities as an impersonator of well known actors Ronald Coleman, Lionel Barrymore and Charles Laughton.THE PICTURE SERVED to introduce to two others, now familiar to several generations since. The first was Harold Peary, from THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE show (a spin off from FIBBER McGEE & MOLLY). The powers that be at RKO thought that including GILDERSLEEVE would be a draw. (Well, Schultz, we can't say we disagree.) THE OTHER PERFORMER bowing in his first flick was Arnold Stang. Small, be-speckled and speaking in a near slur, he would have a long and highly visible career on Radio, TV, the Movies and in commercials. His tag-line of "Chunky! What a chunk o' chocolate!", can still be heard reverberating across the years! (in our minds) THE STYLE OF acting in use here would appear to be a throwback to an earlier era. it is very much like that used in Vaudeville, Burlesque and in the Silent Movies. The overdone expressions and held poses would seem to suggest a kinship with both Newspaper Comic Strips and the popularity of the Comic Book; which had only recently emerged as a force in publishing.AT THE CONCLUSION of this Comedy-Musical fun fest, we have the women now in uniform seeing off the soldiers on a troop transport; which was heading into a true Theatre of the War. It didn't matter either.THE FRIVOLITY WAS now over and was replaced with the grim realities of combat.

mark.waltz Lucille Ball may get the guy (Victor Mature), but her teenie bopper sister Mickey (Marcy McGire) gets the songs. In her film debut (the first of half a dozen she would do during the coure of World War II and briefly after), McGuire steals the scene as the typical bubbly bobby-soxer. In fact, McGuire would even get to sing with Frank Sintra in his acting film debut ("Higher and Higher") at the height of his fan craze, but here, she's with the future Queen of TV Comedy.The plot line surrounds a soldier (Mature) who must convince Ball to marry him in order to receive an inheritance. The problem is that they are both engaged. But this is Hollywood in its golden age where reality didn't matter, and we all know what that means. McGuire gets the guy too (Arnold Stang, remembered more as the voice of TV's Top Cat), a squeaky voiced squirt who knits. Appearances by "The Great Gildersleeve", Band leader Les Brown and radio host Ralph Edwards ("Truth or Consequences") round out the cast, plus a nice collection of second rate but enjoyable 40's songs keep the rhythm hot.After a nice opening ("Please Won't You Leave My Girl Alone"), we meet McGuire singing "Take Me Back to New York" (not to be confused with Cole Porter's "Take Me Back to Manhattan") who then sings "I Get the Neck of the Chicken" after attracting helium voiced Stang. After a rendition of "Can't Get Out of This Mood" by former Kay Kyser vocalist Ginny Sims, McGuire speeds it up to a chase between her and Stang. An acrobatic dance team gives an amusing performance, while Lucy briefly sings "Pop Goes to Weasel" in the "Truth or Consequences" sequence, and another soldier gives hysterically funny impressions of Ronald Colman, Lionel Barrymore and Charles Laughton.

Richard Green This film is a most interesting and intriguing cultural document: it was released in November of 1942, or less than a year after the attack at Pearl Harbor. As most any person who paid attention in their American history class might know, the first year of the declared war against Japan, Germany and Italy did NOT go very well for the United States. Aside from the shocking losses sustained by the fleet at Pearl Harbor and by the Army Air Corps units there, and the deaths of civilians on Hawai'i, there was the slow-moving disaster in the Philippines as the Japanese forces invaded, and rolled up the resistance. U.S. and Philippino losses in that first year of the war were heavy, and the treatment of the prisoners of war there was shocking and brutal, and fairly well-known before 1945.Watching this film, now, some sixty-four years later, one almost gets the sense of this being a "mockumentary." Of course, it isn't. It's a romantic comedy. But Victor Mature and his Army buddies are entirely too happy for newly minted soldiers facing the grim reality of mortal combat.This film is a goofy, confusing and fast-paced romantic comedy. It has some nice comedic moments but the true value of this film fiction lies in the romantic music and in the performance of Lucille Ball.Personality wise, Victor Mature comes off as being kind of ... cheesy ... which is unfair because many people who have considered his entire career find in him an actor capable of subtle and nuanced performances. He could and did play 'noble and heroic' types and he could also be the less-than-acceptable Cad & Bounder. In this film he's a high-voltage goof-ball surrounded by screwball types.Film buffs who do not know much about cinema productions made during the war really ought to make it their mission to see this film the next time it comes around on Turner Classic Movies. It is fun, in the aforementioned goofy way, Ms. Ball scintillates, and the singing of Ginny Simms and the big band music is exceptional, truly exceptional.Some day, some day soon, hopefully, some august person will write a dissertation or a pop culture book on the subject of ...Where Did Rock & Roll Go Wrong ? Looking back at Bill Haley & The Comets, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, the doo-wop era and the blues-oriented vocal groups of the 1950s, most anyone can see that rock & roll music grew out of the "swing" movement in the big band era. But what happened to the genius deployed in the big band styles ? How could it have become obsolete so quickly ? Was it "television" that killed the big bands ?? Get a load of the song stylings in this peculiar film, crafted, clearly crafted, as a form of 'feel good' entertainment for the home-front at a time when the news was bad, grim and getting grimmer, and most anyone will have to ask -- where did all those brilliant singers go ??? This is a good film and got a six, but only because the plot is entirely paper-thin. But that didn't stop either Ball or Mature from hamming it up and having a very good time on the silver screen.

edwardsrc "Seven Days' Leave" is a WWII-era musical comedy about a young Army soldier [Mature] who is due a large inheritance. The problem is, he must marry a certain girl [Ball] whom he does not love, in order to collect.If one is a Lucy fan, this movie is a great watch. Lucy is actually drop-dead gorgeous in this flick, more so than she had ever been in her entire career, in my opinion.Also, Harold 'The Great Gildersleeve' Peary adds to the fun, along with Marcy McGuire as the younger sister to Lucy's character.Unfortunately, this film as a whole is quite mediocre. And, Victor Mature sings twice. FFWD required.All in all, one watch of this movie is definitely worth it. The video is even worth owning if you like Lucy.