Girls, Girls, Girls

Here's one that Ms. Spenser found: Bring on the Girls (1945). It's an Eddie Bracken/Veronica Lake/Sonny Tufts semi-musical. We couldn't find it anywhere to rent or buy, but there was a copy on YouTube. 

It starts with Bracken coming home from his job at the factory - he is supporting the war effort. His home is a mansion - he owns the factory, among many others. He goes to see his fiancee, and finds her canoodling with his cousin. After he sends them packing, he laments that all the women he meets just love him for his money. So he decides to join the navy anonymously. His family object and demand that he take the nephew of a family lawyer, Sonny Tufts, as a minder.

They ship off to Miami for training, and he discovers that they will be staying at a fancy hotel, commandeered as a barracks. When he asks the CO if this won't make the men get soft, he gets his unit assigned to cleanup duty, making him not well loved. The unit excludes him from their shore leave plans. But when he gets them into a fancy nightclub, claiming to have won some money at dice, they all become his pal. 

The maitre-d' recognizes him, but Bracken tells him to keep quiet. But he mentions it to cigarette girl Veronica Lake. She sets her cap for him, telling him she's really a singer, and plays a shy family girl.

When Tufts hears about this, he goes to the nightclub to check this dame out. He didn't get a name from Bracken, so he heads for the singer - Marjorie Reynolds - pretending to be a small time newspaper reporter. She tells him her life story: She's a rich girl who just sings as a hobby. He assumes this is phony, but it turns out to be true. He also mades several heavy advances, which she rebuffs. So he approves. He also sees Lake passing by, and recognizes her. Tells the manager that they better count the silver - she's a crooked.

So there's the setup: Rich Bracken is in love with gold-digger Lake. Lake has history with Tufts. And Reynolds has the same problem Bracken does: guys only want her for her money. Pretty obvious how this goes. There are some musical numbers - Sonny sings two. He sort of talk-sings his way through with an interesting bluesy rhythm, but I'd say the songs are better than the singer, and they weren't that great. 

Bracken had two absolute classic movies: Miracle of Morgan's Creek and Hail, the Conquering Hero. We always wanted to see more of him. His patriotic, enthusiastic weakling character is a lot of fun. I don't think he has any other real masterpieces, but this was pleasant fun anyway.

SPOILER - but you probably figured it out: The two rich characters end up with each other, concentrating wealth. At least Tufts, as a lawyer, won't be making his wife Lake live in romantic poverty.