Thousands Cheer (1943) User Reviews

This kind of escapist fare clicked at the box-office during wartime...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 29 November 2006]

And because it clicked, MGM did what all the other major studios were doing--hiring their big stars to do cameos in a picture obviously aimed at entertaining the troops overseas. Paramount did it with STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM, Warners with THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS, Universal with FOLLOW THE BOYS, so it was only a matter of time before MGM came up with THOUSANDS CHEER.

If nothing else, it serves as a good showcase for the talents of KATHRYN GRAYSON (their newest singing bird) and GENE KELLY (although his dancing is limited here). For good measure they gave them MARY ASTOR and JOHN BOLES for parents, a story about a girl who wants to get her mom and dad back together again (where have we heard that one before?), and a whole bunch of MGM's brightest stars or character players in a "let's put on a show for the boys" routine.

Too bad the only thing missing is a good script. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy the gorgeous Technicolor, the dreamy close-ups of Kathryn Grayson at her musical best, and guest stars like LUCILLE BALL, JUDY GARLAND, LENA HORNE, FRANK MORGAN, VIRGINIA O'BRIEN, RED SKELTON and MICKEY ROONEY to perk up interest in a sagging script for the second half of the movie.

Summing up: Could have been a lot better. If this is your kind of ticket, check out THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS for a better star-filled time.

If only temporarily...

[dexter-10 · 7/10 · 14 February 2001]

Rats! Not only are the numerous actors and actresses good looking they are also talented. Gene Kelly's dance with a broom is as good as anything he ever did on film. But the World War Two message of this movie is that talent and good looks are not enough to win a war, one must also have high moral character. Bad boy Kelly says that he can get himself into trouble and that he can find his way out of trouble--but can he? There are some great Vaudeville lines that keep one amused while Kelly is trying to find out what a good soldier should be. For example, the doctor says he "only did appendix operations on the side" and that he did grafting "only because his salary was so small." The movie is great fun at a time in United States history when there was not much to laugh about. Song and dance does take the edge off war, if only temporarily.

Gem of All Gems

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 18 November 2008]

This 1943 Classic film clearly showed how Hollywood supported our Armed Forces during World War II and there are so many talented actors appearing in this film who all gave great performances with their talented gifts.

Always enjoyed the great singing talent of Lena Horne who appeared in many Musicals during the 1940's and one of her famous songs was "Stormy Weather". I use to live in St. Albans, Queens, New York and she was a neighbor. Lena was the pioneer of Black entertainers who started to break into the Hollywood scene and finally it was accomplished.

Naturally, the War was going on and this was a picture that was created to cheer our Fighting Men and it also was a propaganda film to cheer up the American Citizens with a cast of hundreds of famous actors. Enjoyed seeing a very little known actress who is now 91 years of age, Marsha Hunt who was very young and attractive in the film, she was only 26 years of age.

Don't miss this film, it is really a gem of a gem. Enjoy

Plenty to enjoy but not great

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 12 March 2015]

Thousands Cheer had a lot going for it from the get go, the biggest selling point being the amount of talent involved. While it is not a great film there is still plenty to enjoy and on the most part the cast are well-used.

Thousands Cheers' story is very thin and very contrived with the lead in to the film's second half feeling rather abrupt and the script is even thinner with a lot of hokey dialogue and too many moments where it sags in energy. A vast majority of the cast are great and are well-utilised, but Mary Astor is wasted with not very much to do and Red Skelton is more irritating than funny.

It is on the other hand very well-made with lavish sets and gorgeous photography while the Oscar nomination for the music score was deserved, it's very characterful and lush. The songs are not exactly memorable, apart from Honeysuckle Rose, but they are very pleasant and don't bog the film down at all, they are also very well-choreographed. Of all the show segments the highlights were Gene Kelly's dance with the mop, Eleanor Powell's tap dance, Lena Horne's beautiful rendition of Honeysuckle Rose and Judy Garland's uproarious The Joint Is Really Jumpin' in Carnegie Hall. You do wish that Gene Kelly had more dancing to do but he is dashing and very watchable and Kathryn Grayson is charm personified and sings beautifully.

All in all, not a great film but I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Good wartime morale boosting entertainment

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 31 March 2017]

This is one of those WWII era musicals where a studio assembles all their top talent for an all-star extravaganza. The stars' appearances are incorporated via a very thin plot. The plot doesn't matter, because the real point in watching this film is to see the musical talent.

This film stars Kathryn Grayson who is the daughter of military colonel John Boles and Mary Astor. Grayson is a singer who is performing onstage with Jose Iturbi. Grayson decides to put her musical career on hold in order to entertain the troops on her father's base. One of her father's new recruits is acrobat Gene Kelly, who is drafted into the Army, but would rather be in the Air Force. Kelly and Grayson end up falling in love (of course). Things are complicated when Astor wants to take Grayson back home because she doesn't want Grayson falling in love with a soldier. Astor tells her that being the wife of a soldier is undesirable because the army will always be a priority. There is also another subplot where Grayson tries to get her parents back together. The highlight of the first half, IMHO, is Gene Kelly's "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" dance with a broom.

However, all of that plot is meaningless, because the second half of the film is where all the action is. Mickey Rooney appears as himself. He emcees the show and also provides some impressions along the way. The best performances in the second half are Eleanor Powell, Lena Horne and Judy Garland's. Lucille Ball, Ann Sothern and Marcia Hunt appear in a skit with Frank Morgan, and Donna Reed and Margaret O'Brien appear in a routine with Red Skelton. Virginia O'Brien does another of her awful deadpan routines with Gloria de Haven and June Allyson providing support. Gene Kelly's stunt double performs a trapeze act. Kathryn Grayson come out to sing another song while, almost literally, "thousands cheer" - the soldiers that is.

Thousands Cheer is an average film viewed from today, although it is fun to watch for Kelly, Garland, Powell, and Horne. As little as they gave Kelly to do here, you can tell MGM just didn't know what to do with the fellow yet After all he had only been on the MGM lot for about a year. However, they did give him some great comic bits.

I guess you have to view this one from the wartime perspective of when the world was a canteen and morale boosting on the home front was the order of the day.

Kathryn Grayson

[drewfbartlow · 6/10 · 6 March 2007]

Tonight was the first time I'd seen this one. I thought I had seen most of Kathryn Grayson's work.It was enjoyable. Of course there's not much plot as I believe it was made to take the civilian's mind off the tension of WWII.

I'm a big Kathryn Grayson fan (along with Jane Powell and Deanna Durbin), and take umbrage to Dreamer36's reference to her singing as "chirping". While I realize that not everyone likes coloraturas, you have to give credit for the sheer talent alone. After all, where is that kind of talent in the movies they put out today? It gets tiring seeing a flick where's there's an obligatory scene where someone or something get blown to h*** and back and every other word is f***.

Gene Kelly's dancing was fantastic as usual, especially the scene with the broom and it's always a pleasure to see what classical treats José Iturbi has in store.

M-G-M at its Best

[Dreamer-36 · 15 April 2000]

Gene Kelly plays the "King of the Trapeze turned buck army private" magnificently, supplemented with the chirping of Kathryn Grayson. It shows how, even in his early years, (This is only the second year of Gene in Hollywood pictures) he was a great dancer/actor. (His dance with the mop was the best part of the movie for me) This great movie is supplemented by the great bands of Jose Iturbi and Bob Crosby, and with the great talents of silver screen greats like Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gloria DeHaven, June Allyson, and the spectacular Judy Garland. This movie is a must for all classic musical buffs!!!

A musical with lousy music

[donniefriedman · 4/10 · 29 December 2010]

When I saw the cast, I really got my hopes up. But they were dashed and then some. I kept waiting for Gene Kelly to cut the rug, but he danced one measly scene. I like Katherine Grayson, but seriously, the material she had was nothing special. In fact, most of the songs were awful. The exception was Lena Horne's Honeysuckle Rose, but sitting through the rest of the movie was a high price to pay for one quality number. There were such great tunes written during wartime. Where were they? Compare with Irving Berlin's This is the Army. It doesn't. It was nice to see a young Gene Kelly show us he can act, as well as dance. If you like vintage musicals, there are much better ones.

Class Distinctions in the Army

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 2 February 2006]

When You watch Thousands Cheer please note the plot similarities between it and the two John Ford cavalry classics Fort Apache and Rio Grande. Kathryn Grayson is an army brat whose army father John Boles and show business mother Mary Astor separated years ago as in Rio Grande. Kathryn like Shirley Temple has fallen for a man of the ranks, a recent draftee. Fortunately John Boles is a bit more understanding than Henry Fonda was.

But folks, you don't watch films like Thousands Cheer for the story, thin as it is. You watch to see a whole lot of fabulous acts and a kind of film that can never be done again because we don't have all that talent under one studio roof. Gene Kelly the object of Grayson's affections was fairly new to films and is only give one dance number, an impromptu affair with a broom. With Eleanor Powell in the same film it would have been nice had they partnered in a number. But back then MGM wasn't thinking of posterity.

Just like in Paramount's Star Spangled Rhythm, the hook is a show that is being put on at the camp John Boles is in charge of. Mickey Rooney serves as one lively master of ceremonies and does some wicked impersonations of fellow MGM players Lionel Barrymore and Clark Gable.

My favorite though is Lena Horne singing Honeysuckle Rose. Best thing about a very entertaining film.

Lots of stars, so-so plot

[dallen775 · 6/10 · 14 January 2002]

OK Plot begins to bog down, then gets completely interrupted by a parade of stars, some of them annoying, some great. Highlight of stars is Judy singing, Mickey's impressions and Eleanor Powell seen in color. Highlight of movie is Gene Kelly's only dance number (the famous one with the mop). Really good actress Mary Astor is once again wasted.

A bore-fest that probably did little to help the war effort

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 23 February 2013]

Although the production values for "Thousands Cheer" were very, very nice (since it was made by MGM), I thoroughly hated practically every minute of this dreadfully dull film. The plot was thin, the main character VERY unlikable and the variety show was, for the most part, dreadful. In so many ways, you can find better films than this one.

"Thousands Cheer" is a WWII propaganda film that is part story and part a variety show featuring MGM acts. The star is a very young Gene Kelly. He has just been inducted in the military and spends most of his time complaining and just being unpleasant. For some bizarre reason, the Colonel's daughter (Kathryn Grayson) has fallen for him. But, because he is almost always in trouble and is so troublesome, the relationship seems doomed.

In addition to this plot that I could not care less about (mostly because Kelly's character was just unlikable and argumentative), the film had a VERY long sequence that was a variety show of MGM stars supposedly performing for our troops. Mickey Rooney was the emcee and it featured some mostly bland performances by the likes of Frank Morgan, Judy Garland, Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell. These sequences made me a bit mad because similar stuff was done so much better in Warner's "Stage Door Canteen" and "Hollywood Canteen". These similar variety shows intended to entertain and bolster our troops were just much more fun.

So it obviously sounds like I didn't like this film--and that is indeed true. The problem is that there were many, many wartime armed services films that were better and there were variety shows that were better. Despite "Thousands Cheer" being in color, it just didn't deliver and was a terrible role for Gene Kelly.

How did I miss this one?

[silvrdal · 8/10 · 29 January 2005]

Well, I'm stumped as to why this film isn't better known. I'd barely heard of it. Kathryn Grayson is at her most adorable in this one. She sings like an angel, she looks like an angel, she wrinkles her nose like an angel. Gene Kelly is charming, but underused.

The last hour of the film is a star-studded camp show for the boys, and I'm certain that the film was sent overseas to entertain the troops during the war. The finale is somewhat bizarre and stilted -- Grayson singing with what looks to be 400 middle-aged men from different countries -- and provokes a sort of desperate hope that the world will one day again be at peace.

'Thousands Cheer' is an odd hybrid of musical-comedy, review and morality play, but I decidedly enjoyed and appreciated it. See if it doesn't make you misty.

Fascinating glimpse of bygone era featuring highly entertaining cavalcade of MGM music/comedy stars

[Turfseer · 7/10 · 22 July 2012]

I was fortunate to see this film on the big screen at Lincoln Center and I recommend you do the same if you're able to. Made during World War II, it's a rousing tribute to the armed forces, and it still entertains to this day. The film is really divided into two distinct parts. The first is the romance between Private Eddie Marsh (Gene Kelly) and Kathryn (played by Kathryn Grayson), who is the daughter of Eddie's commanding officer. The second is a musical revue performed in front of the troops, featuring all the big MGM musical and comedy stars of the day.

Marsh comes from a family of aerialists, the Flying Corbinos. One of the many highlights in the film are the great circus shots featuring the 'Corbinos' as they perform death defying flying trapeze stunts. I suspect that the 'Corbinos' were a group created just for the movie since I can't find any reference to them outside of their association with the film itself.

While the overall plot is a bit hokey, it's unusual for its day, in that Grayson's character, 'Kathryn', is a product of divorced parents. When she hooks up with her Dad, Colonel Bill Jones (expertly played by John Boles), she's seeing him for the first time after living with her mother for many years. The film's subplot, involves Kathryn attempting to bring her estranged parents back together and at film's end, it looks like she's succeeded.

As for the romance between Eddie and Kathryn, it's pretty standard stuff. Kathryn is attracted to Eddie because he's the only soldier who doesn't fawn over her. He's too busy wrapped up with a chip on his shoulder, bemoaning the fact that the Army doesn't use his talents as an aerialist and believes he'd be better off in the Air Force. After Kathryn makes it clear that Eddie's the one for her, he sneaks into the Colonel's home so he can be with his beloved and ends up being called to the Colonel's office for a dressing down. Instead of ending up in the brig, the Colonel lets him off with a slap on the wrist (extra chores)—after the two switch roles, with Eddie pretending he's the Colonel and the Colonel adopting the role of the beleaguered private. Eventually Eddie must learn a lesson about being a good team player (after leaving his post) and this time really ends up in the brig (something must have been lost on the cutting room floor, since Eddie's transgression, when he leaves his post, is only depicted in its aftermath—we never see where he goes after he disappears).

If the rather tame plot doesn't hook you in, there's more than enough entertainment provided featuring the fantastic coloratura soprano voice of Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly's phenomenal dancing (his bit with the broom is classic Gene Kelly!). There's also the added bonus of the film debut of film conductor/pianist, José Iturbi, who does some sensational piano playing and conducting. Watch when he accompanies Judy Garland in the second half, breaking into some boogie woogie after she exhorts him to get into the 'groove'.

The Eddie-Kathryn story is interrupted in the film's second half with the introduction of MGM's cavalcade of stars. I got a real kick out of seeing how young some of the stars looked back then including Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton and Lucille Ball. Rooney is the master of ceremonies introducing all the acts and does some neat impersonations himself of a very amusing interaction between Clark Gable and Lionel Barrymore. Some of the performers, who were extremely big in their day, are now forgotten to a modern audience. We get a fascinating glimpse of two in particular: Kay Kyser and his Orchestra, the 'funnyman' band leader and Virginia O'Brien, known to 1940s audiences for her deadpan expression while singing various big band hits of the day.

Of the stars I was familiar with, of course Judy Garland steals the show with her numbers with Iturbi. And then there's Red Skelton who I used to watch as a kid on TV. He's enjoyably goofy doing one of his slapstick routines. Also of note is Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz) who plays a lecherous physician, 'examining' various starlets who come by to see him in his physician's office (one of those starlets is a very young Lucille Ball). Eleanor Powell is also particularly impressive doing a tap routine and the very cute child actress, Margaret O'Brien, shows up, who was almost as popular in the 1940s as Shirley Temple was back in the 30s. Also look for a pre-'It's a Wonderful Life' Donna Reed in a short cameo. Finally, I was heartened to see some black performers featured in the film despite the fact that the armed forces were segregated during World War II. Lena Horne's rendition of 'Honeysuckle Rose' is thrilling along with accompaniment by extremely accomplished black big band performers.

'Thousands Cheer' wraps up with Grayson leading the United Nations Chorus singing a song called 'United Nations', a powerful (but not very tuneful) piece, predating the establishment of the United Nations itself in 1945.

'Thousands Cheer' served its purpose of cheering up the troops and the general public during World War II. While the basic plot can be described as 'fluff', the level of talent here is unprecedented and you will not only find it very highly entertaining but a fascinating glimpse at a bygone era.

Lots of cheering but not much laughing...

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 5 October 2009]

Army private Gene Kelly, who's also a talented trapeze aerialist, comes under fire for doing daring stunts without a net and alienating his high-wire cohorts; meanwhile, there's an elaborate 'camp show' to put on for Army soldiers and personnel, and the whole studio of M-G-M has shown up to join in the fun. Mickey Rooney plays M.C. (unctuously), introducing acts like Kay Kyser and His Orchestra, Bob Crosby, Benny Carter, and the M-G-M Dancing Girls (who appear to be dressed as vegetables). Red Skelton does a cute bit with Donna Reed and Margaret O'Brien, but the other comedic bits suffer from an apparent vacuum between the performers and the allegedly-live audience (they're awfully silent until the editor cuts to them for exaggerated reaction shots). Judy Garland sings an inappropriate song about a jumpin' night at Carnegie Hall (improbably accompanied by classical pianist José Iturbi, whom Judy calls 'hep'). The production is glossy, but the manic energy feels false, fabricated. ** from ****

Let's put on a show at an army camp

[n_r_koch · 6/10 · 23 August 2009]

Not a great movie, but it has a few high spots. The first half is a mediocre patriotic musical. The second half is a cobbled-together "variety show" performed for an army camp. Grayson sings sweetly, if you like that sort of thing (opera style + show tunes). As for Jose Iturbe's jazz piano, the less said the better. But Lena Horne sings "Honeysuckle Rose" beautifully, Judy Garland does her number well, and Eleanor Powell does a fun boogie-woogie routine. In the first half, there's a rarely seen Gene Kelly dance that's pretty good. The rest is modestly diverting, and MC Mickey Rooney's impression of Lionel Barrymore (in the variety show) is pretty funny.

wartime entertainment

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 9 February 2022]

Everybody is kissing goodbyes at the train station. With no one to kiss, Pvt. Eddie Marsh (Gene Kelly) grabs Kathryn Jones (Kathryn Grayson) and lands a big kiss. He is surprised when she boards the train with the soldiers. She's actually the daughter of his commanding colonel.

That's the plot and Gene Kelly gives it an air of fun. The lead character doesn't want to be in the Army but he learns to love it anyways. He manages to keep the first half moving. In actuality, this is a movie to cheer up the wartime audience with a lot stars making cameos. The second half is more an USO performance hosted by Mickey Rooney. That's what the people want during this dark time in world history. It delivers what they need.

I'll cheer for about fifty percent of this. The rest....where's that fast forward button?

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 6 September 2018]

For the first 45 minutes of this all-star MGM musical extravaganza, you get the type of wartime romance that still stands the test of time today. Gene Kelly and Kathryn Grayson remind me of the non-singing and dancing Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones in 1944's "Since You Went Away" where their "opposites attract" type courtship shocks them as much as it does those around them and the audience. Grayson plays the daughter of an Army officer (John Boles) who leaves her mother (Mary Astor) behind in New York so she can work with her father in getting together a show to entertain Boles' troop before they go off to fight the battles of World War II. On the train platform, she meets seemingly hard boiled Gene Kelly who, looking for someone to kiss before the train departs, plants several smooches right on her without even as much as an introduction. That action today would get him courtmartialed, but this is World War II where every boy going off to fight the Nazi's or Japanese's or Italians needed a girl to kiss before facing death. Much to Kelly's surprise, he runs into Grayson on the train and thinks that she's stalking him. She plays along with that simply to tease him, and this leads into a playful romance that has him hiding from her father in their living room and then taking her to the circus where his family are world renowned trapeze artists. Having been to assigned to the Army rather than the Air Force has made Kelly bitter, and it is up to Grayson to smooth things over for him as he continuously gets into trouble for disobeying orders or running off when his rebellious streak takes over.

About 45 minutes into the two hour film, all plot stops for about an hour's worth of variety, and it is a mixed bag. I wanted much more of a bigger tap number for Eleanor Powell, still attractive here, but looking rather lonely on that stage, but cheered for Lena Horne's "Honeysuckle Rose" and laughed hysterically at Virginia O'Brien's deadpan antics with "In a Little Spanish Town" (accompanied by Gloria DeHaven and June Allyson). But when Frank Morgan comes on for a doctor's sketch (featuring pointless walk-on's by Ann Sothern, Lucille Ball and Marsha Hunt), the groans began. The skit is pointless, but not nearly as painful as Red Skelton's sketch in an ice cream shop where he turns into Mortimer Snerd while dealing with pretty Donna Reed and gets nauseated over precocious Margaret O'Brien reciting all the ice cream flavors in the world. Judy Garland might have been the brightest light at MGM at the time, but her "Carnagie Hall" number with Jose Iturbi was the wrong choice for their biggest musical star. Appearances by several popular bands (Bob Crosby, whose brother is known for selling cheese according to emcee Mickey Rooney, and Kay Kyser) adds some jazz, but concerto piano sequences by Iturbi are just a bit too long haired for maintaining this film's interest because of its length. When Rooney begins doing some imitations, it shows why much of his work does not stand the test of time and why his hyper personality can grate on some audiences today.

As for the main story, this could have been cut down to a nice 85 minute musical drama with a separate "Ziegfeld Follies" like revue for the "Hollywood Canteen" feel of the lengthy variety sequence, doubling MGM profits. Grayson, who would go on to star in a fairly successful string of highbrow MGM operetta like musicals then be paired even more successfully with Howard Keel in the early 1950's, shows a nice sense of humor here, even getting to cut up the rug a bit in the continuously repeated "I Dug a Ditch!". Ben Blue, a rather deadpan comic, attempts to be funny by simply overreacting to things he loves or looking on queerly at things he finds boring or strange, is a hit or miss type comic whom some won't find funny at all. Going from film noir femme fatale to mother roles, Mary Astor gets to show her versatility, but she's underused here. Boles is cast in a rather generic part that could have gone to any aging MGM contract player (William Powell, Melvyn Douglas), but manages to instill some humanity into a commanding character whom in the wrong hands could be rather demanding and obnoxious. It's a mixed bag where the gems really work and the laid eggs truly smell. But as a period piece, it can't be judged by modern standards; It did what it served to do for wartime audiences, so in those circumstances, it comes off as a success, even if a dated one.

Thousands Cheer. Rah! Rah! For World War 11 Effort ***

[edwagreen · 8/10 · 8 October 2006]

Predictable World War 11 yarn where Gene Kelly falls for Katherine Grayson. He is not too thrilled with the army and her father is his commander.

The movie is greatly patriotic which of course was needed during the war years.

Grayson's mom is played by Mary Astor who left her father years before because of his devotion to duty. Naturally, Grayson would like to see them reconcile.

The second part of the film deals with a cavalcade of MGM stars putting on a show for the troops. The singing is good but the sketches with Frank Morgan, Ann Sothern, Donna Reed, and Marsha Hunt are ridiculous.

Of course, the film resolves itself with Kelly going off to war and Grayson singing as beautifully as ever.

Thousands Boo!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10 June 2007]

About 20 big-name stars provide cameos in this mostly-dopey love story. I say "mostly" but to be more accurate, about half of the film - but that's an entire hour, and it makes this movie drag. I got this tape for the music and the famous people in it, not to watch that awful first hour of stupid comments. The most annoying were those about marriage made by Mary Astor's character, "Hyllary Jones." (Beware of anyone with that first name, no matter how they spell it!)

The final hour is what this movie is advertised to be - namely the variety show. However, it should have comprised more than just 50 percent of the film. The show, emceed by Mickey Rooney, is how this movie was promoted. Unfortunately, once we finally do get to the big show, you can tell it really wasn't even part of the filming. They were performances done elsewhere and filmed, and then inserted into the movie! How hokey is that? In other words, Rooney and the singers, dancers and comedians are not on one stage playing to a bunch of G.I.'s enjoying the show. This is like when they used stock footage of animals and then inserted them onto a screen into the Tarzan films of the 1930s. It's laughable. This "variety show" is a sham, like the whole movie!

Not only that, but most of the numbers they filmed were poor and the comedy skits were lame. This is a just put together in a very amateurish way. The only act that was halfway decent was the tap dance by Eleanor Powell, but that was just routine number even for her.

This movie, obviously, is not recommended. It deserves "boos" not "cheers."

A Mediocre Morale Booster

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 5 July 2016]

Besides its silly title, "Thousands Cheer" has some major problems that make it a mediocre film at best.

Released during WWII, it was designed to uplift morale at home (for civilians) and overseas (for the military). The film starts rather well, with the prodigious talents and adorability of Kathryn Grayson on display. It has a lighthearted air and is filled with colorful (Technicolor) scenes, plenty of quality music, and sharp fashions.

But as the story unfolds, it proves to be thin and little more than an excuse to display the talents of various studio stars. In one scene, Ms. Grayson is listening to Jose Iturbi play the piano over the phone. What a way to put a piano solo into the story! Before she hangs up the phone, Iturbi says he is coming to the base to put on a show for the troops there. And in the wink of an eye, the entire storyline is hijacked for a concert of performances by orchestras, dancers, comedians, a trapeze act, etc. The romantic plot is addressed briefly at the end--with a totally ridiculous denouement that involves two couples. And then the film wraps with a rousing anthem designed to invoke a plethora of stirring motivations within the viewer.

As a story, the film is almost a flop. It is better to appraise its value as a concert show. On that basis, the film does sometimes succeed. As I mentioned, Kathryn Grayson's singing is one of the highlights. As star after star steps onstage, there are other good moments, like the song "In a Little Spanish Town", with vocals by Gloria DeHaven, June Allyson and Virginia O'Brien. Personally, I would have enjoyed some strong swing dancing.

The song "I Dug a Ditch" is fun when performed by a comic lead singer, and it is even more fun when operatic Grayson croons its silly lyrics, but when it is performed for a third time later in the show, it feels like the song is driven into the ground.

Thousands Cheer (1943) starring Gene Kelly is all actor and movie tech quality and no writing or good songs

[DavidAllenUSA · 10/10 · 3 December 2010]

Thousands Cheer (1943) starring Gene Kelly was made using the very best of MGM's actor and movie technician talent in color, and is well done in those areas. I never saw Kelly do such a good job acting, and the same is true for his co-star, Katherine Grayson. Other major actors part of the movie all do well, including Mary Astor, Mickey Rooney, and Judy Garland. It's a spectacular movie technically, and quite a showcase for good actor movie star work done well and skillfully, a credit to all who appear in front of the camera and worked on the machines behind the screen. But there is no script worth the name, and not a single good song appears in this movie, which is supposed to be (and is) a "musical." Judy Garland does her best at the end of the movie with a mediocre song, even though she's always worth seeing. One of the true saints of world cinema history. The movie is an embarrassment of riches except for the bad (non-existent) script and the lack of a single good, memorable song. And this from the then biggest and richest movie studio in the world, MGM. It's an oddity worth seeing for its display of talent, unconnected as that turns out to be with good writing and good song composition. The color especially is dazzling. It's an upbeat "crowd-pleaser" movie needed and delivered during the World War II years. But the lack of good writing and good songs makes it mediocre.

Morale booster comedy musical during WW II

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 27 November 2017]

"Thousands Cheer" is a light comedy musical that apparently was made as a morale booster right in the middle of World War II. Of course, anyone who ever served in the military would laugh at the relationship between the good-natured and gentle Col. Bill Jones, played very well by John Boles, and Pvt. Eddie Marsh, played by Gene Kelly. Such things as seen here just aren't real in the military. Nor should they be, I think most vets would agree.

But, as a morale booster, such an unbelievable situation works well in creating the venue for Marsh and the colonel's daughter, Kathryn, played by Kathryn Grayson to get together for some song and dance. She does the singing and he does a little dancing. The best is Kelly's dance routine with a floor mop. The plot is goofy and weak, and the stars are for the entertaining numbers.

Others in the cast contribute to some comedy and entertainment. Eleanor Powell has a good tap routine, and a number of Hollywood folks get cameos in this film. It's enjoyable and entertaining, but there's nothing dynamic about it.

Music Holds Plot Together, Comedy Not So Much

[LeonardKniffel · 6/10 · 11 April 2020]

Gene Kelly stars as a circus aerialist who reluctantly becomes a G.I., then falls in love with the colonel's daughter, played by Kathryn Grayson, who decides to put on a mammoth show for the servicemen. This, of course, gives MGM studios an opportunity to parade out a plethora of stars to perform in the show, among them Eleanor Powell dancing to "Boogie Woogie," Lena Horne singing "Honeysuckle Rose," and Judy Garland doing "The Joint Is Really Jumpin' in Carnegie Hall." Kelly shows off his dancing skills in a duet with a mop to "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," and Grayson raises her voice rather impressively with Verdi's "Sempre Libera," Jose Iturbi conducting. This movie gives you a sentimental sense of what the World War II years were like. The surprisingly likeable "I Dug a Ditch in Wichita" serves as an underlying theme song and is performed several times in the film with different arrangements. Grayson sings a version using an exaggerated "cowboy" accent, and Kelly dances to an instrumental version while partnering with a broom, having jilted the mop. The plot of this wartime film is strong and serves as more than a thread to hold the numbers together, but the comedy stylings of Mickey Rooney, Red Skelton, and Ben Blue inspire fast-forward. ---Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013

A great deal of stars didn't do a great deal of help to this movie

[jamesjustice-92 · 8/10 · 24 December 2018]

"Thousands Cheer" was made in 1943 when the second world war was at its peak. Battles came one after the other, people died in millions and MGM executives decided to make a movie to cheer everyone up. And they were succesful in it. But they forgot one simple detail: that a movie should not only be entertaining but also meaningful. Kathryn Grayson is a fine operatic singer but she is merely a decent actress (her next movie, Anchors Aweigh, would show all her talents in full) and you can see that she tries so hard to be as good as Gene Kelly but she falls way behind him. Whereas Gene is as charming and remarkable as ever; although I am disappointed he hasn't been given enough time to shine - he performs only one dance number and for a movie having him as a main character it is just a crime - he still manages to fire up this dance with his partner, a mop, to a new level of entertainment. In every movie Gene always tries something different and I adore his genius for it. But the most disappointing part of the movie are the guest stars. Over 30 MGM actors and musicians were invited to do their routines and it takes almost 40 minutes of runtime. It slows down the plot considerably and is simply dull and unnecessary. Could have cut it and the movie would become a masterpiece. But sadly it didn't happen.