Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)

This star studded musical is a cinematic tribute to the successful USO tour of Kay Francis, Martha Raye, Mitzi Mayfair and Carole Landis who entertained soldiers from England to North Africa. Embellished with some fictional romance, striking choreography and plenty of laughs, this patriotic film salutes all the entertainers who did their part for "the boys." Includes special appearances by Alice Faye, Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda, George Jessel and the Jimmy Doresy Orchestra.

A USO Tour right before your eyes!

This 1944 film starring Kay Francis,Martha Raye,Mitzi Mayfair and Carole Landis starts off on the slow side but you quickly get caught up in the action and you soon feel like you are sitting in on a real live USO show during WW2!And I think that's just what the producers wanted to convey.
The story is based roughly on the real life USO exploits of its' leading ladies.Phil Silvers does a nice,funny turn as the sergeant that is detailed to escort the ladies from one USO show to the other.The girls start out stateside but eventually get send over to England.Always eager to go that one step further "for the boys" Martha Raye lets it slip to a general that she and the girls desperately want to get to the front lines to entertain the boys.When the transfer actually comes through to North Africa,much to everyone's shock,the girls bravely trod on remembering all the while who it's for.They get to the frontlines and entertain under some spartan circumstances,even enduring a German bombing raid.Through the film Carole Landis and Mitzi Mayfair fall in love.Landis with a flyboy and Mayfair with her ex entertaining partner who is none other than crooner Dick Haymes,who magically crops up at every venue they play(!).Dick had a fantatsic voice and he is seen to great effect here with the three romantic numbers he sings.Besides Dick and the girls singing and dancing,we hear/see a broadcast from Hollywood with master of ceremonies George Jessel.He introduces Betty Grable,Alice Faye and the irrepressable Carmen Miranda,the Brazillian Bombshell.Throughout,the Jimmy Dorsey bigband is on hand to provide the musical kicks.Jimmy shows off his prowess on clarinet and sax(alto and tenor) while his band gives us some reet and sweet notes to savour.Solid senders all.
Like many of Fox's products and re-releases of their 1940s product of late,this one is no exception.They have gone the whole hog and completely restored this film and it is absolutely beautiful to watch.Totally clear and crisp.Included with the film are some bonus features which include a short featurette on the leading ladies,stills gallery,some wonderful deleted scenes with extra numbers by the girls and Carmen Miranda and an isolated audio track of the film.
A film of its' time?....sure is.But if you're like me you will quickly feel you are watching a real WW2 USO show,unravelling right before your very eyes! This one's for the boys! November 7, 2008

5 Stars for 4 Jills!

I saw this movie on tv the other day and absolutely loved it. They were playing it for Memorial Day. The singing is wonderful, the actresses are lovely, and the whole thing was just well done. Martha Raye is hilarious! I wish they'd put this out on DVD...I'd buy it immediately. A great memorial to the USO and the girls who went to entertain the soldiers. May 30, 2007

A Great Tribute to Women in WWII

What sets this movie apart from other "B movies" of the era is that it's based on a true, courageous story of a group of Hollywood female entertainers who risked their lives to bring a moment of happiness to the troops during WWII. Far from the publicity and limelight loving selfish entertainers of today who use the media for their own purposes, these women risked life and limb to simply entertain and take the men away from the horrors of war for a few minutes. They asked nothing in return other than the thanks of the soldiers, and they endured many of the same hardships. A great story line with more substance than others, and worth reflecting against our values of today. If more of us were devoted to service of our fellow man, perhaps our society would be in a better place today. These ladies deserve much attention and thanks for their efforts. April 14, 2007

A Revisitation to familiar scenes

It happens that I was actually in this film, as the pianist in the Jimmy Dorsey band. At the time it was filmed, back in 1943, I was a brash young kid of 26, and I guess I thought that I was pretty hot stuff. Our band was one of the most popular of the day, and we played at the top spots in the nation.

For most of us, this film was just about out last civilian act prior to going into the service. I had received a couple of deferments because I had a small son, and that enabled me to stay out of uniform until '44. We regarded the movie as some sort of a joke, and few of us took it seriously as a movie. True, it reflected an actual occurrence - the four gals did indeed go on that memorable USO tour and unlike most of the entertainers who went, found themselves in actual fighting zones. That is what makes this film different, although I didn't know that until many years afterward. When I think of those four, Kay, Martha, Carole and Mitzi, exposed to all the dangers of that situation, I now realize, and am happy to acknowledge, that they were truly courageous. They didn't have to go - they weren't subject to the draft. But they gave of themselves in the best way they knew how, and that is a very brave thing to do.

I've revised my opinion. I used to be a bit ashamed of this film, but now, I'm very proud of it and proud of having been in it.

David Mann March 8, 2001

Interesting film from a fascinating period in history

I enjoyed this movie for the most part; however, I must say I enjoyed the book version of "Four Jills In A Jeep" (written by Carole Landis) a lot better. My one pet peeve about this film is that there weren't more musical numbers; Dick Haymes has several, but the "Jills" are left with just 1 number each! However it is interesting, and it is a true story. Worth watching! September 1, 2000

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