Out of This World (1945 film)

Out of This World
File:Out of This World (1945 film) advert.jpg
Directed by	Hal Walker
Produced by	Sam Coslow
Written by	Walter DeLeon Arthur Phillips
Starring	Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake, Diana Lynn
Music by	Victor Young
Cinematography	Stuart Thompson
Edited by	Stuart Gilmore
Production company	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	13 July 1945
Running time	96 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Out of This World is a 1945 romantic comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake, and Diana Lynn. The film featured Eddie Bracken apparently singing with Bing Crosby's voice.

Plot

Betty Miller (Diana Lynn) and her all-women orchestra are struggling until singer Herbie Fenton (Eddie Bracken) joins the band. The picture was a satire on the Frank Sinatra ‘bobby soxer’ cult. Bracken has the role of a shy Western Union messenger who is accidentally pushed on stage to become an overnight radio sensation when he sings at a benefit show where Diana Lynn and her all-girl band is playing. He has a romance with Diana Lynn who sells more than 100% of his contract to various ‘managers’ and he receives only fifty dollars per week. One of his ‘managers’, played by Veronica Lake, hires ‘bobby soxers’ to swoon at his performances. In one scene, Bing Crosby’s four sons are seated in the front row at a radio show when Bracken is singing. ‘Where have I heard that voice before?’ asks the first one. ‘I was just thinking that’ says the next. The third says, ‘Aw shucks, I’d rather hear that bow-tie guy sing anyway’ (meaning, of course, Sinatra). The last one says, ‘You’d better not let mother hear you say that’. In the finale the five orchestra leader-pianists, Carmen Cavallaro, Ted Fio Rito, Henry King, Ray Noble and Joe Reichman combine their talents in a joint pianistic effort.

Cast

• Diana Lynn as Betty Miller
• Eddie Bracken as Herbie Fenton
• Veronica Lake as Dorothy Dodge
• Cass Daley as Fanny
• Donald MacBride as J.C. Crawford
• Florence Bates as Harriet Pringle
• Charles Smith as Charlie Briggs

Reception

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times said: "Imagine a shy young singer with Eddie Bracken’s looks and the soothing voice of Bing Crosby and you have a picture of the hero of this film. . . . That trick of movie prestidigitation is the novel twist of the show and is good for a laugh whenever Eddie opens his mouth and Bing’s warbling comes out. To be sure, Mr. Crosby never shows up, but his four fair-haired youngsters are on hand in one scene to represent the family and toss a few quips about dad. . . . Mr. Crosby sings three fairish songs amusingly..."

Soundtrack

Eddie Bracken’s songs are dubbed by Bing Crosby.

• "Out of This World" sung by Bing Crosby, and mimed by Eddie Bracken
• "June Comes Around Every Year" (Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer) sung by Bing Crosby, and mimed by Eddie Bracken
• "I'd Rather Be Me" (Eddie Cherkose / Sam Coslow / Felix Bernard) sung by Bing Crosby, and mimed by Eddie Bracken
• "All I Do Is Beat This Gol-Darn Drum" (Bernie Wayne / Ben Raleigh)
• "A Sailor with an Eight-Hour Pass" (Bernie Wayne / Ben Raleigh])
• "Ghost of Mr. Chopin" (Eddie Cherkose / Sam Coslow / Felix Bernard)
• "It Takes a Little Bit More" (Eddie Cherkose / Sam Coslow / Felix Bernard).

Bing Crosby recorded three of the songs for Decca Records. Crosby's songs were also included in the Bing's Hollywood series.

"Out of This World" was a hit in 1945 for Jo Stafford and Tommy Dorsey.

External links

• Out of This World at IMDb
• Out of This World at the TCM Movie Database