Priorities on Parade
Cast & Crew
Albert S. Rogell
Ann Miller
Johnnie Johnston
Jerry Colonna
Betty Rhodes
Vera Vague
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Band leader Johnny Draper auditions his band, the Dixie Pixies, at the Eagle Aircraft Co., hoping to be hired to play for the workers in the plant. However, personnel manager E. V. Hartley can only offer them regular jobs, and when Johnny inspires the Dixie Pixies to work in the plant, lead singer and dancer Donna D'Arcy leaves the band for a singing job at the Club Martel in downtown Los Angeles. Johnny is assigned to be an apprentice welder to Lee Davis, whom he discovers is a tough female welder, while trumpeter Jeep Jackson pushes the candy cart through the factory. Lee has a chip on her shoulder from being heckled because of her job, and becomes enraged when Johnny publicly makes fun of her while the band rehearses during their lunch break. Johnny and the band members are switched to the swing shift so that they can host a dance starting at midnight and give the late-night workers a boost. The dance is a great success and Johnny is startled to find that Lee, whom he had only seen in a welder's mask, is a beautiful blonde. When Lee drives him to Club Martel to try to convince Donna to rejoin the band, Donna becomes jealous of Lee and introduces her to the audience as the "freak of the week" because of her profession. Lee makes an impassioned speech about women, like herself, who have taken work in defense plants to support the war effort and, after singing a song, runs out humiliated. Donna now refuses to rejoin the band until it has become famous. News of Johnny's swing shift band, called the Jive Bombers, spreads to the trade papers, and when a public show hosted by the plant is planned, Jeep, who is dating riveter Mariposa Ginsbotham, encourages Johnny to ask Lee to sing for the band. Although they got off to a bad start, Lee and Johnny make up, and she agrees to sing. During a final rehearsal, however, Donna offers to return to the band and, despite the fact that he has fallen in love with Lee, Johnny feels it would be in the best interests of the band to highlight Donna. Backstage during the show, Johnny tries to convince Lee that he made the right decision by making her watch Donna so she can see that she is truly a professional. Donna later admits to Johnny that she did not return to the band for him, but for the potential of success, and he now feels free to propose to Lee. Johnny is delighted when he gets a contract for the band to appear in New York, but Lee refuses to join them, preferring to stay and do her part to keep the American war planes flying. Johnny realizes she is right, and the band agrees to give up their big break to support their country.
Director
Albert S. Rogell
Cast
Ann Miller
Johnnie Johnston
Jerry Colonna
Betty Rhodes
Vera Vague
Harry Barris
Eddie Quillan
Dave Willock
Nick Cochrane
Rod Cameron
Arthur Loft
The Debonairs
William Forrest
Warren Ashe
Charles Halton
Lee Shumway
Harry Depp
Kernan Cripps
Bud Geary
Max Wagner
John A. Butler
Peter Leeds
William Newell
Billy Bletcher
Keith Richards
Matt Mchugh
Jack Gardner
Ralph Brooks
Bill Cabanne
Walter Sande
Sam Ash
Eddie Kane
Cy Ring
Gloria Williams
Katharine Booth
Lynda Grey
William Garner
Louise La Planche
Crew
Art Arthur
John Coonan
John Cope
Jack Donohue
Haldane Douglas
Hans Dreier
Farciot Edouart
Daniel Fapp
Burt Kelly
Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Herb Magidson
Gene Merritt
Troy Sanders
Victor Schertzinger
Arthur Schmidt
Sol C. Siegel
Jule Styne
Wally Westmore
Victor Young
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Priorities of 1942. A Hollywood Reporter news item indicates that Elsie Janis wrote a special piece for a musical number, but her contribution to the final film has not been confirmed.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1942
Released in United States 1942
