Juke Box Jenny
Cast & Crew
Harold Young
Ken Murray
Harriet Hilliard
Don Douglas
Iris Adrian
Marjorie Gateson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Roger Wadsworth, president of the Academy Recording Company, is bullied by Mrs. Horton, his chief stockholder and the mother of his fiancée Genevieve, into recording classical music instead of the more popular "jive" tunes of the day. After two of his fraternity brothers, Brother Childs and Brother Wicks, get him drunk at their class reunion, they convince him that he has signed swing band leader Wingy Manone and his band to a recording contract and married nightclub torch singer Jinx Corey. When Genevieve returns from a trip to Cuba, she is met at the docks by Malcolm Hammond, Academy's top salesman, whom she mistakes for a customs official, and forces him to inspect her bag, lingerie and all. Upon discovering he is not an inspector, she angrily dispatches him, not realizing that he is still holding one of her slips in his hand. Mal returns to the office, where Roger reveals his predicament and begs Mal to straighten things out with Jinx at the Club El Bombo that evening. At the club, Mal convinces Jinx to accept a record deal in exchange for an annulment. Soon after, however, Roger and Genevieve arrive with Mrs. Horton, and Roger whispers to Mal that they cannot sign Jinx, because Mrs. Horton would object. Mal, who is attracted to Genevieve, asks her to dance, but when they do, her slip falls out of his pocket, causing Genevieve to once again feel humiliated by him. When Roger then tries to fire him, Mal threatens to divulge the clandestine marriage, and Roger is forced to promote him instead. The next day, Mal visits Genevieve to apologize and, upon overhearing her lesson in classical singing, realizes that she has a marketable voice. Knowing that she objects to modern music, he convinces her that by recording her voice, she can practice her singing more easily. After he records her, however, he layers swing music over her voice, and then lies to Jinx that he is using her voice, which has been manipulated in the studio. When he releases the song under the name "Juke Box Jenny," the press immediately hails it as a "modern classic." A few days later, Mal happily learns that a rival studio has stolen Jinx away, but when they fire her, Roger, believing she truly is Juke Box Jenny, insists that Mal sign her. Meanwhile, Mal convinces Genevieve that Roger has stood her up for a date, and takes her out that night, both to woo her and secretly record her voice again. With the recording, Mal produces another Juke Box Jenny hit, and plays it to Roger, hoping to make him believe that he was not trying to steal Genevieve away, but only wanted to make another record. When he plays the record for Genevieve, however, she storms out of the room, furious at his underhandedness. Jinx also learns of the ruse and sues Academy for the rights to the name Juke Box Jenny. During the trial, Genevieve is called to testify, and Mal insists that she sing to prove that the voice on the record is hers. When she peforms a swing tune, everyone in the courtroom, including Jinx, applauds her talent. Then as she embraces Mal, Roger and her mother offer her a singing contract. The next day, Brother Childs and Brother Wicks see Roger driving by with Jinx by his side and a "Just Married" sign on his convertible.
Director
Harold Young
Cast
Ken Murray
Harriet Hilliard
Don Douglas
Iris Adrian
Marjorie Gateson
Charlie Barnet
The King's Men,
Milt Herth Trio,
Wingy Manone
Sig Arno
Joe Brown Jr.
Charles Halton
Claire Dubrey
James Flavin
Ted Oliver
Don Dillaway
Jack Arnold
Reed Hadley
William Ruhl
Eric Wilton
Eddie Fetherston
Charles Sherlock
Maude Allen
Eddie Bruce
Harry Strang
La Riana
Frances Driver
Kernan Cripps
Crew
Michael William Balfe
Charlie Barnet
James A. Bland
John W. Boyle
Bernard B. Brown
Alfred Bunn
Everett Carter
Dorcas Cochran
George Cooper
R. A. Gausman
Arthur V. Jones
Paul Landres
Joseph Lapis
Robert Lees
Original Dixieland Jazz Band
Jack Otterson
Charles Previn
Arthur Pryor
Richard H. Riedel
Fred Rinaldo
Milton Rosen
Jaik Rosenstein
Joseph G. Sanford
Henry Tucker
Seward Webb
Vera West
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Fifty Million Nickels. Some reviews also list the picture's title as Juke Box Jennie. While onscreen credits list Joseph Lapis as the sound technician on the film, Universal publicity materials list Sterling Alsdorf in that position. The extent of Alsdorf's contribution to the final film has not been determined. According to Universal press materials, Paul W. Blackford, the editor of an unidentified music industry publication, wanted the film to be renamed Music Machine Maisie, arguing that the term "juke box" was outdated as the machines were then being referred to as "music boxes or music machines."
