Moonlight in Hawaii
Cast & Crew
Charles Lamont
Johnny Downs
Jane Frazee
Leon Errol
Mischa Auer
Sunnie O'dea
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
After his quartet fails to make the big time on radio, Pete Fleming decides to leave the act and become a tourist guide. His first assignment is to take rich widow Mrs. Floto and her three nieces, Mary Lou, Doris and Gloria, on a vacation to Hawaii. The three musicians from his band, Ollie Barrett, Red Simpson and Beans Smith, stow away on the cruise ship in hopes of convincing Pete to rejoin the group and they "move in" on him when he arrives at their hotel in Hawaii. While Pete takes his charges to dinner, the three musicians cause such a racket searching the hotel for their friend that another guest, Toby Spencer, hits them over their heads with her handbag. Later, the singers make the acquaintance of Mrs. Floto's lovely nieces, and Beans pairs off with Mary Lou, Ollie with Doris, and Red with Gloria. Band leader Clipper Conovan, whose orchestra is playing at the hotel, tells Pete regretfully that he can not use the group as money is tight all around. After dinner, Pete and Toby, who have paired off on their own, wander off into the moonlight and sing to each other. Toby encourages Pete to rejoin the group and suggests that her father, pineapple magnate Walter Spencer, might sponsor his radio career. A little later the group performs for the dining room crowd with Mary Lou and Toby accompanying them, and are well received. Conflict arises, however, when the boys decide to call themselves The Four Merry Lads and Lovely Lassie and are unsure whether to select Toby or Mary Lou. Mary Lou angrily suspects the reason Toby is under consideration is because of her father. The boys are excited about the opportunity to audition for Mr. Spencer, but unfortunately, Spencer and his partner, cannery tycoon J. B. Lawton, become embroiled in a bitter business argument and dissolve their partnership. Neither man, however, has enough capital to develop his own successful business without the other. Both decide that their financial future lies in a marriage to the wealthy Mrs. Floto. This romantic triangle is further complicated by the alluring Ilani, a "professional Hawaiian from Brooklyn." Finally, it seems that Lawton has won the rich woman's hand, as he arranges a gala wedding luau. At the last minute, however, Mrs. Floto cannot decide between Spencer and Lawton, so she marries Clipper instead. Spencer and Lawton settle their differences, resume the pineapple-canning partnership, and sponsor a radio show starring Ollie, Red, Beans and Mary Lou. Pete, in turn, wins the heart of Toby.
Director
Charles Lamont
Cast
Johnny Downs
Jane Frazee
Leon Errol
Mischa Auer
Sunnie O'dea
Marjorie Gateson
Richard Carle
Maria Montez
Elaine Morey
Judd Mcmichael
Ted Mcmichael
Joe Mcmichael
Mary Lou Cook
Charles Coleman
Jean De Briac
Ernie Stanton
Eddie Lee
Jim Spencer
Crew
Bernard B. Brown
Larry Ceballos
Stanley Cortez
R. A. Gausman
Ken Goldsmith
James Gow
Morton Grant
Eve Greene
Arthur Hilton
Joe Lapis
Erna Lazarus
Leleiohaku
Maurice Leo
Joseph A. Mcdonough
Johnny Noble
Martin Obzina
Jack Otterson
Gene De Paul
Charles Previn
Don Raye
Milton Schwarzwald
Frank Skinner
George Thomas Jr.
Brenda Weisberg
Vera West
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to Variety, in May 1940, Aleen Leslie was assigned by Universal to do a treatment of the picture, although her contribution to the final film has not been confirmed. The film was originally scheduled to begin shooting in early December 1940, but was postponed when Universal replaced it with Stitches and Stars, which was later released as Sing Another Chorus . After that film was itself postponed until March 1941, Moonlight in Hawaii finally went into production on April 21, 1941, with director Charles Lamont working under the same option he signed for the earlier film. The order of the opening onscreen cast differs from the order of the end credits. In the opening credits, Jane Frazee and The Merry Macs are listed first and Johnny Downs is listed fifth.
