Out of This World


1h 36m 1945

Brief Synopsis

After struggling to become a success, Betty Miller and her all-girl orchestra finally hit pay dirt when crooner Herbie Fenton comes on board. Problems arise when Betty and her girls try to find backers to invest in Herbie and they sell 125 percent of him.

Film Details

Genre
Comedy
Musical
Release Date
Jul 13, 1945
Premiere Information
Los Angeles premiere: 6 Jun 1945
Production Company
Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 36m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
10 reels

Synopsis

Amateur band leader Betty Miller and her "sirens" perform at an orphanage benefit. Their act is followed by Herbie Fenton, a shy but talented singer, whose smooth crooning causes a New York secretary named Dorothy Dodge to faint. Although Dorothy collapsed because she was dieting too much, the audience assumes that Herbie has an overwhelming effect on women. After a photograph of Herbie and Dorothy appears in Life magazine, Betty and her band are hired for a guest radio appearance in New York on condition that Herbie perform with them. Betty makes a deal with Herbie to pay him fifty dollars a week. Dorothy, who works for a theater management company, offers Betty transportation money in exchange for twenty-five percent of Herbie's profits. In an effort to make enough money for their hotel bill, Betty inadvertently oversells stock in Herbie, which is illegal. As Herbie becomes more popular, mostly because Dorothy is paying young girls to swoon in the audience, none of the stockholders will agree to sell. Although Herbie is making considerable profits as the nation's number one crooner, Betty is unable to turn over his money until she straightens out her problem with the stockholders. Herbie's main objective is to earn $100,000 so that Betty will marry him. Betty finally decides to weaken Herbie's popularity by having him become afflicted with laryngitis before a big benefit performance. A promoter named J. J. Crawford, who has taken over Herbie's contract, however, demands that he sing. By playing a grammophone recording of Herbie singing, Betty and Herbie trick Crawford and the audience. After the performance, Dorothy points out that because Betty is only nineteen, the original contract she made with Herbie is null and void, so she cannot go to jail for overselling his stock. Betty and Herbie then sing an encore together.

Cast

Eddie Bracken

Herbie Fenton

Veronica Lake

Dorothy Dodge

Diana Lynn

Betty Miller

Cass Daley

Fanny, the drummer

Parkyakarkus

Gus Palukas

Donald Mcbride

J. J. Crawford

Florence Bates

Harriet Pringle

Gary Crosby

Child in audience

Phillip Crosby

Child in audience

Dennis Crosby

Child in audience

Lin Crosby

Child in audience

Olga San Juan

Muriel

Nancy Porter

Dixie

Audrey Young

Alice

Carol Deere

Baritone sax player

Carmen Cavallaro

Herself

Ted Fio Rito

Himself

Henry King

Himself

Ray Noble

Himself

Joe Reichman

Himself

Don Wilson

Radio announcer and Master of Ceremonies

Mabel Paige

Mrs. Robbins

Charles Smith

Charlie Briggs

Irving Bacon

Irving Krunk

Toni Larue

Marimba player

Mary Elliott

Arlene, trumpet player

Carmelle Bergstrom

Margy, trombone player

Betty Walker

Guitar player

Virginia Morris

Trumpet player

June Harris

Trumpet player

Laura Gruver

Violin player

Marguerite Campbell

Violin player

Helen Smith

String bass

Inez Palange

Mrs. Palukas

Esther Dale

Abbie Pringle

Charles B. Williams

Joe Welch

Gloria Saunders

Vicky Kelly

Lorraine Krueger

Maizie

Charles Marsh

Hotel clerk

Milton Kibbee

Bald-headed man

Davison Clark

Pullman conductor

Mary Jane Hodge

Stooge

Kay Morley

Stooge

Aileen Morris

Stooge

Joy Reese

Stooge

Gloria Marlen

Stooge

Nan Leslie

Stooge

Shirley Doble

Stooge

Kay Scott

Stooge

Maxine Fife

Stooge

Roberta Jonay

Stooge

Virginia Sale

A spinster

Charles R. Moore

Porter

Norman Nesbitt

Announcer

Jamiel Hasson

Arabian chief, announcer

Michael Visaroff

Russian announcer

Jimmy Lono

Eskimo announcer

Sammee Tong

Chinese announcer

Lal Chand Mehra

Hindu announcer

Lorraine De Wood

Cigarette girl

Selmer Jackson

Doctor

Leon Belasco

Himself

Jimmie Dundee

Stagehand

Tom Fadden

Stagehand

Lou Gerick

Stagehand's daughter

Lee Gerick

Stagehand's daughter

Harlan Miller

Cameraman

Frank Darien

Messenger boy

James Flavin

Burly policeman

Ruth Alvarez

Girl in Kelly's Drugstore

Juanita Alvarez

Girl in Kelly's Drugstore

Ralph Dunn

Policeman

Betty Farrington

Passenger

Minerva Urecal

Woman cab driver

Don Barclay

Hotel detective

George Mckay

Stage manager

Nell Craig

Bill Ides

Anna Chandler

Film Details

Genre
Comedy
Musical
Release Date
Jul 13, 1945
Premiere Information
Los Angeles premiere: 6 Jun 1945
Production Company
Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Distribution Company
Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Country
United States

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 36m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
10 reels

Quotes

Trivia

Bing Crosby dubbed Eddie Bracken's singing.

Notes

Bing Crosby's voice is dubbed in for all of Eddie Bracken's songs. Crosby receives no onscreen credit, but the film's opening states, "Mr. Bracken's songs are sung for him by an old friend of his-and YOURS." In the closing scene of the film, Eddie Bracken says "Thanks, Bing" to the camera. Ads for the film included Crosby's picture and read: "Hear Eddie Sing with Bing's Voice" or "He borrows Bing's voice and that other guy's [Frank Sinatra] bow tie! but the body belongs to Eddie Bracken." Crosby's four sons, who made their screen debut in this picture, appear as orphans in an early scene in the film and make a few jokes about their father. The Crosby boys also appeared with their father in the 1945 Paramount film Duffy's Tavern. Five well-known concert pianists perform in the film: Carmen Cavalero, Ray Noble, Joe Reichman, Henry King and Ted Fiorito.