A WAVE, a WAC and a Marine
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Phil Karlstein
Elyse Knox
Anne Gillis
Sally Eilers
Alan Dinehart
Richard Lane
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Henny Brown, a talent agent for the Margaret Ames Film Agency of Hollywood, is sent East to sign Eileen Manners and Betty Mitchell, the stars of a Broadway show, to a movie contract. Mistaking their understudies, Judy Blake and Marian Jessum, for the stars, Henny offers them a contract and escorts them back to Hollywood, where his employer, Margaret "Maggie" Ames, fires him for his blunder. After Henny's dismissal, agent Marty Allen, who has signed Eileen and Betty to a contract, offers his clients' services to Margaret. Marty, who was once married to Margaret and is still in love with her, arranges for them to celebrate the occasion at a nightclub that night. Mellowed by her ex-husband's attention, Maggie relents and rehires Henny. When she informs him that Mike Carter, the owner of the club, needs an act for that evening, Henny offers to emcee the show for free in exchange for the opportunity to showcase Judy and Marian. Although he is unsure of their abilities as serious actresses, Henny introduces Judy and Marian as promising new entertainers, and they create a sensation with their dramatic performance of a skit. Impressed, the famous producer R. J. signs them to a contract and forecasts a brilliant career for them. This infuriates Eileen and Betty, who are also under contract to R. J. and demand to star in his next film. Marian's joy is short-lived, however, for she soon receives a cable from the War Department notifying her that her husband Bill has died in battle. Grief stricken, Marian and Judy enlist in the Armed Forces, and Marty settles the dispute by suggesting that R. J. cast them in his current picture, as they are scheduled for induction in two weeks. Maggie then placates the indignant Eileen and Betty by offering them roles in R. J.'s film. All ends happily as the cameras begin to roll, and Margaret, impressed by Marty's ingenuity, develops a new appreciation for her ex-husband.
Director
Phil Karlstein
Cast
Elyse Knox
Anne Gillis
Sally Eilers
Alan Dinehart
Richard Lane
Marjorie Woodworth
Ramsay Ames
Connie Haines
Freddie Rich
Billy Mack
Cy Kendall
Aileen Pringle
Jack Mulhall
Mabel Todd
The Music Maids
Milton Bronson
Elvia Allman
Sid Tomack
Rose Murphy
Henny Youngman
Charles "red" Marshall
Crew
William Austin
John Carter
Eddie Cherkose
Carol Crane
Sebastian Cristillo
Maria Donovan
Hal Fimberg
Loretta Francel
Maury Gertsman
Theodore Von Hemert
Otis Malcolm
Gail Mcgarry
George Mcnulty
Jacques Press
Freddie Rich
Seymour H. Roth
Edward Sherman
M. M. Suess
George Van Marter
William Ziegler
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was A WAVE, a WAC and a SPAR. Although Lillian Planer and Dick Hyland are credited with original story in the Variety review and Monogram production credits, they are not credited in onscreen credits or in SAB. According to a Hollywood Reporter news item, this was the only film produced by Biltmore Productions, a company headed by Edward Sherman, the business manager of Lou Costello and Bud Abbott, and Sebastian Cristillo, the father of Lou Costello. According to a New York Times news item, Costello had originally intended to direct the film using the name "Lucas Tello," but was forced to withdraw over the objection of Universal, the company that held his contract. Although the Variety review states that Costello was the producer of the film, the New York Times article claims that he merely offered gags and advice. Although a Hollywood Reporter production chart places Helen Neilsen in the cast, her appearance in the released film has not been confirmed. The picture marked the screen debut of comedian Henny Youngman. It also featured the last appearance of actor Alan Dinehart, who died of a heart attack on July 19, 1944.
