Hello Frisco, Hello **** (1943, Alice Faye, John Payne, Jack Oakie, Lynn Bari, Laird Cregar, June Havoc, Ward Bond, George Barbier) – Classic Movie Review 10,735

Director H Bruce Humberstone’s 1943 20th Century Fox wartime hit film Hello Frisco, Hello is an exceptionally bright and breezy Alice Faye musical in which she gets to sing the sweet Best Original Song Oscar-winner ‘You’ll Never Know’ (Harry Warren music, Mack Gordon lyrics).

John Payne also stars as a turn-of-the-last-century San Francisco Barbary Coast impresario and saloon-keeper Johnny Cornell, who puts honky-tonk singer Trudy Evans (Faye) in a show. But he spurns the love of his troupe’s star singer and weds selfish heiress socialite Bernice Croft (Lynn Bari), and the upset Faye goes to England to become a star.

Hello Frisco, Hello is a tuneful treat for fans of vintage shows thanks to the gorgeous Technicolor, a top 20th Century Fox production, those smashing period tunes and Faye at her peak. Jack Oakie also stars as Dan Daley, along with Laird Cregar, June Havoc, Ward Bond, and George Barbier.

Charles G Clarke and Allen M Davey were also Oscar nominated for Best Cinematography, Color.

It is a remake of King of Burlesque (1935), which starred Alice Faye and Jack Oakie in the same roles but different character names as heroine and sidekick, along with Warner Baxter and Mona Barrie.

Also in the cast are Aubrey Mather, Frank Orth, Esther Dale, John Archer, Frank Darien, Harry Hayden, Eddie Dunn, Charles Cane, Mary Field, and Fortunio Bonanova.

It is shot at 20th Century Fox Studios, 10201 Pico Blvd, Century City, Los Angeles.

Hello Frisco, Hello is directed by H Bruce Humberstone, runs 99 minutes, is made by Twentieth Century Fox, is released by Twentieth Century Fox, is written by Robert Ellis, Helen Logan and Richard Macaulay, based on the story by Viña Delmar, is shot in Technicolor by Charles G Clarke and Allen M Davey, is produced by Milton Sperling, is scored by David Buttolph and is designed by James Basevi and Boris Leven.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,735

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