Starlift ** (1951, Peter Marshall, Tommy Noonan, Janice Rule, Dick Wesson, Ron Hagerthy, Richard Webb, Howard St John, Doris Day, Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo) – Classic Movie Review 7,679

Director Roy Del Ruth’s 1951 musical film Starlift, based on the real-life sending of a bunch of jolly stars to San Francisco’s Travis Air Base to entertain injured veterans and worried troops bound for Korea, is well meaning, mildly entertaining but mostly disappointingly mundane.

A virtually plotless musical provides just a situation, though that particular situation obviously meant a lot more back in 1951 when it was contemporary and relevant. But a series of 18 star cameos gives the movie a starlift. The screenplay is John D Klorer and Karl Kamb, based on a story by John D Klorer.

As usual, the musical turns are separated by a vacuous romance between a girl (Janice Rule as a Hollywood star called Nell Wayne) and boy (Ron Hagerthy as forces aviator Corporal Rick Williams). Doris Day and Gordon MacRae are the pick of a long series of guest turns. Thankfully, there is hit music by Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, and Sammy Cahn and Jules Styne.

The welcome star cameos come from Doris Day, Virginia Gibson, Frank Lovejoy, Gordon MacRae, Virginia Mayo, Gene Nelson, Lucille Norman, Ruth Roman, James Cagney, Gary Cooper, Phil Harris, Louella Parsons, Randolph Scott, Jane Wyman, and Patrice Wymore.

Also in the cast are Peter Marshall, Tommy Noonan, Dick Wesson, Ron Hagerthy, Richard Webb, Howard St John, Mary Adams, Eleanor Audley, Don Beddoe, Walter Brennan Jr, James Brown, Dolores Castle, Lyle Clark, Eddie Coonz, Jean Dean, Ann Doran, Tommy Farrell, Elizabeth Flournoy, Stephen Gregory, Robert Hammack, John Hedloe, Pat Henry, Stan Holbrook, William Hudson, William Hunt, Robert Karnes, Dorothy Kennedy, Jack Larson, Hugh Latimer, John Maxwell, Brian McKay, Richard Monahan, Ray Montgomery, Biff Neff, Gordon Polk, Jill Richards, Hayden Rorke, Dick Ryan, Bigelow Sayre, Sarah Spencer, Joe Turkel and Rush Williams.

Starlift is directed by Roy Del Ruth, runs 103 minutes, is made and released by Warner Bros, is written by John D Klorer and Karl Kamb, based on a story by John D Klorer, is shot in black and white by Ted D McCord, is produced by Robert Arthur, is scored by Howard Jackson and Ray Heindorf, and is designed by Charles H Clarke.

It is one of three films Doris Day and James Cagney appeared in: also The West Point Story and Love Me or Leave Me.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,679

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