Hitchhike to Happiness

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Movie
Original title Hitchhike to Happiness
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1945
length 70-72 minutes
Rod
Director Joseph Santley
script Jack Townley
production Donald H. Brown for Republic Pictures
music Morton Scott ,
Kim Gannon ,
Walter Kent ,
Joseph Dubin
camera Jack A. Marta
cut Fred Allen
occupation

Hitchhike to Happiness (German Hitchhiker's Guide to happiness ) is an American comedic musical drama by Joseph Santley from the year 1945. The main roles are occupied by Al Pearce , Dale Evans and Brad Taylor .

The script is based on an original story by Manuel Seff, which he wrote under the name Manny Seff, and Jerry Horwin.

action

Singer Alice Chase, who just finished her radio engagement this season, is returning to her Hollywood estate . Hardly at home, she receives a call from her friend, the actor Tony Riggs, asking her to meet him in New York. Alice agrees, not knowing that her unemotional boyfriend has promised theater producer Sandy Hill and screenwriter Dennis Colby that she will appear in their next production. In return for his mediation, Tony should get the male lead and ten percent of the profit.

Alice is in a nostalgic mood when she arrives in New York, as she worked there as a waitress and singer under the name Mary Kelly before becoming a star in Hollywood. Although Tony presses her to read Colby's script, Alice decides to go alone to the restaurant where she used to work. This is now run by Kipling Ellis, a former kind-hearted waiter who dreams of becoming a playwright. Kippy, as Kipling Ellis is called, does not know that Mary made a career under her new name and takes for granted that she is still poor Mary from the past. He introduces her to the songwriter Joe Mitchell, who, like Kippy, is waiting for his big chance. There is more than just sympathy between Joe and Alice / Mary. They are also impressed by each other's talent. Alice asks Joe to give her some of his compositions and Kippy gives her a copy of his script. Alice sings one of the songs to Tony, Colby and Hill. When the three men sit down to talk about the composition, they are disturbed by Ladislaus Prenska, an eccentric Hungarian producer who wants to talk to Colby about his script. The trio wants to make a joke and persuades Prenska to buy Kippy's piece entitled “The Hitchhiker's Guide to Happiness”. A meeting is arranged between Prenska and Kippy, who pays him a handsome sum for his work. At a party that takes place in the evening, Tony, Colby and Hill ensure that Kippy stays on the very high bill for the meal and then Kippy has to overhear on the radio that gossip columnist Dolly Ward targets him during her radio show takes, and is amused that he fell for a bad joke.

Angry about what they seem to be doing to Kippy, Joe goes to Hill's office and meets Alice. Since he still does not know who he has in front of him, he in turn asks the supposed Mary to pretend to be Alice in order to convince Prenska that he has to put on Kippy's show.

After Prenska reads the play, he decides to produce it on the condition that Alice plays in it. Alice agrees and Joe continues to work out the musical arrangements. When Joe and Mary / Alice meet in the restaurant the next day, Tony joins them and reveals Alice's true identity. Joe now fears that he too has been the target of a tasteless prank and disappears. However, Alice insists that Prenska will produce Kippy's play and so rehearsals begin. She has since ended her relationship with Tony, and she is longing for Joe. However, it is nowhere to be found. Alice decides to sing a song by Joe on the radio, after which he returns. However, there is another misunderstanding between him and Alice when he assumes that Alice only wanted his return because he would give her the rights to his songs.

Alice dedicates a very romantic song to Joe to demonstrate her love for him, which ultimately works. She and Joe want to get married, as do Kippy and his fiancée Joan Randall. And their joint piece - contrary to the expectations of Tony, Colby and Hill - is a great success.

production

Production notes

The filming, which took place at Republic Studios in Hollywood , extended over the period from mid to late September 1944.

Songs in the movie

- Music each: Walter Kent , text each: Kim Gannon -

  • Hitchhike to Happiness
  • My Pushover Heart
  • Sentimental
  • For you and me

publication

The film was first presented on April 14, 1945 in New York. On July 16, 1945, he then started generally in the USA. In Brazil it was published under the title Doce Impostora . A German dubbed version was not created.

reception

criticism

The film critics paid little attention to the strip. Variety stated, "Miss Evans has looks as well as a voice."

Award

Academy Awards 1946 :
Morton Scott was nominated for an Oscar in the category “Best Film Music” , which went to George E. Stoll and the comedy film Vacation in Hollywood .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hitchhike to Happiness (1945) see original print information at TCM - Turner Classic Movies (English).
  2. ↑ Hitchhike to Happiness In: Variety in April 1945 (English). Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  3. ↑ The 18th Academy Awards | 1946 see page oscars.org (English).