Themes: Love Triangles, Rise and Fall Stories, Actor's Life
Main Cast: Alice Faye, John Payne, Jack Oakie, Lynn Bari, Laird Cregar
Release Year: 1943
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
Plot
Though a lesser 20th Century-Fox musical, Hello, Frisco, Hello was one of the studio's most successful wartime efforts. John Payne plays Johnny Cornell, a sharp wheeler-dealer operating on the Barbary Coast at the turn of the century. With the help of his songstress girlfriend Trudy Evans (Alice Faye), Johnny gains a reputation as a first-class showman. Soon, however, success goes to Johnny's head, and he deserts Trudy in favor of Nob Hill socialite Bernice Croft (Lynn Bari). The disheartened Trudy heads to England, where she becomes the toast of London's theatrical set. Meanwhile, Johnny marries Bernice, who talks him into a series of money-losing "artistic" theatrical ventures. Learning of the reversal in Johnny's fortunes, Trudy secretly finances his comeback, leading to a happy ending for everyone except the pretentious Bernice. A loose reworking of 1936's King of Burlesque, Hello, Frisco Hello benefits from the comedy relief of Jack Oakie and from a string of enjoyable tunes, including the Oscar-winning "You'll Never Know." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
As a musical movie, Hello, Frisco, Hello is no great shakes, but as a star vehicle for the lovely and appealing Alice Faye, it serves its purpose very well, thank you. Make no mistake, Frisco has a screenplay that any writer with half a day's experience could have churned out in his sleep. The basic set-up is trite, the plot is all by the numbers, the characterizations make paper seem thick, and the dramatic situations are about as blatant and obvious as one could possibly imagine. Some of the dialogue is a bit better than expected, and there are a few amusing lines here and there, but this isn't a film to be saved by its witty repartee. What saves it is the luscious Faye, looking absolutely stunning in her Helen Rose outfits and practically shimmering in every delicious Technicolor close-up. And she's in very fine voice, using those low, melting tons of hers to milk every last drop out of one of her signature songs, the gorgeous Harry Warren-penned "You'll Never Know," as well as a dozen or so other numbers. Opposite her, John Payne is a bit stiff, and his character not terribly appealing, but Jack Oakie and June Havoc are aces in the comic supporting roles. There are more musical numbers than you can shake a stick at, which is all to the good, for when the singing stops, the trouble begins. Watch Frisco for Faye, the physical production and its songs -- and be ready to press "fast forward" after much of the dialogue. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Hello, Frisco, Hello (1943) is a film starring Alice Faye, John Payne, Lynn Bari, and Jack Oakie. The film was made in Technicolor and released by Twentieth Century-Fox. This was one of the last musicals made by Faye for Fox, and in later interviews Faye said it was clear Fox was promoting Betty Grable as her successor. Released at the height of World War II, the film became one of Faye's highest-grossing pictures for Fox.
