The Yanks Are Coming
Cast & Crew
Alexis Thurn-taxis
Henry King
Mary Healy
Little Jackie Heller
"slapsie" Maxie Rosenbloom
William Roberts
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
At the beginning of World War II, bandleader Gil Whitney loses his featured singer, radio and film star Bob Reynolds, who enlists in the Army, even though he has been offered $4,000 per week by a film studio. Gil, however, refuses to enlist, as he refuses to be anything but a commissioned officer. After Bob departs for training camp, Gil argues with his arranger, Sammy Winkle, about one of Sammy's new arrangements. The bullish Gil bosses Sammy around so much that cigarette girl Peggy, who aspires to be a singer, offers her sympathy. Bob, meanwhile, finds army training camp rigorous, but has befriended former boxer Butch, and has told Butch that he is not the famous film and radio star, as Butch's girl friend threw him over because she was infatuated with the star. When Butch and Bob get in trouble with the sergeant, Bob loses his leave to see his girl friend, Rita Edwards, a singer with Gil's band, and asks her to visit him at camp. When Rita arrives, she finds Vicki, the daughter of socialite Flora Van Arsdale, fawning all over Bob, whom they have convinced to appear in a USO show for the camp. Rita refuses to hear Bob's explanation and later responds to Gil's romantic overtures. When Butch discovers that Bob lied about his identity, he picks a fight with him, although he is delighted by his new friend's talent. The next day, after the captain grants Bob and Butch twenty-four hours leave, the two go to see Rita so that Bob can plead for her forgiveness, but Butch gets into an argument with Gil after Gil insults Bob, and makes Rita even angrier. Sammy, who has fallen in love with Peggy, then quits to enlist in the Army, and the rest of the band joins him. Bob convinces the captain to arrange for the band to be enlisted together. When Bob's manager, Parky, shows Rita a newspaper photograph picturing Bob and Vicki together, he encourages Rita to fight for her man. Rita then joins the USO and is assigned to Bob's camp. Bob soon convinces her that he needs her, while Sammy convinces her to perform with them and replace the talentless Vicki, who has become involved in the show. After Gil receives a telegram informing him of his brother's death in combat, he rethinks his priorities and enlists. Sammy and the band then ask him to lead the group for the show, but the band never performs because their dress rehearsal is interrupted by orders to ship out.
Director
Alexis Thurn-taxis
Cast
Henry King
Mary Healy
Little Jackie Heller
"slapsie" Maxie Rosenbloom
William Roberts
Parkyarkarkus
Dorothy Dare
Lynn Starr
Jane Novak
Charles Purcell
Forrest Taylor
David O'brien
Lew Pollack
Crew
Fred Bain
C. A. Beute
Anson Bond
Sidney Clare
Kay Crothers
Lester Cutler
Leon Fromkess
Dr. Arthur Garland
Edward E. Kaye
Marcel Le Picard
Sherman Lowe
Lew Pollack
Lew Pollack
Herman Ruby
Arthur St. Claire
Tony Stern
Tony Stern
Don Verk
Edith Watkins
Edith Watkins
Ben Winkler
Lee Zahler
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The picture opens with the following written foreword: "This picture is humbly dedicated-To the millions of Yanks and the Armed Forces of the United Nations whose devotion, gallantry and courage is destined to wipe the Axis scourge from the face of the earth, in order that Democracy and the Freedom of Man May survive." According to Hollywood Reporter, The Yanks Are Coming was one of PRC's biggest budgeted films to date. A Hollywood Reporter news item noted that producer Lester Cutler wanted to feature bandleader Woody Herman in the film. A radio broadcast excerpting one of Franklin D. Roosevelt's World War II speeches is featured in the film. Anson Bond, who is credited with contributing the opening sequence depicting aspects of American life, wrote, directed and produced films for the U.S. Army from 1940-1945.
