Let's Face It (film)

Let's Face It is a 1943 American musical film directed by Sidney Lanfield and written by Harry Tugend, adapted from the musical of the same name. The film stars Bob Hope, Betty Hutton, ZaSu Pitts, Phyllis Povah, Dave Willock, Eve Arden, and Cully Richards. The film was released on August 5, 1943, by Paramount Pictures.^[1][2] A New York Times critic at the time of its release wrote, "Strictly as hot-weather fare, Let's Face It, now at the Paramount, is an acceptable bit of monkeyshines, but not much more. As a vehicle for Bob Hope it is a rather feeble and outdated contraption, and if it weren't for Mr. Hope himself Let's Face It would be a very sad affair indeed."^[3][4]

Let's Face It
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Sidney Lanfield
Written by	Harry Tugend Dorothy Fields (play) Herbert Fields (play) Russell G. Medcraft (play) Norma Mitchell (play)
Produced by	Fred Kohlmar
Starring	Bob Hope Betty Hutton Eve Arden ZaSu Pitts
Cinematography	Lionel Lindon
Edited by	Paul Weatherwax
Music by	Robert Emmett Dolan
Production company	Paramount Pictures
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	August 5, 1943 (1943-08-05)
Running time	76 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

U.S. Army private Jerry Walker is in hot water with his sweetheart, Winnie Porter, for putting off their wedding, and with his superiors on the base after crashing a Jeep.

To raise money to pay for the damages and avoid six months of guard duty, Jerry accepts a $300 proposal from three matronly women, Cornelia, Nancy and Maggie, to arrange dates for them with young soldiers. Jerry ropes his pals Barney and Frankie into it, then scrambles when they try to squirm out of it.

Winnie, meantime, figures out Jerry is up to something. She shows up with the girlfriends of Barney and Frankie, after which everybody takes turns trying to make the others jealous. Jerry finally flees, only to end up hooked by a German submarine. He ends up in the brig. A year later, Winnie, now his wife, comes to visit with their baby.

Cast

• Bob Hope as Jerry Walker
• Betty Hutton as Winnie Porter
• ZaSu Pitts as Cornelia Figeson
• Phyllis Povah as Nancy Collister
• Dave Willock as Barney Hilliard
• Eve Arden as Maggie Watson
• Cully Richards as Frankie Burns
• Marjorie Weaver as Jean Blanchard
• Dona Drake as Muriel
• Raymond Walburn as Julian Watson
• Andrew Tombes as Judge Henry Clay Pigeon
• Arthur Loft as George Collister
• Joe Sawyer as Sergeant Wiggins
• Grace Hayle as Mrs. Wigglesworth
• Evelyn Dockson as Mrs. Taylor
• Emory Parnell as Colonel

References

1. "Let's Face It (1943) - Overview". TCM.com. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
2. T.S. (1943-08-05). "Movie Review - Let's Face It - THE SCREEN; Film Version of 'Let's Face It,' in Which Bob Hope Is Enlisted To Help Provide Hot-Weather Fare, Appears at Paramount". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
3. T.S., New York Times (5 Aug. 1943).
4. Briefly, but well-discussed in Hal Erickson, Military Comedy Films: A Critical Survey and Filmography of Hollywood Releases Since 1918 (Jefferson NC: McFarland, 2012), 60-61. ISBN 9780786492671; and James Neibaur, The Bob Hope Films (Jefferson NC: McFarland, 2005), 55-57. ISBN 9780786410507

External links

• Let's Face It at IMDb