“FOR ME AND MY GAL”

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 193, 13 May 1944, Page 5

“FOR ME AND MY GAL”

Iu the newspapers this week was a London interview with an eminent musician who complained that this war lacked the rousing music of the lash He blamed sugary lyrics, jitterbugging—and possibly Frank Sinatra. To illustrate the point perfectly, aloug comes “For Me and My Gal” (Paramount), with Its tunes that will have greying soldiers of the last war and their comfortable wives remembering the days when they were young, too, and the mud of Flanders meant as much to the world as-'Sebastopol and Anzld mean today. This is a pleasant, sentimental little story, as most -of Judy Garland’s are. She is a trouper “doing the small time” and longing for the break that will land her and her partner on Broadway. That piece of luck coincides with America’s entry Into World War I —and incidentally provides a legitimate excuse for bringing in some of the tunes that -laid -’em in the 'aisles In 1917. Helping her along on the dancing and singing side are George Murphy and Gene Kelly, -but they are something of a trouble on the sentimental side. One of them does not want to miss his good Broadway fortune by having to- go off to war and in consequence he makes himself thoroughly unpopular with all and sundry. But in the finish he turns up trumps. Judy turns up in France and the Doughboys have a triumphal march through the streets of New York with bands playing all those rousing tunes which are supposed to be so lamentably lacking from this war. Judy Garland looks very attractive, both as a civilian and a Wac (or whatever they were called in those days), and her singing of the good old tune from which the film derives its name is something to remember.

Van Heflin, that excellent young star whom the war has taken away from Hollywood for tlio time being, plays the lead in the second film, “Kid Glove Killer.” This is not his best film, but it has something of the scope of his Academy Award winner. “Johnny Eager." Marsha Hunt and Lee Bowman help along, but it is Van Heflin’s picture—just as is every film he plays in.