Private Buckaroo (1942)

68-69 mins | Comedy | 12 June 1942

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HISTORY

According to Universal publicity materials, actress Jennifer Holt, the daughter of actor Jack Holt, made her screen debut in this picture. The songs "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" and "Johnny Get Your Gun Again" were significant hits for the Andrews Sisters. Press materials also claim that Harry James's trumpet, which was custom-made for the musician, was insured by the studio for $2,500 during the making of this film and that it had its own guard, ex-Los Angeles City policeman Milton Searls. HR production charts include Joan Davis in the cast, but she did not appear in the released film. A HR news item includes Bobby Scheerer in the cast, but his participation in the released film has not been determined. Universal press materials also include the following as members of Harry James' Music Makers at the time of this film: Claude Bowen, Dominick Buona, Alexander Cuozzo, Dalton Rizzotto, Hoyt Bohanon, Harry Rogers, Claude La Key, George Davis, Sam Marowitz, Gene Corcoran, Leo Zorn, Samuel Caplan, John Peter DeVoogdt, William Spear, Elias Friede, Albert Lerner, Thurman Payne Teague, Ben Heller and Mickey Scrima, along with vocalists Helen Forrest and Jimmy Saunders. It has not been determined, however, which of these musicians actually appear in the released film. ...

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According to Universal publicity materials, actress Jennifer Holt, the daughter of actor Jack Holt, made her screen debut in this picture. The songs "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" and "Johnny Get Your Gun Again" were significant hits for the Andrews Sisters. Press materials also claim that Harry James's trumpet, which was custom-made for the musician, was insured by the studio for $2,500 during the making of this film and that it had its own guard, ex-Los Angeles City policeman Milton Searls. HR production charts include Joan Davis in the cast, but she did not appear in the released film. A HR news item includes Bobby Scheerer in the cast, but his participation in the released film has not been determined. Universal press materials also include the following as members of Harry James' Music Makers at the time of this film: Claude Bowen, Dominick Buona, Alexander Cuozzo, Dalton Rizzotto, Hoyt Bohanon, Harry Rogers, Claude La Key, George Davis, Sam Marowitz, Gene Corcoran, Leo Zorn, Samuel Caplan, John Peter DeVoogdt, William Spear, Elias Friede, Albert Lerner, Thurman Payne Teague, Ben Heller and Mickey Scrima, along with vocalists Helen Forrest and Jimmy Saunders. It has not been determined, however, which of these musicians actually appear in the released film.

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SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Box Office
6 Jun 1942
---
Daily Variety
29 May 1942
p. 3
Film Daily
11 Jun 1942
p. 8
Hollywood Reporter
2 Apr 1942
p. 1
Hollywood Reporter
3 Apr 1942
p. 8
Hollywood Reporter
9 Apr 1942
p. 12
Hollywood Reporter
14 Apr 1942
p. 7
Hollywood Reporter
16 Apr 1942
p. 7
Hollywood Reporter
29 May 1942
p. 2
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest
6 Jun 1942
p. 699
New York Times
25 Jun 1942
p. 27
Variety
3 Jun 1942
p. 8
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
PRODUCER
Assoc prod
WRITERS
Edmund Kelso
Scr
Orig story
Contr wrt
Contr wrt
PHOTOGRAPHY
Woody Bredell
Dir of photog
ART DIRECTORS
Art dir
Assoc
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
SET DECORATOR
R. A. Gausman
Set dec
COSTUMES
Gowns
MUSIC
Mus dir
Orch
SOUND
[Sd] tech
DANCE
Dances staged by
PRODUCTION MISC
Tech adv
Guard for Harry James's trumpet
SOURCES
MUSIC
"Home, James" and "James Session" by Jack Matthias; "Yes, I Do" by Dalton Rizzotto; "Ciribirbin," by Alberto Pestalozza; "Concerto for Trumpet," composer undetermined, arrangements by Harry James.
SONGS
"Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (with Anyone Else But Me)," words and music by Sammy Stept, Lew Brown and Charlie Tobias; "Three Little Sisters," words and music by Irving Taylor and Vic Mizzy; "That's the Moon, My Son," words and music by Art Kassel, Sammy Gallop and Norman Litman; "Private Buckaroo," words and music by Charles Newman and Allie Wrubel; "Nobody Knows de Trouble I've Seen," traditional, arrangement by Harry James; "We've Got a Job to Do," words and music by Vic Knight; "Ma, I Miss Your Apple Pie," words and music by Carmen Lombardo and John Jacob Loeb; "Six Jerks in a Jeep," words and music by Sid Robin; "Johnny Get Your Gun Again," words and music by Don Raye and Gene de Paul; "You Made Me Love You," words by Joseph McCarthy, music by James V. Monaco; "The Good Old South," words and music by Lester Lee, Dan Shapiro and Jerry Seelen.
SONGWRITERS/COMPOSERS
+ −
DETAILS
Release Date:
12 June 1942
Premiere Information:
Los Angeles opening: 28 May 1942
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Universal Pictures Co., Inc.
29 May 1942
LP11334
Physical Properties:
Sound
Western Electric Recording
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
68-69
Length(in feet):
6,127
Length(in reels):
7
Country:
United States
PCA No:
8347
SYNOPSIS

As Harry James and His Music Makers serenade a nightclub audience to the tune of "You Made Me Love You," Sergeant "Muggsy" Shavel arrives with his fiancée, Bonnie-Belle Schlopkiss. Although Muggsy pleads with Bonnie-Belle to go "to the park" instead, especially after he ascertains the high prices of the establishment, she insists on staying. Backstage, Harry learns that he has been drafted, much to the chagrin of singer Lon Prentice, who has been rejected by the U.S. Army for his "flat foot." After bribing the headwaiter, Muggsy and Bonnie-Belle finally get a table, but it is next to the kitchen. Undaunted, the couple moves their table to the front of the dance floor, where Bonnie-Belle immediately attracts the attention of nightclub performer Lancelot Pringle "Biff" McBiff. While Muggsy is infuriated by Biff's brazen advances, Bonnie-Belle welcomes them, particularly when she learns that Muggsy hasn't the money to pay for dinner. Later, Lon sees a foot specialist, who corrects his "flat foot," and he joins Harry at the induction center as a volunteer draftee. The entire band also enlists, and they are soon in training at Camp Healy. There Lon is nothing but a problem, as he doesn't feel he needs any "special training" to join the Army, much to the frustration of his sergeant, Muggsy. The new recruit goes to the captain, who decides to let Lon skip any "unnecessary" training in hopes that he will come around on his own. Meanwhile, Biff and the Andrews Sisters have joined the U.S.O., and they come to Camp Healy to entertain the new soldiers. At the dance that night, Tagalong Mason agrees to ...

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As Harry James and His Music Makers serenade a nightclub audience to the tune of "You Made Me Love You," Sergeant "Muggsy" Shavel arrives with his fiancée, Bonnie-Belle Schlopkiss. Although Muggsy pleads with Bonnie-Belle to go "to the park" instead, especially after he ascertains the high prices of the establishment, she insists on staying. Backstage, Harry learns that he has been drafted, much to the chagrin of singer Lon Prentice, who has been rejected by the U.S. Army for his "flat foot." After bribing the headwaiter, Muggsy and Bonnie-Belle finally get a table, but it is next to the kitchen. Undaunted, the couple moves their table to the front of the dance floor, where Bonnie-Belle immediately attracts the attention of nightclub performer Lancelot Pringle "Biff" McBiff. While Muggsy is infuriated by Biff's brazen advances, Bonnie-Belle welcomes them, particularly when she learns that Muggsy hasn't the money to pay for dinner. Later, Lon sees a foot specialist, who corrects his "flat foot," and he joins Harry at the induction center as a volunteer draftee. The entire band also enlists, and they are soon in training at Camp Healy. There Lon is nothing but a problem, as he doesn't feel he needs any "special training" to join the Army, much to the frustration of his sergeant, Muggsy. The new recruit goes to the captain, who decides to let Lon skip any "unnecessary" training in hopes that he will come around on his own. Meanwhile, Biff and the Andrews Sisters have joined the U.S.O., and they come to Camp Healy to entertain the new soldiers. At the dance that night, Tagalong Mason agrees to introduce Lon to her beautiful older sister Joyce, but he is upset to learn that she is the same woman with whom he had fought earlier. Still, Lon is taken with her until he learns that her uncle is Colonel Elias Weatherford, the commander of the base amd later finds her kissing a man, unaware that he is her brother, Lieutenant Howard Mason. In the meantime, the romantic rivalry between Muggsy and Biff over Bonnie-Belle heats up so much that the young woman ends up striking her one-time fiancé with a flower pot. Lon soon becomes the most unpopular man in the camp, and only as his platoon is about to ship out does he realize his mistake. He goes to Colonel Weatherford and asks to stay with his platoon, but the officer tells him that he must learn "respect" before he can become a good soldier. Lon then condenses weeks of training into a few days. Just before the troops ship out, the U.S.O. puts on a big show, featuring Lon, Biff, Harry and the Andrews Sisters. As the soldiers prepare to leave, Joyce confesses her love to Lon, and gives him a bracelet bearing the inscription, "Hands Off. This Guy Belongs to Me. Joyce." The soldier then leaves to join his comrades in the war, as the Andrews Sisters sing "We've Got a Job to Do."

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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