Bouncy little musical programmer. For Lucy fans, there's little of her slap-stick comedic talents. Instead Ball gets to parade around statuesque style in high fashions of the day. And what a gorgeous young woman she was. Plot-wise, there's the usual romantic mix-ups this type musical trades on-- plus, token numbers from the bands including luscious songbird Ginny Simms, and a couple of forgettable novelty acts. Comedy's supplied by the inimitable Arnold Stang (before Milton Berle drafted him), an impish Marcy McGuire, and a gravel-voice Harold Peary soon to get his own Gildersleeve series. But get a load of Victor Mature. He's looser than I've ever seen him, mugging it up in hammy style, and a long long way from his later noir persona. The movie's pretty typical of war escapism, lots of winsome girls and brave servicemen to lighten the load. Nothing special, but a good chance to view Ball in a different kind of role, along with a goofy Victor Mature, of all things.

"Seven Days' Leave" is a piece of wartime propaganda fluff--pure and simple. Much of it consists of lots of soldiers singing and dancing and putting flowers in their hats--and it makes you wonder HOW the US managed to win the war if these guys are like the soldiers they fielded during WWII! After a whole lot of singing and dancing, the plot FINALLY is introduced. Johnny Grey (Victor Mature) will inherit a fortune. He's thrilled and plans on marrying his girlfriend. HOWEVER, he soon learns that there is a stupid codicil to the will. He MUST marry a descendant of General Allen. It seems, in a VERY contrived plot twist, that Johnny's grandfather, General Grey, fought against General Allen during the Civil War. And, the will wants a descendant of Allen to marry a descendant of Grey to heal up these old wounds. And, this woman is NOT the lady he plans on marrying but Terry Allen (Lucille Ball)--a woman who HATES the Greys.So, you've got a VERY contrived plot, lots of silly and superfluous singing and Victor Mature doing comedy. All in all, it sounds pretty bad...and it is. Even worse is when a fourth-rate guy does imitations of various celebrities. They announce each one before he begins--and you really need to be told who they are supposed to be because you really cannot tell by listening to him! A silly and forgettable film.By the way, there is a very strange character in the film. Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve (Harold Peary) is the lawyer who handles the estate, right? Well, this same character (and actor) played Gildersleeve in quite a few other films. Plus, Gildersleeve was a very popular radio character who appeared regularly on "Fibber McGee and Molly" and later had his own spin off radio show starring, who else, Peary!

This film is a most interesting and intriguing cultural document: it was released in November of 1942, or less than a year after the attack at Pearl Harbor. As most any person who paid attention in their American history class might know, the first year of the declared war against Japan, Germany and Italy did NOT go very well for the United States. Aside from the shocking losses sustained by the fleet at Pearl Harbor and by the Army Air Corps units there, and the deaths of civilians on Hawai'i, there was the slow-moving disaster in the Philippines as the Japanese forces invaded, and rolled up the resistance. U.S. and Philippino losses in that first year of the war were heavy, and the treatment of the prisoners of war there was shocking and brutal, and fairly well-known before 1945.Watching this film, now, some sixty-four years later, one almost gets the sense of this being a "mockumentary." Of course, it isn't. It's a romantic comedy. But Victor Mature and his Army buddies are entirely too happy for newly minted soldiers facing the grim reality of mortal combat.This film is a goofy, confusing and fast-paced romantic comedy. It has some nice comedic moments but the true value of this film fiction lies in the romantic music and in the performance of Lucille Ball.Personality wise, Victor Mature comes off as being kind of ... cheesy ... which is unfair because many people who have considered his entire career find in him an actor capable of subtle and nuanced performances. He could and did play 'noble and heroic' types and he could also be the less-than-acceptable Cad & Bounder. In this film he's a high-voltage goof-ball surrounded by screwball types.Film buffs who do not know much about cinema productions made during the war really ought to make it their mission to see this film the next time it comes around on Turner Classic Movies. It is fun, in the aforementioned goofy way, Ms. Ball scintillates, and the singing of Ginny Simms and the big band music is exceptional, truly exceptional.Some day, some day soon, hopefully, some august person will write a dissertation or a pop culture book on the subject of ...Where Did Rock & Roll Go Wrong ? Looking back at Bill Haley & The Comets, Buddy Holly & The Crickets, the doo-wop era and the blues-oriented vocal groups of the 1950s, most anyone can see that rock & roll music grew out of the "swing" movement in the big band era. But what happened to the genius deployed in the big band styles ? How could it have become obsolete so quickly ? Was it "television" that killed the big bands ?? Get a load of the song stylings in this peculiar film, crafted, clearly crafted, as a form of 'feel good' entertainment for the home-front at a time when the news was bad, grim and getting grimmer, and most anyone will have to ask -- where did all those brilliant singers go ??? This is a good film and got a six, but only because the plot is entirely paper-thin. But that didn't stop either Ball or Mature from hamming it up and having a very good time on the silver screen.

"Seven Days' Leave" is a WWII-era musical comedy about a young Army soldier [Mature] who is due a large inheritance. The problem is, he must marry a certain girl [Ball] whom he does not love, in order to collect.If one is a Lucy fan, this movie is a great watch. Lucy is actually drop-dead gorgeous in this flick, more so than she had ever been in her entire career, in my opinion.Also, Harold 'The Great Gildersleeve' Peary adds to the fun, along with Marcy McGuire as the younger sister to Lucy's character.Unfortunately, this film as a whole is quite mediocre. And, Victor Mature sings twice. FFWD required.All in all, one watch of this movie is definitely worth it. The video is even worth owning if you like Lucy.