Although the production values for "Thousands Cheer" were very, very nice (since it was made by MGM), I thoroughly hated practically every minute of this dreadfully dull film. The plot was thin, the main character VERY unlikable and the variety show was, for the most part, dreadful. In so many ways, you can find better films than this one."Thousands Cheer" is a WWII propaganda film that is part story and part a variety show featuring MGM acts. The star is a very young Gene Kelly. He has just been inducted in the military and spends most of his time complaining and just being unpleasant. For some bizarre reason, the Colonel's daughter (Kathryn Grayson) has fallen for him. But, because he is almost always in trouble and is so troublesome, the relationship seems doomed.In addition to this plot that I could not care less about (mostly because Kelly's character was just unlikable and argumentative), the film had a VERY long sequence that was a variety show of MGM stars supposedly performing for our troops. Mickey Rooney was the emcee and it featured some mostly bland performances by the likes of Frank Morgan, Judy Garland, Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell. These sequences made me a bit mad because similar stuff was done so much better in Warner's "Stage Door Canteen" and "Hollywood Canteen". These similar variety shows intended to entertain and bolster our troops were just much more fun.So it obviously sounds like I didn't like this film--and that is indeed true. The problem is that there were many, many wartime armed services films that were better and there were variety shows that were better. Despite "Thousands Cheer" being in color, it just didn't deliver and was a terrible role for Gene Kelly.

Thousands Cheer (1943) starring Gene Kelly was made using the very best of MGM's actor and movie technician talent in color, and is well done in those areas. I never saw Kelly do such a good job acting, and the same is true for his co-star, Katherine Grayson. Other major actors part of the movie all do well, including Mary Astor, Mickey Rooney, and Judy Garland. It's a spectacular movie technically, and quite a showcase for good actor movie star work done well and skillfully, a credit to all who appear in front of the camera and worked on the machines behind the screen. But there is no script worth the name, and not a single good song appears in this movie, which is supposed to be (and is) a "musical." Judy Garland does her best at the end of the movie with a mediocre song, even though she's always worth seeing. One of the true saints of world cinema history. The movie is an embarrassment of riches except for the bad (non-existent) script and the lack of a single good, memorable song. And this from the then biggest and richest movie studio in the world, MGM. It's an oddity worth seeing for its display of talent, unconnected as that turns out to be with good writing and good song composition. The color especially is dazzling. It's an upbeat "crowd-pleaser" movie needed and delivered during the World War II years. But the lack of good writing and good songs makes it mediocre.

And because it clicked, MGM did what all the other major studios were doing--hiring their big stars to do cameos in a picture obviously aimed at entertaining the troops overseas. Paramount did it with STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM, Warners with THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS, Universal with FOLLOW THE BOYS, so it was only a matter of time before MGM came up with THOUSANDS CHEER.If nothing else, it serves as a good showcase for the talents of KATHRYN GRAYSON (their newest singing bird) and GENE KELLY (although his dancing is limited here). For good measure they gave them MARY ASTOR and JOHN BOLES for parents, a story about a girl who wants to get her mom and dad back together again (where have we heard that one before?), and a whole bunch of MGM's brightest stars or character players in a "let's put on a show for the boys" routine.Too bad the only thing missing is a good script. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy the gorgeous Technicolor, the dreamy close-ups of Kathryn Grayson at her musical best, and guest stars like LUCILLE BALL, JUDY GARLAND, LENA HORNE, FRANK MORGAN, VIRGINIA O'BRIEN, RED SKELTON and MICKEY ROONEY to perk up interest in a sagging script for the second half of the movie.Summing up: Could have been a lot better. If this is your kind of ticket, check out THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS for a better star-filled time.

Rats! Not only are the numerous actors and actresses good looking they are also talented. Gene Kelly's dance with a broom is as good as anything he ever did on film. But the World War Two message of this movie is that talent and good looks are not enough to win a war, one must also have high moral character. Bad boy Kelly says that he can get himself into trouble and that he can find his way out of trouble--but can he? There are some great Vaudeville lines that keep one amused while Kelly is trying to find out what a good soldier should be. For example, the doctor says he "only did appendix operations on the side" and that he did grafting "only because his salary was so small." The movie is great fun at a time in United States history when there was not much to laugh about. Song and dance does take the edge off war, if only temporarily.