Star Spangled Rhythm

Star Spangled Rhythm
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Credited director: George Marshall Co-director: Ralph Murphy "Old Black Magic": A. Edward Sutherland Contributing: William Watson Frank Tuttle Lewis Allen Paul Weatherwax (all uncredited)
Produced by	Joseph Sistrom
Written by	Sketches: Melvin Frank George S. Kaufman Norman Panama Arthur A. Ross Fred Saidy (uncredited) Arthur Phillips (uncredited) Writer: Harry Tugend
Starring	The Stars of Paramount Pictures
Music by	Score: Robert Emmett Dolan Songs: Harold Arlen (music) Johnny Mercer (lyrics)
Cinematography	Theodor Sparkuhl Leo Tover
Edited by	Paul Weatherwax
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	December 30, 1942 (New York City) January 1943 (U.S.)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$1,127,989
Box office	$3,850,000 (US rentals)

Star Spangled Rhythm is a 1942 all-star cast musical film made by Paramount Pictures during World War II as a morale booster. Many of the Hollywood studios produced such films during the war, generally musicals, frequently with flimsy storylines, and with the specific intent of entertaining the troops overseas and civilians back home and to encourage fundraising – as well as to show the studios' patriotism. This film was also the first released by Paramount to be shown for 8 weeks.

Star Spangled Rhythm was directed by George Marshall and others, and written by Harry Tugend with sketches by Melvin Frank, George S. Kaufman and others. The film has music by Robert Emmett Dolan and songs by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, and the cast consisted of most of the stars on the Paramount roster.

Pop Webster (Victor Moore) is a former silent movie star once known as "Bronco Billy" who now works as the guard on the main gate at Paramount Pictures. However, he's told his son Johnny (Eddie Bracken), who's in the Navy, that he's the studio's Executive Vice President in Charge of Production. When Johnny shows up in Hollywood on shore leave, Pop and the studio's switchboard operator Polly Judson (Betty Hutton) go all-out to maintain the illusion for Johnny and his sailor friends that Pop's a studio big-wig. Things get a bit complicated when Pop offers to put on a variety show for the Navy, featuring all of Paramount's stars, but Polly convinces Bob Hope and Bing Crosby to do the show, and they convince the rest of the stars on the lot.

Performers:

Cast notes:

The songs in Star Spangled Rhythm were written by Harold Arlen (music) and Johnny Mercer (lyrics):