One of prolific director Michael Curtiz’ lesser known works, Janie revolves around a free-spirited teenager living in a small town.
It is based on a 1942 Broadway play by Josephine Bentham and Herschel V. Williams Jr., adapted from Bentham’s 1940 novel by the same name.
While Janie’s father, the local newspaper publisher, opposes the establishment of an army camp nearby, Janie and her bobby soxer friends are excited at the prospect of having so many young soldiers nearby. In due time, she dates one of them, which makes her boyfriend jealous.
Unbilled players include Keefe Brasselle, Jimmie Dodd, Sunset Carson, Julie London, Virginia Sale and the Williams Brothers with Andy Williams.
Despite mixed reviews, the light if inconsequential film was followed two years later by the sequel, Janie Gets Married.
Janie was made in between two of Curtiz’ best films, Casablanca, which won the 1943 Best Picture Oscar winner, and Mildred Pierce, for whoch Joan Crawford earned her first and only Best Actress Oscar in 1945.
Cast
Joyce Reynolds as Janie Conway
Robert Hutton as Pfc. Dick Lawrence
Edward Arnold as Charles Conway
Ann Harding as Lucille Conway
Alan Hale as Professor Reardon
Robert Benchley as John Van Brunt
Clare Foley as Elsbeth Conway
Barbara Brown as Thelma Lawrence
Hattie McDaniel as April
Richard Erdman as Scooper Nolan
Jackie Moran as Mickey the Sailor
Ann Gillis as Paula Rainey
Russell Hicks as Colonel Lucas
Ruth Tobey as Bernadine Dodd
Virginia Patton as Carrie Lou
Colleen Townsend as Hortense Bennett
William Frambes as Private Hackett
Janie (1944): Michael Curtiz’ Small-Town Comedy, Starring Joyce Reynolds
Blast from the Past: Curtiz Lesser-Known Feature
One of prolific director Michael Curtiz’ lesser known works, Janie revolves around a free-spirited teenager living in a small town.
It is based on a 1942 Broadway play by Josephine Bentham and Herschel V. Williams Jr., adapted from Bentham’s 1940 novel by the same name.
While Janie’s father, the local newspaper publisher, opposes the establishment of an army camp nearby, Janie and her bobby soxer friends are excited at the prospect of having so many young soldiers nearby. In due time, she dates one of them, which makes her boyfriend jealous.
Unbilled players include Keefe Brasselle, Jimmie Dodd, Sunset Carson, Julie London, Virginia Sale and the Williams Brothers with Andy Williams.
Despite mixed reviews, the light if inconsequential film was followed two years later by the sequel, Janie Gets Married.
Janie was made in between two of Curtiz’ best films, Casablanca, which won the 1943 Best Picture Oscar winner, and Mildred Pierce, for whoch Joan Crawford earned her first and only Best Actress Oscar in 1945.
Cast
Joyce Reynolds as Janie Conway
Robert Hutton as Pfc. Dick Lawrence
Edward Arnold as Charles Conway
Ann Harding as Lucille Conway
Alan Hale as Professor Reardon
Robert Benchley as John Van Brunt
Clare Foley as Elsbeth Conway
Barbara Brown as Thelma Lawrence
Hattie McDaniel as April
Richard Erdman as Scooper Nolan
Jackie Moran as Mickey the Sailor
Ann Gillis as Paula Rainey
Russell Hicks as Colonel Lucas
Ruth Tobey as Bernadine Dodd
Virginia Patton as Carrie Lou
Colleen Townsend as Hortense Bennett
William Frambes as Private Hackett