G.I. Jane (1951 film)
| G.I. Jane | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Reginald Le Borg |
| Written by | Henry Blankfort (as Jan Jeffries) Murray Lerner (story) |
| Produced by | Murray Lerner |
| Starring | Jean Porter Tom Neal Iris Adrian Jimmie Dodd Bobby Watson |
| Cinematography | Jack Greenhalgh |
| Edited by | William Austin |
| Music by | Walter Greene |
Production company | Murray Productions |
| Distributed by | Lippert Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 69 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
G.I. Jane is a 1951 American musical comedy film directed by Reginald Le Borg and released by Lippert Pictures.
Plot[edit]
Television producer Tim Rawlings is staging a musical show with the Women's Army Corps (WACs). He is ordered to report to his draft board, where he is ticketed for a remote outpost in Alaska. He furtively swaps his travel orders with those of his bothersome lieutenant, and winds up at a fort in the American desert. When the troops crave female companionship, Rawlings forges orders that bring a platoon of WACs, who are forbidden to fraternize with the soldiers. This regulation is strictly enforced by the no-nonsense WAC lieutenant, so the blossoming romances among the soldiers must be carried on in secret.
Reception[edit]
Variety greeted G.I. Jane for what it was: "This is a pleasant, unpretentious musical programmer that will fit nicely into lower-case bookings in the secondary situations... Eight tunes are spotted and are better than would be expected in such a budget offering."[1] The Los Angeles Times said it "offers some pleasing numbers".[2] Boxoffice reported that the film was topical and "well qualified to deliver a diverting hour of entertainment... the picture's musical moments are exceptionally praiseworthy as they are filled by nothing but catchy new songs written expressly for the film."[3]
Cast[edit]
- Jean Porter as Jan Smith
- Tom Neal as Tim Rawlings
- Iris Adrian as Lt. Adrian
- Jimmie Dodd as Pvt. Tennessee Jones
- Jeanne Mahoney as Hilda Beck
- Jimmy Lloyd as Lt. Bradford
- Mara Lynn as Pilsnick
- Bobby Watson as Colonel
- Michael Whalen as Major
- James Parnell as Sergeant
Background[edit]
Producer Robert L. Lippert was a former exhibitor who felt there was a national market for low-priced feature films that other exhibitors could afford to show. Beginning in 1945 he began making his own movies, and by the late 1940s he was firmly established as an independent producer. Other studios had cut back on their low-budget productions, leaving dozens of actors underemployed. Lippert took advantage of their availability by signing up "name" talent for flat fees, giving his films more marquee value. Most of the G. I. Jane cast members were veterans of other companies.
Screenwriter Henry Blankfort was then blacklisted from working in pictures during the McCarthy-era anti-Communist hearings. Blankfort wrote G. I. Jane under a pseudonym, Jan Jeffries.
