''Doll Face'' is a 1945 American film released by 20th Century Fox and directed by

Lewis Seiler Lewis Seiler (September 30, 1890 – January 8, 1964) was an American film director. He directed more than 80 films between 1923 and 1958. Seiler was born in New York City, and died at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood, Los Angeles. Partial fi ...

starring

Vivian Blaine Vivian Blaine (born Vivian Stapleton; November 21, 1921 – December 9, 1995) was an American actress and singer, best known for originating the role of Miss Adelaide in the musical theater production of ''Guys and Dolls'', as well as appearin ...

as "Doll Face" Carroll. It also stars actor

Dennis O'Keefe Dennis O'Keefe (born Edward Vance Flanagan; March 29, 1908 – August 31, 1968) was an American actor. Early years O'Keefe was born in Fort Madison, Iowa, as Edward Vance Flanagan, the son of Edward J. Flanagan and Charlotte Flanagan ( ...

and singers

Carmen Miranda Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955), known professionally as Carmen Miranda (), was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", she was known for her signature ...

and

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...

. The film is based on the 1943 play ''

The Naked Genius ''The Naked Genius'' is a 1943 American play written by Gypsy Rose Lee. The work premiered on Broadway on October 21, 1943, at the Plymouth Theatre where it ran until November 20, 1943, for a total of 36 performances. The work was produced by Mik ...

'' written by

Gypsy Rose Lee Gypsy Rose Lee (born Rose Louise Hovick, January 8, 1911 – April 26, 1970) was an American burlesque entertainer, stripper, actress, author, playwright and vedette, famous for her striptease act. Her 1957 memoir, '' Gypsy: A Memoir'', was a ...

. In the opening credits, she is billed under her birth name, Louise Hovick. The film is also known as ''Come Back to Me'' in the United Kingdom.

Plot

"Doll Face" Carroll is an entertainer looking to expand her repertoire. After a failed audition, where she is recognized as a

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

performer from the Gaiety Theatre, her manager and fiancé Mike Hannegan suggests she write an autobiography to project a more literate image and he hires Frederick Manly Gerard as a ghostwriter. Doll Face agrees on the condition she is allowed to dedicate the book to Mike with "For the love of Mike". Another performer in the burlesque show, Chita Chula, remarks that if the book is a success and Doll Face leaves the show it will probably have to close. Mike then decides to produce a Broadway show of his own with the financial aid of the performers themselves. Frederick offers to put up any money missing. Chita Chula is skeptical she can pull it off, but Mike assures her she'll "probably wind up being another Carmen Miranda!", something Chita Chula perceives as an insult. Mike leaks word on the book to the press, and riding the publicity, argues the show got all the press it needs and that the book, although all but finished, need not be published. Doll Face, however, decides to go through with it and goes to Jamaica in Queens, NY with Frederick for some final touch-ups. Boat engine trouble on Long Island Sound leaves them marooned on an island and, when Mike finds them, he misreads the situation and breaks up with her. Without "Doll Face" as headliner, the Gaiety Theatre struggles and Mike is forced to finally shut it down. Doll Face releases her book ''The Genius DeMilo'' and when Mike sees she dedicated the book to Frederick instead of him, he regrets leaving her. After Doll Face refuses to talk to Mike, he sends a lawyer to stop her show in the middle of opening night, since she is under contract not to appear in any show not produced by him. She agrees to see him and he asks her forgiveness. After they reunite, she tricks the producer of her show to give Mike a 25% share and co-producer credit so the show can continue.

Cast

as Mary Elizabeth (Maybeth) "Doll Face" Carroll *

as Michael Francis "Mike" Hannegan *

as Nicky Ricci *

as Chita Chula *

Martha Stewart Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail business woman, writer, and television personality. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality, she gained success through a variety ...

as Frankie Porter * Stephen Dunne as Frederick Manly Gerard (credited as Michael Dunne) *

Reed Hadley Reed Hadley (born Reed Herring, June 25, 1911 – December 11, 1974) was an American film, television and radio actor. Early life Hadley was born in Petrolia, Texas. Career Before moving to Hollywood, he acted in ''Hamlet'' on stage in N ...

as Flo Hartman *

Stanley Prager Stanley Prager (January 8, 1917 – January 18, 1972) was an American actor and a television and theatre director. Career Prager was born in New York City. He spent three years at Johns Hopkins University before working in summer stock and on ...

as Flo's aide *

Charles Tannen Charles David Tannen (October 22, 1915 – December 28, 1980) was an American actor and screenwriter. Career A general purpose actor who worked primarily at 20th Century Fox, Tannen had mostly bit and/or supporting parts in movies, appea ...

as Flo's aide * George E. Stone as stage manager *

Frank Orth Frank Orth (February 21, 1880 – March 17, 1962) was an American actor born in Philadelphia. He is probably best remembered for his portrayal of Inspector Faraday in the 1951-1953 television series ''Boston Blackie''. Career By 1897, Orth ...

as Peters *

Donald MacBride Donald Hugh MacBride (June 23, 1893 – June 21, 1957) was an American character actor on stage, in films, and on television. MacBride launched his career as a chorister at St Thomas Fifth Avenue and then at Garden City Cathedral in New Yo ...

as Ferguson (lawyer) *

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...

as passenger (uncredited) File:Vivian Blaine in Doll Face 2.png, Vivian Blaine
as "Doll Face" Carroll File:Dennis O'Keefe in Doll Face 2.png, Dennis O'Keefe
as Mike Hannegan File:Perry Como - Here Comes Heaven Again in Doll Face.png, Perry Como
as Nicky Ricci File:Carmen Miranda - Chico Chico in Doll Face.png, Carmen Miranda
as Chita Chula File:Martha Stewart in Doll Face.png, Martha Stewart
as Frankie Porter File:Stephen Dunne in Doll Face.png, Stephen Dunne
as Frederick Manly Gerard

Soundtrack

*Vivian Blaine - "Somebody's Walking in My Dream" (Music by

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, J ...

, Lyrics by

Harold Adamson Harold Campbell Adamson (December 10, 1906 – August 17, 1980)Larkin, pp. 41-42 was an American lyricist from the 1930s through the 1960s. Early life Adamson, the son of building contractor Harold Adamson and Marion "Minnie" Campbell Adamson, ...

) *Perry Como and Martha Stewart - "Somebody's Walking in My Dream" (Music by Jimmy McHugh, Lyrics by Harold Adamson) *Perry Como and chorus girls - "Red Hot and Beautiful" (Music by Jimmy McHugh, Lyrics by Harold Adamson) *Vivian Blaine and male quartet - "Red Hot and Beautiful" (Music by Jimmy McHugh, Lyrics by Harold Adamson) *"Eighty Miles Outside of Atlanta" *Perry Como - "Here Comes Heaven Again" (Music by Jimmy McHugh, Lyrics by Harold Adamson) *Perry Como and Vivian Blaine - "Here Comes Heaven Again" (Music by Jimmy McHugh, Lyrics by Harold Adamson) *Perry Como and Martha Stewart - " Dig You Later (A-Hubba Hubba Hubba)" (Music by Jimmy McHugh, Lyrics by Harold Adamson) *Carmen Miranda,

Bando da Lua Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha (9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955), known professionally as Carmen Miranda (), was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer, dancer, and actress. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", she was known for her signature ...

and chorus - "Chico Chico" (Music by Jimmy McHugh, Lyrics by Harold Adamson) *"The Parisian Trot" (Music by

Lionel Newman Lionel Newman (January 4, 1916 – February 3, 1989) was an American conductor, pianist, and film and television composer. He won the Academy Award for Best Score of a Musical Picture for '' Hello Dolly!'' with Lennie Hayton in 1969. He ...

, lyrics by Charles E. Henderson) Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson also submitted the song "True to the Navy", but it did not make it into the film because

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

refused to license the song. The song " Dig You Later (A-Hubba Hubba Hubba)" was a celebration of the

Bombing of Tokyo (10 March 1945) On the night of 9/10 March 1945, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) conducted a devastating firebombing raid on Tokyo, the Japanese capital city. This attack was code-named Operation Meetinghouse by the USAAF and is known as the in Japan ...

Production and filming

The working titles of this film were ''The Naked Genius'' and ''Here's a Kiss''. However, the

Motion Picture Production Code The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the Cinema of the United States, United States from 1934 to 1968. It ...

prohibited the studio from using ''The Naked Genius'' as the film's title or as the title of "Doll Face's" fictional autobiography. The Production Code Administration also strongly objected to the portrayal of the lead character as a stripper, and several screenplays submitted by the studio were rejected. In late July 1945,

Joseph Breen Joseph Ignatius Breen (October 14, 1888 – December 5, 1965) was an American film censor with the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America who applied the Hays Code to film production.Staff report (December 8, 1965). Joseph I. ...

, the head of the Production Code Administration, cautioned studio public relations head Jason S. Joy: Playwright and famous

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events. Modern forms of stripping m ...

was credited onscreen under her real name, Louise Hovick. ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' (April 6, 1944) reported that producer George Jessel had offered Lee a role in the film, but she did not appear. According to the ''Hollywood Reporter'' (June 1944),

Carole Landis Carole Landis (born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste; January 1, 1919 – July 5, 1948) was an American actress and singer. She worked as a contract player for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her breakout role was as the female lead in the 1940 ...

was set to star in the film and

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

was to play the "comedy lead." Another report from July 1945 mentioned that William Eythe was scheduled to play the "romantic lead," and Hazel Dawn was also listed as part of the cast. However, Dawn's appearance in the final film has not been confirmed.

was borrowed for the film from

Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891 – January 25, 1977) was an American film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movies ''The Count of Mon ...

's company. ''Doll Face'' marked the screen debuts of

and

Lex Barker Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. (May 8, 1919 – May 11, 1973), known as Lex Barker, was an American film and television actor. He was known for playing Tarzan for RKO Pictures between 1949 and 1953 and portraying leading characters from Karl May' ...

. Producer

Bryan Foy Bryan Foy (December 8, 1896 – April 20, 1977) was an American film producer and film director, director. He produced more than 200 films between 1924 and 1963. He also directed 41 films between 1923 and 1934. He headed the B picture unit a ...

filled in for director

for three days while Seiler was ill. Songwriters

and

submitted the song "True to the Navy" for inclusion in the film, and a production number featuring it was filmed at a cost of $60,000 to $75,000. However, McHugh and Adamson had previously submitted the song to

, which had used it in their 1945 film '' Bring on the Girls''. Paramount refused to license the song for use in ''Doll Face'', so the musical number had to be cut. In a December 1945 letter to Twentieth Century-Fox studio president

Spyros Skouras Spyros Panagiotis Skouras (; ; March 28, 1893 – August 16, 1971) was a Greek-American motion picture pioneer and film executive who was the president of 20th Century-Fox from 1942 to 1962. He resigned June 27, 1962, but was chairman of the comp ...

, studio attorney George Wasson speculated that Paramount’s refusal was due to Twentieth Century-Fox having secured the distribution rights to ''

Tales of Manhattan ''Tales of Manhattan'' is a 1942 American anthology film directed by Julien Duvivier. Thirteen writers, including Ben Hecht, Alan Campbell, Ferenc Molnár, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Donald Ogden Stewart, worked on the six stories in this film ...

'' and clearance for the use of the title '' Sentimental Journey'', both of which Paramount also wanted. Chorus - Dig You Later in Doll Face

According to legal records, Irving Weissman sued the studio, claiming that the song " Dig You Later (A Hubba-Hubba-Hubba)" had been plagiarized from one of his compositions. The case was dismissed in September 1948 by a federal court judge, but Weissman later filed another lawsuit in state court. The outcome of the second lawsuit has not been determined.

Reviews

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

’s review in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' of ''Doll Face'' describes the film as a disappointing production, failing to justify the hefty price paid by Twentieth Century-Fox for the rights to Louise Hovick's (Gypsy Rose Lee) literary effort. The review points out that the screenplay is monotonous and riddled with grammatical errors, and that it brings no innovation or significant personality to the characters or the music. The performances of the leading actors are also criticized: Vivian Blaine, as the titular "Doll Face," is described as expressionless in her musical numbers, while Perry Como and Carmen Miranda are also called out for their lackluster performances. Como’s number, “Dig You Later,” is particularly singled out, described as an exaggerated, unappealing song. Dennis O'Keefe and Stephen Dunne are mentioned as the men in "Doll Face's" life, but their performances go unremarked upon. Overall, Crowther’s review suggests that, despite being based on Hovick’s work, her talents were not well-utilized, and ''Doll Face'' is portrayed as a lifeless, colorless production lacking the boldness that defined burlesque at its peak. The review from the ''

New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the '' New York Tribune'' acquired the '' New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and compet ...

'' remarks on Carmen Miranda’s performance, noting that she does what she always does, but “not as well” this time around. Columnist

Louella Parsons Louella Rose Oettinger, (August 6, 1881 – December 9, 1972) known by the pen name Louella Parsons, was an American gossip columnist and a screenwriter. At her peak, her columns were read by 20 million people in 700 newspapers worldwide. She ...

, in her analysis, expresses surprise at the casting of Carmen Miranda in the film, highlighting how she is “so different from

Joan Blondell Rose Joan Blondell (August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on a film career, estab ...

,” who played the same role in the stage version of the play ''Naked Genius'', upon which the film is based. The comparison between the two actresses suggests that, for Parsons, Miranda’s casting in the role felt unnatural or unconvincing, especially since the two have very different styles, and Miranda failed to recreate the charm or energy that Blondell brought to the stage. The ''

Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper in ...

'' wrote that "The film has its faults, chiefly technical... Dennis O'Keefe makes a handsome, hard-hitting manager and performs with great sincerity. Perry Como sings in an even more attractive manner than before, and Vivian Blaine is more than adequately attractive, if a bit too polished, as the 'burlesque' blonde. Carmen Miranda appears in a straight role with only one musical number. The innovation is not a success, but the fault lies with the director, not Carmen's". Alex Viany’s review in ''

O Cruzeiro ''O Cruzeiro'' (initially just ''Cruzeiro'') was a Brazilian illustrated weekly magazine, published in Rio de Janeiro from 1928 until 1985, with the exception of the period from August 1975 to June 1977. History and profile The publication, subt ...

'' of ''Doll Face'' is extremely negative. He begins by noting that, even with the use of Technicolor, the 20th Century Fox musical would be irredeemably dull, suggesting that no amount of vibrant color could save the film from its failure. Viany criticizes the romance between Vivian Blaine and Dennis O'Keefe, calling it "so ridiculous that it’s almost pitiful," indicating that the romantic plot was poorly executed and unconvincing. Regarding Carmen Miranda’s performance, Viany is harsh, stating that she "does nothing" in the film and that her makeup was "horribly done," reflecting dissatisfaction with both her appearance and her acting in the production. The review from ''O Cruzeiro'' aligns with that of ''A Cena Muda'', which also considers ''Doll Face'' to be “the worst film of Carmen Miranda,” further reinforcing the idea that the film was a major disappointment in her career.Garcia, T. da C. (2015, March 26). O "it verde e amarelo" de Carmen Miranda (1930-1946). Retrieved January 14, 2025

Home media

The film was released on DVD in June 2008 as part of Fox's "The Carmen Miranda Collection."

Parody

In 1985, comedy troop LA Connection used ''Doll Face'' as episode 9 of its syndicated show ''Mad Movies'', in which films were re-edited with a dubbed soundtrack. The plot centers around the sleazy "Miss Doll Face Pageant".

Gallery

References

Doll Face
,

AFI Catalog of Feature Films The ''AFI Catalog of Feature Films'', also known as the ''AFI Catalog'', is an ongoing project by the American Film Institute (AFI) to catalog all commercially-made and theatrically exhibited American motion pictures from the birth of cinema i ...

. Retrieved 4 August 2017.

Dave Kehr David Kehr (born 1953) is an American museum curator and film critic. For many years a critic at the ''Chicago Reader'' and the ''Chicago Tribune,'' he later wrote a weekly column for ''The New York Times'' on DVD releases. He later became a c ...

.
New DVDs: Carmen Miranda
, ''

'', 17 June 2008. Retrieved August 4, 2017.

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doll Face 1945 films 1940s romantic musical films 1945 romantic comedy films 20th Century Fox films American black-and-white films American films based on plays Films directed by Lewis Seiler American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films Films scored by David Buttolph Films scored by Cyril J. Mockridge Films with songs by Harold Adamson 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language romantic comedy films English-language romantic musical films