Continuity mistake: During the opening of "This Is the Army" [the stage musical], there is a large choir of men singing the opening number, "Some Dough For The Army Relief": from about the second row back, the men's mouths are moving appropriately for the lyrics they're singing, but much of the front row is singing with these obnoxious cheesy grins, not even bothering with more than the most feeble attempt at proper mouth movement. [This is painfully evident during the line "let him do what we had to do."]. (00:48:50)
This Is the Army (1943)
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Joan Leslie, Alan Hale, George Tobias, George Murphy
Deliberate mistake: During the early rehearsals for "Yip Yip Yaphank", a group of men are around the piano singing "God Bless America", and we hear the following lyrics: "Stand beside her/And guide her/TO THE RIGHT/With a light from above". This is NOT an error; I'm guessing that those were the actual lyrics of the rough draft, with the capitalized line above changed to the present "Through the night/With a light." at a later date. (00:14:50)
Factual error: The opening scene of the film, with a woman singing "For Your Country and My Country" at a bond rally, is supposedly set in 1917, but her hair and clothing are pure 1940's: calf-length skirt and curled shoulder-length hair, neither of which was acceptable attire for a lady in 1917.
Trivia: Even though George Murphy plays Ronald Reagan's father in the movie, he was only 9 years older than Reagan.
Sgt. McGee: What's the matter with you Twardofsky? Don't you like our early morning calisthenics?
Pvt. Twardofsky: Well, I didn't like 'em at first.
Sgt. McGee: Oh, you didn't like 'em at first. How do you like 'em now?
Pvt. Twardofsky: I'm still on first.
Eddie Dibble: What'll we call the show?
Maxie Twardofsky: Yip! Yip! Yaphank! the second.
Jerry Jones: No, no, Max. That's no good. It's a new war, a new show. We've got to have a new name.
Maj. John B. Davidson: Well, why not state the simple fact, This is the Army.
Jerry Jones: What do you think fellas? That's it, This is the Army.
Jerry Jones: Will you marry me tonight?
Ethel: Well, of course.
Jerry Jones: Wonderful. Congratulations, darling, you're a war bride. I've just been drafted.
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