Nothing puts one in a patriotic mood like hearing a brass band play a rousing march. There’s nothing quite as American as that proud, militaristic sound with perfectly synchronized musicians. A movie which celebrates the many forms of American music is the 1940 “Strike up the Band.”
A Musical Story
Jimmy Connors (Rooney) is a high school senior in a small Midwestern town and his widowed mother’s only child. He plays the drums in the school band, but he also has aspirations of organizing his classmates into a dance orchestra which can play at all the school functions.His sidekick is Mary Holden (Garland), the singer with his band, who is not so secretly in love with him. She has an ardent admirer of her own, 14-year-old Willie Brewster (Larry Nunn).
Jimmy convinces their high school to hire the band for their dance, and they succeed in selling all the tickets. After that, Jimmy finds an opportunity for the band to compete in a nationwide competition, but they have to raise the money to get to Chicago. To do so, they put on a show at the local Elks Club, using old costumes to parody a Gay Nineties melodrama. The show is a hit, but Willy’s arm gets injured doing a stunt. However, he keeps the injury to himself.
Young Talent
“Strike Up the Band” and the other “let’s put on a show” musicals showcase young performers who were extremely talented at their crafts. The cast is mostly comprised of actors in their teenage years or early 20s, all of whom were excellent actors and loaded with musical talent. The star of the show, of course, is Mickey Rooney, who was in peak condition here. He sings and dances, as usual, but he also plays the piano and the drums very impressively!Judy Garland is much more than his sidekick in this film. She sings beautifully throughout the many numbers, especially her solo, “Nobody,” which is full of clever cultural references from 1940. She also holds her own in the dance numbers, cutting a rug with a lot of pizzazz in the grandiose “Do the La Conga.”
One of my favorite parts of this film is the Gay Nineties show they perform, “Nell of New Rochelle,” which is shown in its entirety. If you can ignore the fact that the production looks like it would require as much funding as what they hope to raise with the show, it’s an outstanding sequence. It has a strong narrative plot as well as singing and dancing. The actors’ melodramatic acting, especially by the makeup-laden Rooney, is hilarious. It also gives Judy Garland the opportunity for some dramatic acting as the title character.
An Inspiring Example
“Strike up the Band” is inspiring for young artists. Jimmy is a motivated young man who loves music. However, he doesn’t just enjoy it for his own sake; he loves sharing it with his friends and spreading joy to an audience. When this character sees musical needs in their community that aren’t being met, he decides to fill those voids himself.Although this is a fictional story, it’s a vivid reminder that motivated individuals or groups can make amazing things happen for themselves and their communities if they are dedicated and, most importantly, unafraid to try.
“Strike up the Band” also reminds us that following one’s dreams is a distinctly American privilege. It’s almost a duty. This country was founded by those who dreamed of something different than life as a British colony, and our great country was born from this dream.
If you don’t want to delve that deep when watching a musical, just enjoy the sequence where Rooney conducts an orchestra of animated fruit!
“Strike Up the Band” is available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu.
