High-octane A&C, their first starring roles and a really kinetic blending of musical numbers and comedy routines. Too bad this 90 minute dynamo wasn't sent to Hitler and Tojo. They would have tossed in the towel right away. One look at the sheer energy of the flying boogie-woogie couples is enough to light up a dozen defense plants. I'm sure it was great to have this kind of zippy support at home, but I'm afraid those eve-of-war conscripts were in for a lot more than the year of garrison duty the movie portrays.<br /><br />Nonetheless, note how the movie never loses its bounce. That's a tribute to director Lubin, the film editor(s), and the comedy duo that in 1941 was still fresh and eager to please. The crap-shooting skit is classic A&C, along with the "money counting" routine, and of course there's the Andrews Sisters segueing into their knock-out version of the classic "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy". Even the inevitable romantic scenes are well handled without being draggy, (but just what is that over-sized thing perched on Frazee's head-- I'm still wondering.).<br /><br />In passing-- note how the class conflict of the Depression era is leveled out by the the common war effort and the spirit of one for all and all for one. Note too, how the patriotic screenplay favors neither blue-collar Alan Curtis nor rich playboy Lee Bowman in their competition for the lovely Jane Frazee. Still and all, Bowman must first lose his privileged arrogance before being accepted into the great American melting pot.<br /><br />Also, I was a little puzzled by the "Apple Blossom Time" number which seemed a throw-back to WWI with its GI's (doughboys) strolling dreamily down the lane to the romantic down-tempo strains. I expect the producers wanted a change of musical pace for variety's sake. That's understandable. But more importantly, I think the number reflects popular tastes from the 1916-18 period, such that it's contrast here with the boogie-woogie numbers provides an interesting glimpse of how the pace of American life had speeded up between the wars.<br /><br />Be that as it may, the movie remains a zesty blend of comedy and song with a larger than usual A&C budget-- (note the realistically crowded train station). I expect everything just sort of fell into place to produce what amounts to a happy accident that likely helped set the pace for the many war-time musicals that would follow. Even non-fans of A&C should enjoy this one.