This week’s mystery movie was the 1944 Twentieth Century-Fox film Four Jills in a Jeep, with Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye, Mitzi Mayfair, Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra, John Harvey and Phil Silvers. “Introducing Dick Haymes in his first motion picture.” Guest stars Alice Faye, Betty Grable, Carmen Miranda and George Jessel.
Screenplay by Robert Ellis, Helen Logan and Snag Werris. Story by Froma Sand and Fred Niblo Jr. Based on the actual experiences of Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye and Mitzi Mayfair.
Music by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson. Musical numbers staged by Don Loper. Musical direction by Emil Newman and Charles Henderson. Photography by Peverell Marley. Art direction by James Basevi and Albert Hogsett. Set decorations by Thomas Little and Al Orenbach. Edited by Ray Curtiss. Costumes by Yvonne Wood. Makeup by Guy Pearce. Photographic effects by Fred Sersen. Sound by Jesse T. Bastian and Murray Spivack.
Produced by Irving Starr. Directed by William A. Seiter.
Four Jills in a Jeep is available on DVD from TCM.
I got a request for a Kay Francis movie, which is a challenge, because so many of her films air on TCM frequently. I went into the Daily Mirror vault to get Four Jills in a Jeep, which aired exactly once TCM, in 2018, although it turns up on Fox’s cable channel every so often. It’s an upbeat, morale-booster from World War II with lots of stars, light on the plot and heavy on musical entertainment, with laughs along the way. Notable for the presence of Carole Landis, re-creating her marriage to Capt. Thomas C. Wallace.
More on the history of Four Jills in a Jeep is available at the AFI website.
Bosley Crowther wouldn’t dare hate this picture, would he?
Uh-oh (April 6, 1944). I mean he hated it. He really, really hated it:
The adventures of Kay Francis, Carole Landis, Martha Raye and Mitzi Mayfair on a USO Camp tour of England and North Africa a little more than a year ago were no doubt diverting to the ladies. And the soldiers whom they were entertaining were probably so fired with admiration that we herewith proceed at our own peril. But it has to be stated bluntly that the film which Twentieth Century-Fox has made about that star-spangled journey among warriors is something less than okay. Four Jills in a Jeep, the claptrap saga which came to the Roxy yesterday, is just a raw piece of capitalization upon a widely publicized affair.
For Monday, we have a mystery woman. She may not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Mary Servoss.
For Tuesday, we have another mystery woman.
Update: This is Mitzi Mayfair.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a better view of Tuesday’s mystery woman, plus Back of the Head Guy.
Update: This is Mitzi Mayfair and Dick Haymes as Back of the Head Guy.
We also have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Alice Faye.
And we have this mysterious fellow.
Update: This is George Jessel.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, both mystery guests).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Carmen Miranda.
We also have this mysterious clarinetist.
Update: This is Phil Silvers.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Michael Ryerson (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sheila (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery nurse, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Suzanne Stone (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mystery singer), Gary (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Benito (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery woman and Wednesday’s mystery singer), Thom and Megan (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests) and Allie (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery women).
For Friday, we have a mystery singer.
Update: This is Betty Grable.
We also have this mysterious pianist. She shifts expressions constantly, making it difficult to get a good frame grab. Only Eric Blore goes through so many nonstop expressions.
Update: This is Martha Raye. She ties Eric Blore in having such an animated face that it’s almost impossible to get a good frame grab.
We also have this mysterious couple.
Update: This is Carole Landis and John Harvey.
And this mystery couple.
Update: This is Mitzi Mayfair and a better shot of Dick Haymes.
And this mystery woman. Back of the Head Doctor is telling her that he really likes her. No, he really, really likes her.
Update: This is Kay Francis and Lester Matthews as Back of the Head Guy.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Monday’s mystery nurse and Thursday’s mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (Thursday’s mystery guests), Sue Slutzky (mystery movie, Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Beach Gal (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Michael Ryerson (Thursday’s mystery guests), Charles Kjelland (Thursday’s mystery guests and half-credit for the title), Richard Wegescheide (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Earl Boebert (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery woman), Rick (mystery studio, Thursday’s mystery woman), Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests and peering into the future for Friday’s mystery folks) and Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Thelma Ritter. On a Monday??
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An interesting guess, but alas, we won’t have Thelma this week.
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I’m proud to be on the same side of a wrong guess as Howard.
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Thelma Ritter in THE PROUD AND PROFANE (1956).
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Ann Doran in So Proudly We Hail.
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Alas, I’m afraid not. But you have the right era.
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Monday: Mary Servoss in FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP(1944)
Tuesday: Mitzi Mayfair
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Cry Havoc
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An excellent guess. But alas….
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FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP (more on Carole Landis!). Edith Evanson Monday, Mitzi Mayfair Tuesday and Wednesday, with Dick Haymes as BOTH guy Wednesday, Alice Faye (on a Wednesday?), and George Jessel.
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“Four Jills in a Jeep”
Mon – Mary Servoss
Tues – Mitzi Mayfair
Wed – Mitzi Mayfair, Alice Faye, George Jessel
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Dick Haymes (Back of Head Guy); Alice Faye; George Jessel
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Well, Alice Faye and George Jessel make this Four Jills in a Jeep (1944).
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Alice Faye and George Jessel in “Four Jills in a Jeep”
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Mitzi Mayfair, Alice Faye and George Jessel in ‘Four Jills in a Jeep’?
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“Four Jills in a Jeep” 1944
Not sure about Monday yet.
Tuesday, I think is Mitzi Mayfair
Wednesday, Mitzi again. I think the BOTHG is John Harvey. Image 2 is Alice Faye / Image 3 is (babyfaced) George Jessel, who was the key to the mystery for me.
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Alice Faye in “Four Jills in a Jeep” with Mitzie Mayfair in a nice helmet.
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My third and final guess and then I give up! Alice Faye and George Jessel in 4 Jills and a Jeep.
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Four Jills in a Jeep (1944) w/Kay Francis, Alice Faye, Mitzi Mayfair, Martha Raye, Carol Landis, Betty Grable, George Jessel, Dick Haymes…
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Alice Faye today. Guessing Helmet Girl is Mitzi Mayfair in FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP 1944
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Our movie is Four Jills in a Jeep, with Mitzi Mayfair, Alice Faye, and George Jessel.
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Alice Faye and George Jessel in Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)
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I think Monday’s ‘stricken’ nurse is Mary Servoss. Only a guess though from an image on another site. She was also in a picture that Gary mentioned in his guess, “So Proudly We Hail” also in a military role.
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Mitzi Mayfair and Alice Faye in Four Jills and a Jeep?
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Mary Servoss Monday, Carmen Miranda, and Phil Silvers. Hawkman is out of town, but he has access to a friend’s computer.
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Carmen Miranda, Phil Silvers
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Four Jills in a Jeep
Monday: ?
Tuesday: Mitzi Mayfair
Wednesday: Alice Faye, George Jessel
Thursday: Carmen Miranda, Phil Silvers
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Movie is Four Jills in a Jeep
Monday frame #1 is Mary Servoss
Wed singer is Alice Faye
Thurs Carmen Miranda frame 1 and frame 2 is Phil Silvers
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Mon – Mitzi Mayfair
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Oops! Mitzi should have had a Tues/Wen, not Monday with her name
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Wed – man at mic Harry Carter II
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Carmen Miranda; Phil Silvers.
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Carmen Miranda, here wearing one of her more subdued outfits, and Phil Silvers, although I’m sorely tempted to call out one of the Dorsey brothers.
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Phil Silvers and Carmen Miranda “Something for the Boys”
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You got Carmen Miranda and Phil Silvers on Thursday. So it should be ‘Four Jills and a Jeep’
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Four Jills in a Jeep, with Carmen Miranda sans fruit salad on Thursday and probably Jimmy Dorsey on clarinet.
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Carmen and Benny today The Gang’s All Here
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Thurs – Ms Carmen Miranda / Phil Silvers (I think) leading Jimmy Dorsey’s Orchestra.
That leaves for Friday: Carole Landis, Kay Francis, Martha Raye and maybe Betty Grable and Dick Haymes.
Looking forward to the Saturday breakdown.
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Carmen Miranda and Phil Silvers in Four Jills in a Jeep (1944)
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Betty Grable, Martha Raye, John Harvey and Carole Landis, Martha Mayfair and Dick Haymes, Kay Francis and Lester Mathews.
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Fri – Betty Gable. Martha Raye. Carole Landis and John Harvey. Mitzi Mayfair and Dick Haymes. Kay Francis and Lester Mathews.
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Friday closes with Betty Grable, Martha Raye, John Harvey cutting the cake with Carole Landis, Dick Haymes pouring Mitzi Mayfair a glass of champagne and Kay Francis getting some surprising news.
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Betty Grable; Martha Raye; John Harvey and Carole Landis; Mitzi Mayfair and Dick Haymes; Kay Francis and Charles Sherlock (?)
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Betty Grable; Martha Raye; John Harvey, Carole Landis; Mitzi Mayfair, Dick Haymes; Kay Francis, Lester Mathews.
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