This week’s mystery movie was the 1944 Warner Bros. film Janie, with Robert Hutton, Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Alan Hale, Robert Benchley, Clare Foley, Barbara Brown, Hattie McDaniel, Dick Erdman, Jackie Moran, Ann Gillis, Ruth Tobey, Virginia Patton, Colleen Townsend, William Frambes, and presenting Joyce Reynolds as Janie.
Screenplay by Agnes Christine Johnston and Charles Hoffman.
From the play by Josephine Bentham and Herschel V. William Jr.
Produced by Brock Pemberton.
Photographed by Carl Guthrie.
Edited by Owen Marks.
Dialogue director Frederick de Cordova.
Sound by C.A. Riggs.
Art direction by Robert Haas.
Special effects by Lawrence Butler and Warren Lynch.
Set decorations by George James Hopkins.
Gowns by Leah Rhodes.
Makeup by Perc Westmore.
Keep Your Powder Dry by Jules Styne and Sammy Cahn.
Music by H. Roemheld.
Musical direction by Leo F. Forbstein.
Produced by Alex Gottlieb.
Directed by Michael Curtiz.
Further information on Janie is available from the AFI Catalog.
Janie and the sequel Janie Gets Married (with Joan Leslie in the title role) are available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
::
I picked Janie by going through the trades. Alan K. Rode, in his biography of Michael Curtiz, devotes two pages to the film, primarily on how Richard Erdman auditioned for Curtiz and got the role of Scooper Nolan. It’s a light, diverting film, with Edward Arnold in his customary role as the father of the family snorting ineffectively about the modern generation. Joyce Reynolds comes across quite well as being somewhat in the Teresa Wright mold, but apparently her heart wasn’t in acting and after about a dozen roles she was done with Hollywood.
Trivia note: Janie and Janie Gets Married were Clare Foley’s only films. She appeared in the stage version, her only Broadway production.
Because Janie originated on Broadway, where it ran for 642 performances, I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther gave it a fairly decent review – with a few quibbles, of course.
Oh, he did not approve of such goings-on! (The New York Times, August 5, 1944):
The popular theatrical premise that American family life is almost completely dominated by brash and precocious youths is the point of departure for considerable juvenile rumpus and uproar in the Warner production of Janie, which came to the Strand yesterday. In the most generous manner imaginable (outside a Hardy-family film) the writers of this childish frolic, based on a previous Broadway play, have turned the home over to the youngsters and let them have their reckless way. As a consequence we see here a picture in which the comedy is wholly derived from the spectacle of children tearing a house up, to their parents’ frozen dismay.
Certain writers have handled juvenile characters in a wistful and penetrating style. But the authors of Janie, play and picture, have simply cut a theatrical farce with some kids. And the bluntness with which they have done so provides very little warm appeal. There may be some humor in the aspects of a schoolgirl pre-empting the family phone, while her father fumes and sputters, or filling the house with soldier friends who treat it precisely as a cyclone while the young lady meekly assists. But there certainly isn’t any insight in it, nor any sound appreciation of youth.
For Monday, we have a mysterious young lady.
Update: This is Clare Foley.
For Tuesday, we have some mysterious singers.
Update: This is the Williams Brothers quartet, alphabetically: Andy, Bob, Dick and Don.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Hattie McDaniel.
We also have a mystery fellow.
Update: This is Richard Erdman.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Greg (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious quartet), Funky PhD (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery singers), Stacia (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Incredible Inman (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious singers), Roget-L.A. (Tuesday’s mysterious singers), Suznchaz (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Sylvia (mystery movie and all mystery guests), E. Yarber (back after a long absence! mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mysterious singers).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Ann Harding.
And another mysterious woman.
Update: This is Barbara Brown.
And a man of mystery.
Update: This is Robert Benchley.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Funky PhD (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), E. Yarber (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Michael Lott (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery woman), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious child and Wednesday’s mystery woman) and Sylvia (Wednesday’s mystery guests).
For Friday, we our mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Robert Hutton.
And our mysterious ingenue.
Update: This is Joyce Reynolds.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guests), Boebert (Thursday’s mystery man), Sylvia (Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery quartet and Thursday’s mystery guests), E. Yarber (Thursday’s mystery guests) and Benito (mystery movie, mystery movie sequel, Monday’s mysterious girl and Wednesday’s mystery woman).
ladailymirror.com 
Jane Withers in Chicken Wagon Family (1939)
LikeLike
An excellent guess! But, alas, I’m afraid not.
LikeLike
No guesses yet.
Had been thinking the other day that it’s been a while since you had a “spooky old house” movie. Don’t recognize the girl but she looks like she’s dressed in an early 1950s style. There are a few spooky pictures from that era.
The lighting is “spooky-ish” to me (or maybe it’s that toy soldier in the shadows – I was scared of clowns and self-animated movie toys as a kid).
But, maybe I’m on the wrong trail. Will await Tuesday’s image(s).
LikeLike
clare Foley and Andy Williams and his sining Willians’ brothers in JANIE.
LikeLike
Janie (1944) w/Clare Foley, Edward Arnold, Robert Hutton, Ann Harding, Robert Benchley, Barbara Brown, Jackie Moran, Hattie MacDaniel, Andy Williams and his brothers…
LikeLike
The wallpaper says that Monday’s young lady is Ruth Tobey and Tuesday’s soldiers are The Williams Brothers. Andy being second from the right. The movie is “Janie” from 1944.
LikeLike
On Tuesday, the third singing soldier looks to be Andy Williams, which would make the movie “Janie” (1944).
LikeLike
I think this is JANIE (1944) and the second photo are The Williams Brothers, I recognize Andy Williams! That would make the first girl Clare Foley.
LikeLike
Clare Foley, The Williams Brothers in JANIE (1944).
LikeLike
Today’s quartet is/are the Williams brothers before Andy was a solo, and I think the movie is “Janie.”
LikeLike
The Williams Brothers (Andy, Bob, Don and Dick, in no particular order) in… Kansas City Kitty (1944)?
LikeLike
Could be Perry Como adding his mellow baritone for the boys.
LikeLike
“Janie” (1944) with Clare Foley as the little sister on Monday and Tuesday Andy Williams as part of the singing quartet.
LikeLike
Janie 1944
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Mon – Clare Foley
Tues – recognized Andy Williams (my way into the mystery movie) and the rest of the “Williams Brothers”, Bob, Dick and Don.
LikeLike
Clare Foley and the Williams Brothers in Janie.
LikeLike
Is Monday’s child Edna Mae Wonacott in “Hi, Beautiful”? Tuesdays singers remind me of the Williams Brothers but the Andy Williams-ish guy is a trifle old for this era.
LikeLike
Hattie McDaniel and Richard erdman.
LikeLike
Wednesday: Hattie McDaniel with a lot of hot dogs, and the ubiquitous Richard Erdman.
LikeLike
Hattie McDaniel; Richard Erdman
LikeLike
With Hattie McDaniel and Dick Erdman I have to go with Janie.
LikeLike
Hattie McDaniel and Richard Erdman in JANIE.
LikeLike
Hattie McDaniels, straight out of the kitchen as usual, and William Frambes
LikeLike
For “Hm Wednesday” the mysterious woman is Hattie McDaniel and the movie is “Janie (1944)”
LikeLike
Well, I was kind of close the other day. This appears to be “Janie,” with Robert Hutton and Hattie McDaniel on Wednesday. Is Monday’s child Clare Foley?
LikeLike
Wed – 1) Hattie McDaniel
2) Dick Erdman
LikeLike
ann Sheridan, varbara brown, and Robert benchley.
LikeLike
On Thursday, Ann Harding, Barbara Brown and Robert Benchley
LikeLike
Ann Harding; Barbara Brown; Robert Benchley
LikeLike
Looks like Robert Benchley on Thursday.
LikeLike
Thur – 1) Ann Harding
2) Barbara Brown
3) Robert Benchley
LikeLike
Andy, Bob, Dick and Don Williams, Ann Harding, Barbara Brown and Robert Benchley.
LikeLike
Today is Ann Harding, Barbara Brown and Robert Benchley.
LikeLike
Clare Foley, Hattie McD “and the rest” are in JANIE 1944 and JANIE GETS MARRIED 1946
LikeLike
Fri – 1) Robert Hutton
2) Joyce Reynolds
Looking forward to the Saturday breakdown.
LikeLike
Robert Horton and Joyce Reynolds.
LikeLike
Robert Hutton and Joyce Reynolds.
LikeLike
We wind up with Robert Hutton and Joyce Reynolds. And since it makes absolutely no difference at this point, I’ll go out on a limb and guess the Wednesday male enigma was a youngish Jimmie Dodd, unrecognizable without his mouse ears.
LikeLike
I tried to get a screen cap of Jimmie Dodd, but his scenes are brief and the print simply isn’t good enough to show him in any detail.
LikeLike