Higher and Higher (1943) User Reviews (31)

Playing Himself Just Like Bing Did

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 11 February 2007]

Higher and Higher was one of Rodgers&Hart's lesser Broadway musicals it only had a run of 84 performances on Broadway in 1940. Yet it yielded one of their bigger hits It Never Entered My Mind.

Nevertheless except for one minor song, So Disgustingly Rich, the entire Broadway score was scrapped when RKO bought the film rights. Instead a whole new score by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson was written, mostly to accommodate one Francis Albert Sinatra who was making his feature film debut.

Sinatra who had done some vocal cameos in previous films, takes a leaf from the page of his singing rival Bing Crosby. When Bing did his feature film debut in The Big Broadcast, he played Bing Crosby. Frank Sinatra took on the role of Frank Sinatra and I can't think of anyone who could have done a better job.

The Chairman of the Board is billed third here behind stars Jack Haley and Michele Morgan. He's the butler and she's the scullery maid to Leon Errol. In fact Errol is a millionaire who hasn't paid his help for seven months. Mainly because he's about to go belly up into chapter 11 or so he informs the staff.

Errol's a delightful old soul to work for and none of the staff want to lose a good thing. They pool their resources and get Michele Morgan to impersonate Errol's daughter who's over in Switzerland with her mother. The idea being to snag a rich bankroll in the hopes rescuing the family fortune. Only Michele starts looking at another.

It's a slight plot and certainly no worse than a whole lot of musicals, but RKO invested this film with a good cast of players. Barbara Hale and Elizabeth Risdon play another débutante and her mother who suspect something's not right, Victor Borge is a fortune seeking no account, Dooley Wilson, Paul Hartman, Grace Hartman, Marcy McGuire, Mel Torme and Mary Wickes, play others of the Errol household staff. Not a bad bunch at all.

Sinatra sang three good ballads all of them had some kind of commercial success, The Music Stopped, A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening, and I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night. The last one was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song, but lost to Alice Faye's You'll Never Know.

1943 was the year of the Musician's Union Strike against the recording industry. To get their material out, Frank Sinatra recorded the songs from Higher and Higher with an acapella chorus for Columbia. Bing Crosby recorded songs from his film Dixie in the same manner for Decca. Both of them were denounced by the president of the union, James C. Petrillo as strikebreakers and both did not cross the picket line again. The strike wasn't settle completely until 1944 although Decca broke ranks earlier from the other record companies and settled earlier than Columbia, RCA Victor and the others.

The strike provided some anxious moments for Sinatra. He had just left the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra when the strike was called. It closed off a needed venue for his artistry when he wasn't sure whether leaving Dorsey would prove to be a right career move.

Fortunately Higher and Higher was received well a legend was launched.

Not as bad as some say, but it helps to have a fondness for history and archeology

[Terrell-4 · 5/10 · 21 December 2008]

For a movie that's just about awful, there are a number of good things which a little knowledge of history, a taste for archeology and the fast forward button can help you with. Higher and Higher tells the story of Mike and Millie, while also shoehorning in Frank. Cyrus Drake (Leon Errol), a rich old coot, has gone bankrupt. His staff, led by his valet, Mike (Jack Haley), get the brainstorm to marry off the beautiful and naïve scullery maid, Millie (Michele Morgan), to a rich man after they introduce her as Drake's daughter at the Butlers' Ball, the prestigious annual coming out affair for debs with rich daddies. Cyrus Drake's coffers will be refilled and the staff will get their back wages. But Millie secretly loves Mike. To get his attention she pretends to like very much the skinny, slightly goofy looking young man who lives across the court, a singer named Frank Sinatra. Be prepared. There's a happy ending, but not before an interminable story and a lot of dud jokes. Jack Haley, so full of insincere sincerity, a product of years on the vaudeville stage, makes a match with the beautiful Michele Morgan that is seriously unbelievable. The comedy mix-ups aren't so much tedious as just unfunny. Now on to the good stuff.

Higher and Higher was based on a 1940 Rodgers and Hart Broadway flop. It had a terrible book but some wonderful R&H songs. As is Hollywood's way, when the studio bought the rights they dumped the songs and kept the book. However, with Sinatra making his first starring appearance, they were smart enough to hire Jimmy McHugh (music) and Harold Donaldson (lyrics) to write all new songs. (A bit from one R&H song is used, "Disgustingly Rich.") McHugh and Donaldson came up with some proficient but unremarkable comedy songs, but they hit home runs for the three Sinatra ballads..."I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night," "This Is a Lovely Way to Spend an Evening" and my favorite,

The music stopped / But we were still dancing / Which goes to show / That music has charms

The lights were low / So we went on dancing / I felt the glow of you in my arms

The cast of Higher and Higher is almost worth renting the movie for. They are a group of some excellent comic actors and performers. They have little good material to work with, but if you're familiar with them you'll enjoy them. Among the rich coot's staff, we're talking Leon Errol, the coot; Mary Wickes, the social secretary; Mel Torme, only 18 and in his first movie, general helper; the wonderful Paul and Grace Hartman, who only have a couple of bits, butler and maid; Dooley Wilson, chauffeur; Marcy McGuire, maid; and Ivy Scott, cook. Victor Borge in his first American movie appears as Sir Victor Fitzroy Victor, a possible match for Millie. Perhaps he wrote his own stuff, but he has some brief but funny lines that already nail his successful stage persona.

Frank Sinatra hasn't learned to do much acting yet, but he doesn't embarrass himself. He comes across as a nice young guy with none of the ring-a-ding-ding awfulness of his middle years. When he croons those three hits McHugh and Donaldson wrote for him, you almost hear the thonk plop flop of bobbie soxers fainting in the theater aisles.

As for archeology, if you are inspired to track down the clever and memorable score Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote for the stage show, you'll need to dig. Since the score didn't have a big hit, unusual in an R&H musical, and the show flopped, the songs were largely forgotten. One, "It Never Entered My Mind," managed to find a life with saloon singers who knew quality. Two or three more would occasionally pop up here and there in albums. To hear the rest, you need to search out the CD Ben Bagley's Rodgers and Hart Revisited, Vol. 1. It features eight songs from the score. Ben Bagley's CD Rodgers and Hart Revisited, Vol. 3 has three more. The songs are clever and smart.

And finally, it will be a good thing if you give Michele Morgan a second chance. She was a memorable star in France but never quite made it in the United States. However, one of her best American films is that surreal and vicious Cornell Woolrich noir, The Chase. It more than makes up for her appearance in Higher and Higher. She is superb in Carol Reed's and Graham Greene's The Fallen Idol.

Higher than expected

[ryancm · 5/10 · 17 August 2008]

While a far cry from a "great musical classic" HIGHER AND HIGHER does have its moments. Most of them are provided by the young Frank Sinatra. As part of the Frnak Sinatra DVD collections, this flimsy musical showcases him well. I kind of liked Sinatra as the youngish, cute and innocent characters he played in this first films and up to FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. That's when he lost the "boyishness" and became a mature actor, which he handled with ease. HIGHER AND HIGHER has a cute plot that's really kind of a fairy tale, but fun. The supporting cast is really good and makes up for the plot line and contrivences. Michelle Morgan is well cast as the scullery maid turned debutante for plot purposes. Never cared for Jack Haley, but everyone else was fun. Look for a young Barbara Hale and Mel Torme. Most of the songs are well done and Sinatra could do no wrong in any of his numbers. My favorite I COULDN'T SLEEP A WINK LAST NIGHT. For some light fun and breezy entertainment, I recommend HIGHER AND HIGHER.

Sinatra, Torme, and Borge in their youth

[redward · 28 April 2002]

This is not the best of films, but a cute, fluffy romantic musical comedy. The real treat is seeing Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, and Victor Borge as young men - 3 true legends.

This was the first RKO picture for Sinatra of a 3 film RKO deal. However, Louis B. Mayer was a fan of Sinatra's - his rendition of Ol' Man River moved him to tears. Mayer contacted RKO & bought out Sinatra's RKO contract in order to bring him to MGM.

Light musical comedy from RKO and director Tim Whelan

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 18 December 2019]

When the household staff of a wealthy family find out that their employers have gone broke, they concoct a dubious scheme: have new maid Millie (Michele Morgan) pretend to be the daughter of the rich family long enough to wed a wealthy suitor and get her hands on his money, after which she'll pay the other servants handsomely. Butler Michael (Jack Haley) manages the scheme despite having feelings for Millie himself, while next door neighbor Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra) keeps popping over to hit on Millie, as well as sing a few tunes.

The story is minor, and the humor thin, but it was fun seeing so many later major stars in early roles. Mel Torme looks like he's about 13 years old, Barbara Hale is youthful yet still mature, and Victor Borge is a long way from the goofball that I used to see on PBS so often in the 70's and 80's. The real draw is Sinatra, of course, playing a version of himself. He sings several songs, but doesn't have much acting to do. He's very thin and looks like he's wearing a suit 3 sizes too big. One of his songs earned an Oscar nomination for Best Song ("I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night"), as did the film's score by C. Bakaleinikoff.

Social Climbing For Beginners

[writers_reign · 6/10 · 25 November 2009]

Sinatra completists will, of course, want even The Kissing Bandit in their DVD collections so this is a given. I have mixed feelings; as a lifetime Sinatra fan I naturally want his first actual appearance in a leading role - he had appeared twice as the uncredited vocalist with the Tommy Dorsey outfit and later in Reveille With Beverley but here was performing songs specifically written for him albeit working as himself, Frank Sinatra, opposite a group of actors playing fictional roles - but I'm also a lifetime Rodgers and Hart fan and it's not easy to see their whole Broadway score jettisoned - with the exception of about one third of Disgustingly Rich in favor of a specially commissioned score by Jimmy McHugh. The fact that Sinatra gets to perform three great numbers and went on to record a great song from the Broadway show on his Wee Small Hours album is neither here nor there. The cast is a dream for film buffs. Michele Morgan was arguably the heaviest hitter with a string of French classics behind her but we also get the great Mary Wickes, Mel Torme, Marcy McGuire, Leon Errol and Victor Borge - it is his strong resemblance to Borge that makes it difficult to take Arsene Wenger seriously - and strange choice leading man Jack Haley, then 45 with his Tin Man days firmly behind him. As a light-hearted comedy with songs it would have certainly hit the spot in 1943 and is still likable today.

Sinatra has first acting role in average B-film musical...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 4 May 2008]

There's really not much one can say in favor of HIGHER AND HIGHER except that it introduced crooner FRANK SINATRA to his fans in his first acting role as a "boy next door" type who sings to the pretty gal across the courtyard (MICHELE MORGAN). Morgan is really a domestic in LEON ERROL's household but pretends to be a young society woman so she can attend the Butler's Ball. That's about it for the plot.

Everybody in the household sings a number of forgettable songs while going about their chores and the script is a featherweight, dull bit of nonsense.

BARBARA HALE makes a fetching appearance as a debutante, and the supporting cast includes MARY WICKES and MEL TORME, but all of them are serving time in a very average sort of low-budget musical.

MICHELE MORGAN struggles with the comic possibilities of the maid but fails to impress as any sort of comedienne. It's up to JACK HALEY and the others to salvage what they can of a trivial script.

FRANK SINATRA croons "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night" with professional ease and shows why he was the sensation of the bobby-soxers in the early '40s. Sinatra warbles another pleasant ballad at The Butler's Ball ("The Music Stopped"), dancing with Morgan and Barbara Hale. He shows promise in a low-key role and one could easily see that he had the makings of a future star. His smooth rendition of "This Is A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening" is especially good.

As for the film, it's no more than a trifle, sometimes barely watchable but harmless.

Entertaining

[Liz-66 · 6/10 · 17 February 2000]

After watching this movie for no other reason than I was sick from school and it was on television, I recommend it if only for the chance to see such a young Frank Sinatra in action. (Especially the great scene at the "Butler's Ball.") I thought the actress who played Millie, the main character, was rather annoying, but the rest of the cast is great, especially the different servants.

Aside from a chance to hear Frank Sinatra croon, there really isn't much that's appealing about this film.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 23 August 2013]

I really, really hated "Higher and Higher" and it's a shame, as I really wanted to like it. After all, there are few reviewers on IMDb who love classic Hollywood films like me and a huge number of my reviews are for such films. But the lousy writing of this film made it very difficult to watch and its only saving grace was a chance to hear Frank Sinatra sing some lovely tunes.

The plot of "Higher and Higher" seems almost like it comes from some sitcom. In other words, it's very goofy and enough to keep the audience interested for about 30 minutes. However, the dumb plot idea wears very thin because it doesn't make sense and Michele Morgan was rather pretty but incredibly awful in this film. I could understand why she eventually returned to France to make movies considering the tripe they had her doing in films like this! The story begins at a mansion. The man of the house (Leon Errol) has just learned that he's penniless. Instead of panicking, his butler (Jack Haley) has a crazy idea--to give one of the maids a makeover and pass him off as his European-raised daughter. Then, supposedly, rich guys will come out of the woodwork to marry her and save the estate. There are two major problems with this--Morgan's character is an idiot and she is in love, secretly, with Haley (though you have no idea why). The problem is that the plan is rather nasty, Morgan's character is dumber than Gracie Allen and the romance that is tacked on at the end makes no sense at all. Mostly I blame the writers for this one, as it really could have used a massive re-write. Another director also might have helped. All I know is that silly plot could have worked but here you just keep holding on until the next time Sinatra appears to sing a tune.

Introducing..."Young Blue Eyes..."

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 10 April 2013]

OK, so this wasn't his first film; He appears in bit singing parts in a slew of films made prior to this, usually singing with a band or performing in a nightclub sequence. But here, he has his first acting role, even if his character is named Frank Sinatra. The character of Frankie here is as fictional as you can get, considering the revelations of his private life revealed decades later. In this film, he is the neighbor of wealthy Leon Errol who through bad investments has lost his fortune. Realizing that he is in danger of loosing his mansion, he enlists the pretty scullery maid (Michelle Morgan) to pose as his daughter. However a suspicious society matron (Errol's "Mexican Spitfire" spouse Elisabeth Risdon) questions Morgan's identity, wanting to see her own daughter married off to the European nobility (Victor Borge, of all people!). But with Errol's staff (which includes butler Jack Haley, social secretary Mary Wickes, chauffeur Dooley Wilson and maid Marcy McGuire) sticking up for Morgan, you know that the snobs are going to be disappointed when things don't turn out their way.

Based upon a flop 1940 Broadway musical with songs by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, only one song from that show ended up in the movie. The new songs, however, by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson are really good, one of them "I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night" now a standard and nominated for an Oscar.

The other songs actually have a Broadway feel to them, utilizing the ensemble cast to its fullest. McGuire, a perky teen, is a typical bobby-soxer, the type you'd probably see jumping outside the Paramount Theatre where Sinatra wooed thousands of like girls. She gets a great duet with Sinatra, "I Saw You First", representing all the fans all over the country. This film, however, is unpredictable, and does not end the way you think it would. In spite of the silly premise, it is for the most part a truly entertaining film, one where the ensemble all get moments to shine.

"You're Frank Sinatra? What are YOU doing in this movie?!"

[Rob-120 · 2/10 · 13 October 2014]

Frank Sinatra's film debut is a ridiculous movie. As you watch it, you keep asking yourself, "What is Frank Sinatra doing in this movie?"

In the early 1940's, Sinatra was a singing phenomenon, the first "Teen Idol" of the 20th century! His Golden Voice was devastating, making teenage girls scream with hysteria, wet their pants, and faint in the aisles. Wherever Sinatra went, crowds of stampeding teen girls trampled each other and fought with policemen to see him! And of course, his records sold like hot cakes.

Hollywood smelled money. They knew they had to get "Skinny Boy" into the movies. So RKO brought Sinatra out to California, and signed him to a contract. Then they threw him into a movie to see if he could swim.

With "Higher and Higher," RKO borrowed the "plot" (note that I put the word in quotes) of a short-run Broadway musical by Gladys Hurlbut and Joshua Logan. They threw out most of the song score by Rodgers & Hart, and had their own songwriters write new songs for it (a common practice in Hollywood's Golden Age).

The "plot" (what there is of it) centers around the household staff of a New York City mansion, who discover their drunken employer, millionaire Cyrus Drake (Leon Errol), has gambled away his entire fortune. (The servants in the house include Paul & Grace Hartman, Marcy McGuire, Mel Tormé, and Paul "Casablanca Sam" Dooley. Also, Mary Wickes plays a woman who shows up at the back door, claiming Cyrus Drake offered her a job. But when she discovers Drake is now broke, instead of moving on to find other work, she stays around to be part of the plot, for some unknown reason.)

Then Mike O'Brien (Jack "Tin Man" Haley), who is Drake's valet and the head of the household, comes up with a scheme. They will turn Milly Pico (Michéle Morgan), the beautiful scullery maid, into a débutante, pass her off as Drake's daughter, and marry her off to a rich husband who will pay all their salaries. The servants are thrilled by this, and more than willing to participate in this fraud.

Milly the maid is not happy with the scheme, but she goes along with it because she's in love with Mike. (God knows why. He treats her like dirt, and is too stupid to notice her devotion to him.)

Then the doorbell rings. Marcy McGuire, playing the cook's teen daughter, answers it. And it's Frank Sinatra on the doorstep!

"Hi, I'm Frank Sinatra!" he literally says. "I thought I'd stop by and sing a few songs."

After Marcy faints into his arms (of course), Frank goes to the mansion's piano and begins to sing, "I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night." It's never made clear why he's there, except that he's a friend of Milly the maid.

The servants don't like this. They think Sinatra's in love with Milly. They say to each other, "Hey, we better keep an eye on this Sinatra guy. He could ruin our scheme to marry Milly off to a millionaire."

What's amazing, and totally unbelievable, is that none of the servants ever say to each other, "Hey, this Sinatra guy has sold millions of records. He's a millionaire. Let's try to marry Milly off to him, and get him to pay our salaries!"

For the rest of the movie, the servants keep hustling Milly around New York, trying to match her with some "High Society" millionaire. Sinatra is stumbling along through the plot, and often looks like he's not sure what he's supposed to be doing when he's not singing. He keeps looking off to the side, as if he's looking for another piano in the room, so he can sit down and sing.

Of course, the "Idiot Plot" goes nowhere (and very slowly, I might add). Victor Borge appears as the "millionaire" that Milly is almost forced to marry, but who of course turns out to be a fraud himself. Aside from one funny line, Borge is never given an opportunity to show us his musical comedy talents. His presence is wasted in this film!

Fortunately, Sinatra's career would survive this film, and he would go on to better musicals, and better roles in movies like "From Here To Eternity." Who knew that "Skinny Boy" with the Golden Voice could actually act?!

This may not be the greatest movie ever made but......

[phvivian · 8/10 · 4 August 2004]

This may not be one of the best movies ever made but overall it's a very enjoyable, light-hearted piece of froth in which everyone involved seems to be having a good time. Highly recommended for it's feel-good factor alone. OK, so Frank Sinatra's "acting" leaves a lot to be desired but his singing is a great redeeming feature and the songs fit in perfectly with the romantic atmosphere of the film. Sinatra went on to make many more films where his undoubted acting ability shone through but in this, his first venture into Hollywood, his voice, not his acting, is his main contribution to this movie. I've just watched it again on TV and it still lifts my mood as much as it did the first time I saw it many many years ago.

Interesting, but definitely not sensational

[caa821 · 7/10 · 5 August 2006]

Mel Torme and Victor Borge, in their younger years, serve to make this film interesting - and especially viewing a young Sinatra, on the sunny side of 30, and definitely conveying that this was his "yes, I'm a popular singer, but hardly an actor yet" stage. Michele Morgan is an annoying, inane presence, and Jack Haley is an actor whose appeal has always been totally lost on me. Leon Erroll is silly, as always, but overall pretty funny. 7 stars of a potential 10 is about the right "grade," because with the combination of its positive aspects, along with the lack of much of a story, and a silly one at that, and the fore-mentioned annoyances - it is overall average at best. Most of the fascination is from the viewing of the three entertainment icons in their early years.

But for Sinatra, this forced humor musical is a dud

[SimonJack · 4/10 · 24 April 2023]

By the time Frank Sinatra got his co-starring role in a movie - this one, he had become a new singing heart-throb of the young bobbysoxers of the day. "Higher and Higher" is supposedly a loosely based film on a 1940 Broadway musical, but doesn't resemble it much at all, as others have noted. Regardless, RKO assembled a somewhat strange cast for this film. It's supposed to be a comedy musical, and romance, but it just delivers on the musical aspect, and that's not very notable.

Sinatra's singing and appearance in the start of his film career is really the only reason to see this film. The film got two Oscar nominations for its music. The best song nomination, "I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night" is the only number that people might be familiar with. There were no hit tunes. But, it's almost a certainty that Sinatra's draw is what made this film a small success. It finished 81st in box office receipts for the year.

The problems with the film are threefold. The screenplay just wasn't very good. It is humorless with forced attempts at comedy. That's the worst thing that can happen with a comedy. And Michele Morgan in the lead role as Millie is a disaster. The role really needed a comedienne to play it, and that's one type of role she could not do well. The French actress had gone to Hollywood during WW II, but she didn't catch on with American movie fans as did some other European actresses. So, with a poor screenplay, an actress who couldn't do comedy well, obvious forced attempts for comedy by most of the rest of the cast, and the odd script that makes Morgan's Millie come across as a buffoon and ignorant person, this is rare film that leaves some fans embarrassed for poor Miss Morgan. And, as for the rest of the cast -- Jack Haley, Leon Errol, Mary Wickes, Barbara Hale and Paul Hartman all had much better work in memorable films. And, Victor Borge became one of the most popular comedy and musical entertainers on the stage and in nightclubs, theaters and on TV for more than four decades.

After a few little known films in Hollywood, Morgan returned to France where she resumed a successful career in mostly dramatic roles and mysteries. And, Sinatra's star continued to rise slowly until he starred and co-starred in some smashing musicals and then dramas, beginning with "Anchors Aweigh" in 1945.

up and up indeed.

[ptb-8 · 11 April 2004]

As a stage play it must have been a hilarious farce, as a film with a

truly great cast it is very funny indeed. To have all those appealing

character actors like Mary Wickes and Victor Borge along with

headliners like Sinatra and Jack Haley all set in a well furnished

RKO mansion adding crooner Mel Torme and a few excellent

songs: "I saw you first" and "A lovely way to spend an evening" and

a good situation comedy storyline, HIGHER AND HIGHER is great

fun. There is a wide range to the tunes too, with some hep jive

from Marcie and Mel and crooner swooner from Frank.....and on a

bicycle too. Sinatra would have been 28 when he made this and

his visual appeal is also undeniable. Good 40s musical stage to

film adaptation.

Cute fluffy musical

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 13 September 2017]

A very rich man in a big, beautiful house with lots of servants is broke. He can't afford his big, beautiful house, and he hasn't paid his servants in months. Collectively, the servants come up with the idea to pass off a maid, Michele Morgan, as their boss's daughter, since his real daughter is abroad in Europe, and then to marry her off to a rich man to save the household. The problem is that Michele is in love with the valet, Jack Haley. He doesn't know she's alive, but their singing neighbor next door, Frank Sinatra—who actually plays himself—sure notices her!

It's very silly, but there are some cute songs and funny jokes, and the romances are very entertaining. As silly and corny as this movie is, I actually liked Higher and Higher. Just make sure you're in the mood for that combination before you rent this black-and-white musical. The cast works well off each other and the plot is very funny. Plus, it's cute to see a very young Frank Sinatra, but don't expect any acting chops on him yet; all he does in this one is sing.

Enjoyable Classic 1943 Musical

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 5 May 2008]

If you have never viewed this film and like old time veteran actors, this is the film for you. Seeing Frank Sinatra when he was very young and extremely thin with sunken in cheeks and a wonderful voice which sang some great old songs. Michele Morgan, (Millie Pico) gave an outstanding performance with plenty of dance and musical numbers. Leon Errol, (Cyrus Drake) gave a great supporting role along with Victor Borge, (Sir Victor Fitzroy Victor) who performed classical piano and no slap stick comedy like he did in his career. This is not a great musical, but Frank Sinatra was a great joy to see at the beginning of his career in the 1940's.

Frank Sinatra's first starring role, subordinate to Michele Morgan and Jack Haley

[jacobs-greenwood · 5/10 · 19 October 2016]

The film earned Academy Award nominations for the Jimmy McHugh- Harold Adamson original song "I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night" and its Score by C. Bakaleinikoff, but its real historical significance stems from the fact that it features Frank Sinatra's first starring role.

It was produced and directed by Tim Whelan and was scripted by Jay Dratler and Ralph Spence from the musical play by Gladys Hurlbut and (future director) Joshua Logan, with additional dialogue provided by William Bowers and Howard Harris. Sinatra fills in the gaps of the rather average romantic comedy between Michele Morgan and Jack Haley (who were billed above Sinatra per their contracts) with songs that were tailored especially for him.

The story is about a near bankrupt (Leon Errol) widower who forms a corporation with his many loyal servants (including Mary Wickes, Mel Tormé and Dooley Wilson), to whom he owes significant back wages, to try to pass off his scullery maid (Morgan) as a debutante in order to catch a wealthy husband that can save them all from their dire financial situation. Haley plays Errol's valet. His idea attracts an equivalent fraud (Victor Borge) – a cook pretending to be foreign royalty – who'd been courting Elisabeth Risdon's daughter Barbara Hale.

Sinatra's character is insignificant to the silly plot which ends when Haley finally realizes that Morgan loves him shortly after he'd saved the day with a convenient discovery.

Not an A list film but fun

[lovewenn · 6/10 · 8 January 2007]

This movies should never be listed as one of the best films of all times, but I enjoy this film every time I watch it. I would watch it just for the songs, because there are some very beautiful songs in it. I got an XM radio just so I can listen to songs from this era.

The movie provides a little twist to the usual Cinderella story. Here is the maid supposed to be finding her Prince Charming and become rich, but all she wants to do is be a maid and marry the valet who enjoys the chance to play a rich girl once in awhile. Millie never gets what she is supposed to do providing for some comedic scenes. One of my favorite's is the Butler's Ball when she does everything to keep dancing with her love including losing her skirt.

This movie is a fun twist on an old fashioned tale. If you want meaningful storyline with a big plot line don't watch it, but if you want some light-hearted laughs and good 40's music than this is for you.

he's so young

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 28 July 2022]

Millionaire Cyrus Drake hasn't paid his staff for seven months. He reveals that he has gone bankrupt. His wife and daughter are away. Millie Pico is the last hired maid and the lowest seniority. The group comes up with a scheme to fake Millie as an heiress and marry her off to a rich sucker. She has a crush on next-door crooner Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra).

This is very early Frank Sinatra. He's a scrawny kid in this one. He's not really acting. He's playing himself. He's barely emoting. They're not even changing his character's name. The premise is ridiculous. It's so silly that it is a bit amusing at times. Non of that really matters. It's a matter of seeing a young Frank doing some crooning.

One of my favorites

[ShazInCA · 8/10 · 5 May 2008]

This is one of my all-time favorites. Great music and some funny bits. I laugh every time at Millie, the maid pretending to be a débutante, holding her dainty hankie while chatting, and mindlessly polishing furniture with it as she chats. I just never can get past her French accent never being a problem as they try to pass her off as the boss's daughter.

Seeing a teenage Mel Torme and the very young Frank Sinatra singing is such a treat. My mom saw Frank Sinatra at a theater about the same time this movie came out. She said they couldn't clear the "bobby-soxers" out between movies (in those days you didn't have to leave between showings). This movie shows you how attractive and appealing the young Frank was and allows you to appreciate his early talent as well. And Victor Borge gets in a bit of his routine in, which is a bonus.

This is a fun movie with a sweet, simple storyline. Very enjoyable.

Frankie's performance couldn't be reviewed!

[349th Heavy Weapons Crew · 7 June 2000]

Back in 1944 movie critics weren't given special screenings in order to review soon to be released films, but had to wait for a movie's regular opening to write their reviews. According to the host of American Movie Classics, when "Higher and Higher" first opened, film critics were unable to review Frank Sinatra's performance because the screams of adulation from the overwhelmingly young female audience drowned out all sound.

The first time I ever saw/heard Frank Sinatra was in the late 1960s and I couldn't understand why the women of my mother's generation made such a fuss about Mr. Sinatra. But after seeing this sensual and romantic crooner in "Higher and Higher" I can easily grasp why thousands of young women slept in the streets in order to be the first on line to see the young and appealing Mr. Sinatra.

Pretty maids all in a row? Well, Grace and Marcy, at least.

[F Gwynplaine MacIntyre · 8/10 · 3 July 2007]

In Frank Sinatra's first three films, he was purely a speciality act: ostensibly playing himself, he merely shows up to croon a song during a nightclub sequence in somebody else's movie. In his fourth film, the very enjoyable 'Higher and Higher', Young Blue Eyes transitions into an acting career by playing an actual role ... a task made easier because he's playing himself in a fictional story that gives him a chance to croon a few numbers.

Sinatra's entrance is quite funny. Michele Morgan hears a knock at the door, and asks who's there. From outside, a Hoboken-toned voice answers 'Frank Sinatra'. Sure enough...

The opening credits of 'Higher and Higher' may confuse some viewers, as the names of songwriters Rodgers and Hart are prominently displayed. In fact, they only contributed one song to this musical: 'Disgustingly Rich', which this cast manage to toss off as a sort of intro to an entirely different song, 'I'm a Debutante'. Interestingly, that Rodgers & Hart song -- one of their weakest -- is perhaps the least enjoyable song in this movie's score; several others are lively up-tempo numbers, notably 'It's a Most Important Affair', 'When It Comes to Love, You're On Your Own' and 'I Saw You First'.

Sinatra's good in this movie, but he would do better work (and sing better material) elsewhere. The real merits of 'Higher and Higher' are the delightful turns by some performers who rarely made films. Paul and Grace Hartman were an extremely popular husband-wife dance team who starred in several Broadway revues: genuinely graceful ballroom dancers, they put plenty of physical comedy into their dance material. (Here, Grace does a high kick that knocks a shoe out of Paul's hands.) Grace Hartman, who died of cancer at age 48, did almost no film work, so it's a real pleasure that this film gives us a rare chance to see her close-up, to hear her beautiful singing voice and to notice how sexy she looks in her maid's uniform. After Grace Hartman's death, her husband had a long career as a character actor, just occasionally dancing solo. (Or alongside Ken Berry in one memorable episode of 'Mayberry RFD'.)

Also quite attractive in a maid's uniform here in 'Higher and Higher' is the vivacious teenage singer Marcy McGuire. Why didn't this talented girl make more movies? Perhaps she was just a bit too similar in personality to Betty Hutton. I enjoy Hutton's performances but I like Marcy McGuire even better. Near the end of 'Higher and Higher' there's an amusing bit of physical business featuring McGuire and Mary Wickes as waitresses, taking it in turns to move from table to table in a nightclub. The alternating strides of short McGuire and tall gawky Wickes are hilarious! Regrettably, although Leon Errol plays a large role in 'Higher and Higher', he is given almost no comedy business: not once does he do his famous rubber-legged dance. Jack Haley, despite his prominent billing, is also wasted.

Very well-represented here is Dooley Wilson, inevitably remembered as Sam from 'Casablanca'. In that film, Wilson did his own singing but faked his keyboard performance of 'As Time Goes By'. (In real life, Wilson couldn't play piano.) Here in 'Higher and Higher', he sings pleasingly and gives some amusing reactions to the other players. Less enjoyable is Mel Odious, I mean Mel Torme. Victor Borge gives a rare film performance here, handling his dialogue deftly but never doing any of the keyboard comedy which he later did successfully in his stage shows.

The plot? Forget it. 'Higher and Higher' is nobody's idea of a 'great' musical, but it's an enjoyable delight, and I'll rate it 8 out of 10. Director Tim Whelan, who worked in Britain as well as in Hollywood, deserves to be much better known.

Cute little romantic comedy

[breeyore · 8/10 · 7 January 2000]

I thought this movie was pretty good. Some parts were corny but that's understandable since it was made more than 55 years ago. I thought the best performance in the movie was given by Michele Morgan who played Millie convincingly. Jack Haley is also really good as Mike O'Brien. Even though I'm not a big Frank Sinatra fan, I think he was very good in this movie. If your have a craving for a silly, over the top musical comedy, Higher and Higher is the movie for you.

Young Blue Eyes makes his mark.

[Scaramouche2004 · 4 August 2004]

As a lover of all kinds of music spanning many era's, I can safely say that Frank Sinatra is far and away my personal favourite and arguably the best male vocalist of all time.

When Higher and Higher was made back in 1944, Sinatra was still working on his craft. He had a typical 1940's Big Band voice, no different really from the likes of Ray Ebberly, Johnny Desmond or Dick Haymes but he was better in many ways. He had yet to develop his own distinctive sound which would become instantly recognisable and would eventually make him the singing sensation of the 20th century.

Yet in this largely forgettable romantic comedy, the tools are there and you are starting to see the true craftsman at work.

Sinatra played himself, which I thought was a mistake as the love stories would have worked better if he was in character and completely detached from his true self. At the time Frank was happily married to his first wife and was already the father of two, yet the script announces his engagement to the lovely Barbara Hale (of Perry Mason fame.) Obviously RKO thought very little of unimportant crimes such as bigamy.

Despite these flagrant liberties taken with Frank's personal life, the film is redeemed as he is given perfect chance to prove to us just why he was the most popular singer of the war years with powerful ballads like, 'I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night,' and, 'A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening.'

What was a double treat for me was that another one of my all time favourite singers also featured in the cast. Mel Torme was an excellent artist but, 'The Man with the Velvet Voice' was not really given much opportunity in this vehicle to show us what a great singer he really was.

However despite the great songs expertly executed by the man himself, and excellent performances by the entire cast, nothing seems to rescue this film from drab dullness.

I think it's main failing was a rather weak and transparent plot, but hell..... if it past a dreary hour or so and took your mind off the horrors and reality of the war, then it had done what it had set out to do.