Thumbs Up

Thumbs Up is a 1943 American musical drama film producted by Albert J. Cohen for Republic Pictures and directed by Joseph Santley. The film stars Brenda Joyce, Richard Fraser and Elsa Lanchester. The screenplay was written by Frank Gill Jr. based on a story idea by Ray Golden and Henry K. Moritz. Musical direction was by Walter Scharf, words and music by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne respectively. The film was released on July 5, 1943. For a publicity stunt to boost her career, an American nightclub singer volunteers for a stint in a British munitions factory. She is so impressed by the spirit of her fellow workers that she decides to stay on. Plot Louise Latimer (Brenda Joyce) is working at the American Club in London as a singer, hoping for her next big break with the help of Bert Lawrence (Arthur Margetson), but Bert has been unable to help her along as Bert's associate E.E. Cartwright (André Charlot) has other ideas, he wants to use various talents from ammunitions and aircraft plants from England for his next show. While Louise is performing, Douglas Heath (Richard Fraser) is drawing attention to himself by performing tricks with some coins on his arm, which Louise takes exception to, but Douglas ignores her displeasure and sits at her table just as Louise's hopeful fiancé, Bert joins them. Later, Emma Finch (Elsa Lanchester) visits the American Club with her friend Basil (Wee Willie Davis) and runs into her old friend Bert and sits at their table. She tells Bert and Louise that she'll be working at the Minton aircraft factory for the duration of the war. Bert inadvertently mentions that Minton is one of the locations that Cartwright will be drawing talent from. Louise decides to volunteer for the factory work, and with the help of Bert, she will be discovered by Cartwright. Louise and Emma begin their new stints as aircraft riveters while being entertained during their meal breaks by various talents, including American singer Gertrude Niesen and the Hot Shots. Emma meets her new beau Sam Keats (J. Pat O'Malley) and Louise discovers that Douglas is also working there as an aircraft safety inspector. Douglas chides her for not wearing her hair tied back with a kerchief and after loosely tying it back, the kerchief is caught in a drill press and she is chided by Douglas for the safety hazard which increases her dislike for him.