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ERA
Did you know
86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Strike Up the Band
"The merriest pair on the screen!"
1940 2h 0m EN
👍
6.6
SOLID
★6.6TMDB · 27
ComedyMusicRomance
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Jimmy and Mary get a group of kids together to play in a school orchestra. A huge contest between schools is coming up and they have a hard time raising money to go to Chicago for the contest.
“The merriest pair on the screen!”
Cast
Mickey Rooney
Jimmy Connors
Judy Garland
Mary Holden
June Preisser
Barbara Frances Morgan
William Tracy
Phillip Turner
Larry Nunn
Willie Brewster
Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
Margaret Early
Annie
Ann Shoemaker
Mrs. Connors
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Busby Berkeley
- Writers
- Fred F. Finklehoffe, John Monks Jr.
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 7
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Busby Berkeley, shot by Ray June. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 7
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by George Gershwin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 7
CAST
Did you know
Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and June Preisser carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 7
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "The merriest pair on the screen!".
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 7
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0033110 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 7
WILD
Did you know
Only 27 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Busby Berkeley directs. Ray June behind the camera. George Gershwin scores. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 186 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
- 2Directed by Busby Berkeley, shot by Ray June. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 3Original score by George Gershwin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 4Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and June Preisser carry the top of the cast.
- 5Marketing tagline: "The merriest pair on the screen!".
- 6IMDB entry: tt0033110 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 7Only 27 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Ray June
- Original score
- George Gershwin
- Runtime
- 120 min · 2h 0m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- NR
Awards
- Academy Award for Best Sound
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
Busby Berkeley
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
US
Key crew
- ProducerArthur Freed
- Art DirectionCedric Gibbons
- Set DecorationEdwin B. Willis
- Assistant DirectorWilliam Ryan
- SongsGeorge Gershwin
- LyricistIra Gershwin
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- musical
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1940-09-27NR
Also known as
International titles
- Vi jazzkungarSE
- En Avant la MusiqueFR
