I Won't Play (1944)

Johnny Green's piano introduction sets the scene well for this light-hearted wartime story of "Fingers". Dane Clark plays this character who chats with his colleagues, filling their heads with stories of his celebrity friends and his piano playing with George Gershwin. The arrival of a piano that's "missing half of it's teeth" puts him on the spot and he, well suffice to say that his pals stop listening to his yarns and wait with anticipation for some real talent to come visit them on their remote South Sea island. The arrival of his purported super-star friend "Kim" (Janis Paige) really puts "Fingers" on the spot before someone gets the last laugh! Clark is good here. His smile and his charisma work well throughout this brief, feel-good, film and yes, Paige can sing a bit too. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story, eh? There's some "Rhapsody in Blue" - too. What's not to like?