Doll Face (1945)
Directed by Lewis Seiler and released in December 1945, Doll Face (released internationally as Come Back to Me) is a musical comedy produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Starring Vivian Blaine, Dennis O’Keefe, crooning icon Perry Como, and the legendary Carmen Miranda, this sparkling 80-minute wartime feature delivers a witty backstage story of burlesque ambition, fake literary memoirs, and showbiz romance.
Plot Overview
Bubbly burlesque performer Doll Face Carroll (Vivian Blaine) dreams of hanging up her revealing costumes to conquer legitimate Broadway theater. Her devoted manager and boyfriend, Michael “Mike” Gerard (Dennis O’Keefe), arranges an audition with a high-society Broadway producer. However, the producer flatly rejects Doll Face, claiming her burlesque background lacks the culture, social prestige, and refinement required for highbrow theater.
Refusing to take no for an answer, Mike hatches a wild publicity scheme: he hires a struggling ghostwriter named Flo Monte (Reed Hadley) to write a phony, high-class autobiography titled The Chimney Corner under Doll Face’s name. To everyone’s shock, the manufactured memoir becomes an overnight literary phenomenon, turning Doll Face into an intellectual media darling. Armed with her newfound prestige, she lands the starring role in a lavish Broadway show alongside charming crooner Nicky Fairchild (Perry Como). But as Doll Face blossoms into a legitimate superstar and grows fond of her handsome co-star, Mike realizes his publicity stunt worked too well—threatening to push the woman he loves right out of his life.
Cast
- Vivian Blaine as Doll Face Carroll
- Dennis O’Keefe as Michael “Mike” Gerard
- Perry Como as Nicky Fairchild
- Carmen Miranda as Chita Chula
- Martha Stewart as Frankie
- Reed Hadley as Flo Monte
- Stanley Prager as Island
- Charles Tannen as Sears
Production Notes & Trivia
- Gypsy Rose Lee’s Play: The film was adapted from the 1944 stage play The Chiffon Girl, written by world-famous burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee, drawing inspiration from her own famous transition from burlesque dancer to published author.
- Perry Como’s Million-Seller: The movie served as a massive showcase for pop crooner Perry Como, who performed his iconic 1945 smash hit song “Dig You Later (A Hubba-Hubba-Hubba)”, which went on to sell over a million records worldwide.
- Carmen Miranda’s Star Power: The “Brazilian Bombshell” Carmen Miranda brings her signature high-energy comedic timing to the role of Chita Chula, performing vibrant musical numbers such as “Chico Chico from Puerto Rico.”
- Vivian Blaine’s Musical Reign: Five years before creating the iconic role of Miss Adelaide in Broadway’s Guys and Dolls (1950)—a role she reprised in the 1955 film—Vivian Blaine was one of 20th Century Fox’s top musical leading ladies.
