Rating : - Sing Away the War
Two Girls and a Sailor is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon and features a great cast. The Deyo Sisters Patsy and Jean (June Allyson, Gloria De Haven) have been in show business their whole lives. When they grow up, they start their own canteen for soldiers and sailors from WWII to visit, have some snacks, and be entertained. Jean has a secret admirerer who gives her an old warehouse to expand the canteen. In it is an old vaudeville star (Jimmy Durante) whose career is practically over but who comes alive when he can aid in running the canteen. A large amount of soldiers frequent, especially Johnny (Van Johnson) who becomes special to both the girls.

The cast is wonderful. Although Allyson is supposed to be the "ugly" sister type, she's luminously beautiful. De Haven is also gorgeous in more of a pin-up type of way, and her personality is reminicient of the Wilde Twins who are also in the cast. Johnson is appropriately boyish, yet masculine and authoritative, the perfect combination for a screen idol. Durante is wonderful both as a comic and a singer; his unusual voice and great smile lend themselves well to the character.

There is a lot of great music here too. Gracie Allen makes an appearance to perform the concerto for index fingers. Lena Horne sings "Paper Doll." Harry James performs with his orchestra along with another band that features Helen Forrest singing Latin music. Durante sings his famous "Inka Dinka Doo" and Allyson and DeHaven perform several songs. The film is a hybrid; half of it is about the story and half is about the great music. It is escapism at it's finest.