Strike Up the Band (1940)

Judy Garland: Mary Holden

Photos 

Quotes 

• Willie Brewster : Gee, Mary, if I were Jimmy Connors, I'd tell the whole world you were my girl.

  Mary Holden : That's why all the girls love you, Willie.

  Willie Brewster : Yeah, but who wants all the girls?

• Jimmy Connors : You know, I don't go around steaming people up.

  Mary Holden : Oh, no, of course not.

• Jimmy Connors : Remember once I told you that someday we might have our own dance orchestra?

  Mary Holden : Yes.

  Jimmy Connors : Well, the dog is barking.

  Mary Holden : What do you mean?

  Jimmy Connors : I've been thinking it over in my mind. Well, a fellow doesn't wanna play with a broken-down brass band anymore. You know, the same: dah... dah... dah-di-dah-di. He gets tired of that. Instead of the school having a band play the concert once a year, why, we could have our own great modern dance orchestra! We've got everything we need right here. We've got the brass, the piano, the reeds and you and...

  Mary Holden : Me?

  Jimmy Connors : Sure. You could handle all the vocals.

  Mary Holden : Oh, that sounds wonderful, Jimmy!

  Jimmy Connors : It is wonderful. We could make our own arrangements and specialties and play for all the dances. Mary, we could put Riverwood High School on the map!

• Mary Holden : Jimmy, are you sure you wanna be a drummer?

  Jimmy Connors : Mary, I was never more sure of anything in my life.

  Mary Holden : You've got to be really sure.

• Jimmy Connors : Do you think our love affair has enough *punch* in it?

  Mary Holden : Huh?

  Jimmy Connors : Our love affair?

  Mary Holden : Oh, well, now that you mentioned it, Jimmy...

  Jimmy Connors : Because I've got a new arrangement on it.

  Mary Holden : Oh.

  Jimmy Connors : Oh, it's a dynamite love song just made-to-order for you. I'll play it. Wait until you get a load of this intro. I've got some chords that are really out of this world! Listen. It starts off a little flairy. Are you listening to me? Then it softens down here. It's violins, you know? Then the orchestra sneaks back in for the vocal.

  [singing] 

  Jimmy Connors : Our love affair will be such fun, We'll be the envy of everyone, Those famous lovers, We'll make them forget, From Adam and Eve, To Scarlett and Rhett...

• Mr. Judd : You've taken on a pretty large order, Jimmy. I don't believe you can do it.

  Mary Holden : Oh, he can do it! I know he can do it, Mr. Judd.

  Jimmy Connors : I'm sure I can do it, if you'll *only* give me the chance, Mr. Judd.

• Annie : How you doing, honey?

  Mary Holden : Oh, I don't know, Annie. I'm discouraged. You know, it does something to a girl's spirit to keep on fighting a losing battle to a snare drum.

• Mary Holden : [singing]  It delights you, And it excites you, And it invites you...

• Jimmy Connors : Thank you very kindly, ladies and gentlemen. And now, we'd like to do our special number for you. It's called the "La Conga." Oh, yeah, and the vocal will be done by Miss Mary Holden.

  Mary Holden : [singing]  In Havana, Every Cubana, Shakes her bandana to, The La Conga...

• Jimmy Connors : Oh, gosh, just think what it would mean if our band ever made that program. Why, it'd put Riverwood High School on the front page of every newspaper in the world!

  Mary Holden : You bet it would.

  Jimmy Connors : Mary, suppose we got to Chicago say on the 28th and we gave Mr. Whiteman the audition. We could stay until the next day and play on the radio program.

  Mary Holden : Oh, Jimmy, It would cost a fortune to get that whole band to Chicago.

  Jimmy Connors : No, I've figured it out. To get the band there and back by bus and two days in Chicago, it'll cost about $200. That's if nobody eats heavy.

  Mary Holden : Oh, Jimmy, that's an awful lot of money even if we have it.

  Jimmy Connors : Yeah, it is quite a bundle.

  Mary Holden : But it's not impossible.

• Jimmy Connors : I got the greatest hunk of news since the invention of the wheel!

  Mary Holden : You have?

  Jimmy Connors : I'm gonna give it straight to you from the eyebrows.

• Mary Holden : There are a lot more important things in life than going to the fairs with people.

  Jimmy Connors : Sure, sure, sure, there are.

• Jimmy Connors : I want a great band. I want them to be a success more than anything and I go rolling off like a rubber tire just when they need me. Why do I do things like that?

  Mary Holden : Because you're stubborn, that's why. Just because you got a pair of long pants on you think you know everything.

• Mary Holden : I know if we do well in the tryout tomorrow we can get the Elks Club to furnish scenery and costumes.

  Jimmy Connors : Gosh, do you think we could? We gotta knock them right off their feet! Why, it's laying right in our lap. You could play Nell.

  Mary Holden : And you could play Mr. Goodpenny, the one who falls in love with me. He's supposed to be handsome but you could always use a little makeup.

• Mary Holden : This is a show we're putting on. It's gotta be the greatest that ever hit Riverwood.

  Jimmy Connors : You're right, Mary. We've got to have a great show with a million laughs - and color. And a lot of lights to make it sparkle. And songs. Wonderful songs with you selling them.

  Mary Holden : Oh, it'll be wonderful.

  Jimmy Connors : And after we get the people in that hall we got to start them in laughing right away. Oh, can't you just see it, Mary? The people are just packing in! Why, there's not a seat left in the house. The overture's starting - and the house lights are going down.

  Mary Holden : We're ready to go.

  Jimmy Connors : On stage!

  Mary Holden : Lights. Music!

  Jimmy Connors : Curtain!

• Mary Holden : [singing]  Heaven will protect the working girl...

• Mary Holden : Jimmy, it's wonderful.

  Jimmy Connors : Gosh, aren't you thrilled, Mary?

• Jimmy Connors , Mary Holden , Chorus : [singing]  In the gay, gay, The terribly gay, The horribly gay, Gay 90s

  Chorus : Walking down Broadway, The festive gay Broadway, The okay thing on Saturday, Is walking down Broadway, The lady on your arm, Is full of grace and charm, And life is very, very gay...

• Clarinet Player : Gee, I never felt more in the mood.

  Jimmy Connors : Me neither. Say, it wouldn't do any harm to knock out a couple, would it?

  Phillip Turner : No!

  Clarinet Player : No, it wouldn't.

  Jimmy Connors : So what are we waiting for?

  Phillip Turner : Just a downbeat!

  Jimmy Connors : Well, all right then, let's get ready. Sid, get over at the piano. One, two.

  Mary Holden : [singing]  There's a boy down on our street, Plays the drums with such a beat

  Mary Holden , Chorus : You cannot control your feet, When you hear the drummer boy

  Mary Holden : In the morning when you wake, You can hear him take a break

  Mary Holden , Chorus : Soon the whole street starts to shake, When they hear the drummer boy, Bing bang, ding dang...

• Mary Holden : [singing]  Our hearts will beat to beat the band, Let the drums roll out, Let the trumpet call, While the people shout

  Chorus : Hooray!

  Mary Holden : Strike up the band...

• Chorus : [singing]  When youth has had, Its merry fling, We'll spend our evenings, Remembering

  Chorus , Mary Holden , Jimmy Connors : Two happy people, Who stay on the square, Isn't ours a lovely, Love affair...

• Mary Holden , Chorus : [singing]  Gather 'round, all you chums, Watch this cat spin those drums, Swing it, brother, beat that hide, Take us on a jivin' ride, This is what the Doc prescribes, For a case of jibs and jibes, Drummer boy please give out, On those vibes...