MovieChat Forums > Louisiana Purchase (1941) Discussion > 12 Louisiana Belles - who's who?

12 Louisiana Belles - who's who?

posted 17 years ago by s-hill4
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One of the wittiest episodes in the entire film is the clever opening. It starts as
attorney Emory Parnell dictates to his secretary (partly in song) why Paramount
can't legally make this film. The witty episode continues as 12 cuties ("the
Louisiana Belles" ) are shown in closeups as they sing Irving Berlin's hilarious
rhymes, explaining how this film about New Orleans and Louisiana "crooks
monkeying with the books" CAN be made, after all: "With one restriction --
it must be fiction..."
The cast list names the 12 "Belles," but unfortunately in alpha order, rather than
in order of their appearance in the funny song. Several of the identities have me
stumped, but I'll try an educated GUESS at the following seven (numbered in
order of their appearance in the song): 1. Barbara Britton; 2. maybe Karin Booth?;
5. Margaret Hayes; 7. maybe Eleanor Stewart? 9. maybe Lynda Grey?; 10. Jean
Wallace; 11. Kay Aldridge.
The other 5 names, about whom I haven't a clue, are Alaine Brandes ("Rebel
Randall"), Brooke Evans, Blanche Grady, Louise LaPlanche, Barbara Slater. Can
anyone out there confirm any of these 12 belles' sequential appearance in the
song? -- Gratefully, Prof Steven P Hill, Cinema Studies, Univ. of Illinois
(S-HILL4 AT UIUC.EDU).

[–] vonhangman 17 years ago

You don't ask for much, do you, Prof?

I assume you want this for some exalted academic purpose. Good luck!

Barbara Slater played a flower seller in "Monsieur Verdoux"

Louise la Planche was in "For Whom the Bell Tolls" as a cafe girl.

If you have Netflix, a couple of hours up your sleeve, and a steady hand on the DVD pause button, you should be able to work out which is which out of those two.

A bunch of the belles also seem to have appeared in "Holiday Inn" and "The Road to Morocco" but, trying to work out which was which in those films may just to make things more confusing. On the other hand, it may shed some light on the problem.

Brooke Evans also appeared in "The Blue Dahlia" which is easy enough to obtain, although (inexplicably) it doesn't appear to have been official released on DVD.

Other than that, I didn't recognise any names on the filmographies of the belles in question that would be readily available on DVD, but, you never know, do you?

Here's a question for you, Prof. Does the name MARY VICKERS ring any bells?

[–] s-hill4 17 years ago

Continuation of Hill's task (to identify all 12 "Louisiana Belles").

If we can ID all 12 (in the sequence in which they appear in the opening song), I'll submit those 12 numbered identities to IMDB as an "Update." Thus future watchers of "Louisiana Purchase" can merely glance at IMDB to learn exactly which gal shown in closeup is which actress.

At this point I think I've identified appx. 10 of the 12 actresses, numbered in sequence of appearance:
1. Barbara Britton; 2. Karin Booth; 3. ( ? ); 4. Louise LaPlanche; 5. Margaret Hayes; 6. Brooke Evans; 7. Eleanor Stewart (?); 8. Blanche Grady; 9. Lynda Grey; 10. Jean Wallace (Mrs. Franchot Tone, later Mrs Cornell Wilde); 11. Kay Aldridge; 12. ( ? )

That seems to leave Alaine Brandes ["Rebel Randall"] and Barbara Slater. Brandes MIGHT BE #3, and Slater MIGHT BE #12. I did run my old VHS of "Monsieur Verdoux," but Slater's appearance there as Flower Girl seemed fleeting and unclear. Maybe I should look again, or sharper eyes than mine should give "Verdoux" a try... --Steven P Hill: S (DASH) HILL4 (AT) UIUC (DOT) EDU

[–] vonhangman 17 years ago

I have a copy of "Lady of Burlesque" on order, adn I'll see if I can't spot #3 or #12 as one of the chorinnes in that, but, well, it'll be a long shot, especially since there seem to be quite a few chorinees, and a number of the belles from "The Louisiana Purchase" in the cast of that movie.

The movie that would be the Rosetta Stone to your current quest appears to be "Atlantic City" (1944), with both Alaine/Rebel and Barbara in identifiable roles; but that doesn't appear to be available on DVD, which is a shame. One look at the cast and you just know it would an entertaining movie- and a historical document!

[–] s-hill4 17 years ago

Dear Von Hangman & others sharing my interest in "Louisiana Purchase":

I own on video, and did watch, both "Lady of Burlesque" ('43, Stanwyck) and "Atlantic City" ('44, Constance Moore, Whiteman's orchestra). Too many "chorus girls," undifferentiated, in the cast lists, at least for my poor old eyes to be able to identify a particular secondary actor or actress. Pity!

Sometimes it's surprising how a minor actor or actress can be identified serendipitously. A while ago, by sheer accident, I stumbled upon LOUISE LA PLANCHE (individually identified, I think) in a documentary containing an excerpt from a WW2 newsreel. In that newsreel, LaPlanche (Louise, not her more famous sister Rosemary) and other Paramount stars & starlets were on a personal appearance tour promoting the sale of US bonds to support the war effort... -- Steven P Hill. S (DASH) HILL4 (AT) UIUC (DOT) EDU

[–] vonhangman 17 years ago

The beautiful Barbara Slater is Louisiana Belle # 12.

By a process of elimination, this means that the also very lovely Belle # 3 is Rebel Randall.