Higher and Higher

1943
Approved
1h 30m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Frank Sinatra, Michèle Morgan, Leon Errol, Barbara Hale, Jack Haley, Grace Hartman, Paul Hartman, Marcy McGuire, and Dooley Wilson in Higher and Higher (1943)

With their employer bankrupt, servants scheme to marry maid Millie to a rich husband. But Frank Sinatra lives across the street...With their employer bankrupt, servants scheme to marry maid Millie to a rich husband. But Frank Sinatra lives across the street...With their employer bankrupt, servants scheme to marry maid Millie to a rich husband. But Frank Sinatra lives across the street...

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

842

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 2 nominations total

Photos8

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
RKO purchased the rights to the play for $15,000 ($254,000 in 2022), specifically to star Frank Sinatra, and the four songs he sings by Jimmy McHugh and Harold Adamson were written to accommodate his singing style. He was billed third because the contracts with Michèle Morgan and Jack Haley prevented higher billing.

Goofs
During the song "when it comes to love you're on your own" (c.62 minutes) the doorways have no panes of glass in them on the lower rows, as the house staff join in the song.

Quotes
Mr. Green: Lovely thing you're playing, Victor. What is it?
Sir Victor Fitzroy Victor: It's a piano.

Connections
Featured in We Haven't Really Met Properly...: Jack Haley as the Tin Man/Hickory (2005)

Soundtracks
It's a Most Important Affair
(1943) (uncredited)
Written by Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Harold Adamson
Sung by Mel Tormé, Marcy McGuire, Paul Hartman, Grace Hartman,
Martha Mears, Dooley Wilson, and Ivy Scott

User reviews32

Review

Featured review

6/10

Light musical comedy from RKO and director Tim Whelan

When the household staff of a wealthy family find out that their employers have gone broke, they concoct a dubious scheme: have new maid Millie (Michele Morgan) pretend to be the daughter of the rich family long enough to wed a wealthy suitor and get her hands on his money, after which she'll pay the other servants handsomely. Butler Michael (Jack Haley) manages the scheme despite having feelings for Millie himself, while next door neighbor Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra) keeps popping over to hit on Millie, as well as sing a few tunes.

The story is minor, and the humor thin, but it was fun seeing so many later major stars in early roles. Mel Torme looks like he's about 13 years old, Barbara Hale is youthful yet still mature, and Victor Borge is a long way from the goofball that I used to see on PBS so often in the 70's and 80's. The real draw is Sinatra, of course, playing a version of himself. He sings several songs, but doesn't have much acting to do. He's very thin and looks like he's wearing a suit 3 sizes too big. One of his songs earned an Oscar nomination for Best Song ("I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night"), as did the film's score by C. Bakaleinikoff.