Verna: USO Girl (1978)
Directed by Ron Maxwell / Ronald F. Maxwell
Share on
Synopsis by Mark Deming
Based on a short story by Paul Gallico, this drama (produced for public television) stars Sissy Spacek as Verna Vane, a small-town girl who dreams of hitting it big in show business. Verna isn't much of a singer or a dancer, but she is able to land a job with a U.S.O. troupe entertaining American soldiers in Europe during World War II. Verna imagines this is a major stepping stone in her career as an entertainer, but even though Maureen (Sally Kellerman) and Eddie (Howard Da Silva), two veteran vaudevillians touring with Verna, know better, they don't have the heart to tell her. While in Belgium, Verna meets Walter (William Hurt), a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army who becomes smitten with her. Verna: USO Girl was first aired in 1978 as part of the PBS series Great Performances.
Characteristics
Themes
Keywords
USO-entertainer, USO, troupe, entertainer, vaudeville, troops