Here Come the Girls is a 1953 musical comedy film directed by Claude Binyon and starring Bob Hope, with Arlene Dahl, Tony Martin, Rosemary Clooney, William Demarest, and Robert Strauss.
Stanley Snodgrass (Hope) is a klutzy Broadway chorus boy with dreams of stardom, who never enters a play that he doesn't screw up. After getting fired for the last time, he's called back into action for one last time — jealous serial killer Jack the Slasher (Strauss) is after anyone who gets in the way of his and costar Irene Bailey's (Dahl) "relationship", and Stanley's asked to play the lead role alongside her... as bait.
This film contains examples of:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Stanley, towards Irene, but not towards Daisy. And of course Jack, also towards Irene.
- Alliterative Name: Stanley Snodgrass.
- Cue Card Pause: During his stint as the lead actor, Stanley just couldn't remember the lines. They knew that, though, so they had the sense to plant them all over the props. Hilarity Ensues.
- Disney Death: Stanley, when Jack used a telescoping prop knife on him by mistake.
- George Jetson Job Security: Stanley keeps on getting thrown out of the plays, and he's perfectly aware of that. Justified because "lousy" does not even begins to describe how bad his performances are.
- Gone Horribly Right: After Stanley finds out about the plan, along with knowing that he'll just get fired again after it's done no matter what they tell him, there's only one thing that will convince him to go along with it — a run-of-the-play contract.
- I Read That As: In-Universe. Apparently, Stanley's sultan character would rather follow the directions in his hat than those from his advisers. It was supposed to be "heart", but the girl's cape with the line on it got wrinkled.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: The play staff is hoping it'll be too late to stop Jack from killing Stanley so the real lead actor can take the stage.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Jack the Slasher.
- Not-So-Fake Prop Weapon: How Jack ultimately attempts to kill Stanley. Unfortunately for him, he mistakenly grabs the actual harmless prop knife.
- Reading the Stage Directions Out Loud: "...continued on next girl."
- Show Within a Show: The play itself.
- Stalker with a Crush: Jack, who's willing to kill anyone else who dares get near Irene.
- Ultimate Job Security: Stanley accepts to be bait for the Slasher only if he gets a run-of-the-play contract. With such an atrocious actor now a part of the play for as long as it is running, the only options remaining for the producers are 1) shut down the play once the Slasher is captured or 2) hope the Slasher kills Stanley. The second one does not happens.