Starring Frances Langford, Iris Adrian, Edward Norris, and Craig Woods
Directed by Wallace Fox
Music and Lyrics by various
Not every low-budget musical in the 40's went the patriotic or nostalgic route. Some were basic backstage tales featuring popular radio singers of the time with a few tunes or production numbers thrown in. Langford began on the radio in the 30's; by 1944, she was at her zenith of popularity as one of the most popular singers with the members of the Armed Forces. Most of her movies had her appearing as herself, or in a minor role that focused on her singing. This was one of the rare times she gets to throw the spotlight on more than her way with a song. How does she fare? Let's begin at an expensive hotel in New York and find out...
The Story: Joan Terry (Langford) arrived from Kansas City with dreams of becoming the next Broadway sensation. After a few months, she's so broke, she moves out of that fancy hotel and into a smaller women's boarding house. All of the ladies there are equally unsuccessful, including her sarcastic roommate Glenda (Adrian).
Her fiancée James (Woods) is a rich coal-mine owner who wants her to come home and become a wife. She almost does, until the other women decide to pool their finances and get behind Joan and her lovely voice as a "corporation," with her as the product. They manage to convince a producer (Charles Williams) to produce a musical version of the play boarding house resident Sue (Ariel Heath) wrote. James, still angry over Joan's rejection, buys the show with the intention of closing it...until tragedy reminds everyone that the show must go on.
The Song and Dance: Langford does acquit herself fairly well in this musical variation on the 1937 film Stage Door, which was also set at a boarding house filled with wisecracking wannabe actresses. Iris Adrian is the stand-out as Langford's roommate who gets the ball rolling on the corporation and is her most vocal advocate. It's too bad Heath seems to have been limited to bits after this; her Sue is sweet and funny in her devotion to her play, and she's a real beauty.
Favorite Number: Ann (Lorraine Kruger), another boarding house resident, does a lively "Buck Dance" tap routine at the newcomers' party in honor of Bill Robison. Joan, still sad over giving in to James, follows that up with the bluesy ballad "Blue In Love Again" that convinces the girls she's the one they should pool their money on. The big finale "That's How the Rhumba Began" is something else - a strange song performed by a stationary Langford with chorines in weird leafy sarong costumes attempting to swing their hips to the title dance behind her.
What I Don't Like: It's pretty obvious this is as low-budget as a musical can get. The sets and costumes (other than that "Rhumba" number) are dull, and the songs (two of them by, of all people, later TV comedian Morey Amsterdam) are even worse. Woods and Edward Norris as the playboy who falls for Joan really have nothing to do and are there as bland love interests.
The Big Finale: Worth a look if you love backstage tales, Langford, or are interested in the B films of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Home Media: In the public domain, so it can be found everywhere on most formats.
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