Summary
Danny O'Neill and Hank Taylor are rival trumpeters with the Perennials, a college band, and both men are still attending college by failing their exams seven years in a row. In the midst of a performance, Danny spies Ellen Miller who ends up being made band manager. Both men compete for her affections while trying to get the other one fired.
Cast
Fred Astaire
Danny O'Neill
Paulette Goddard
Ellen Miller
Artie Shaw
Himself
Charles Butterworth
J. Lester Chisholm
Burgess Meredith
Hank Taylor
Frank Melton
Stu
Jimmy Conlin
Mr. Dunn
Don Brodie
Clerk
Marjorie Kane
Secretary
Joan Barclay
Receptionist
Willa Pearl Curtis
Scrubwoman
Phil Arnold
Shaw's First Manager (uncredited)
Bobby Barber
Room Service Waiter (uncredited)
Bus Bassey
Tenor Sax Player (uncredited)
William Benedict
Ticket Taker (uncredited)
Vernon Brown
Trombone Player (uncredited)
Billy Butterfield
Trumpet Player (uncredited)
Romaine Callender
Waiter (uncredited)
Jack Cathcart
Trumpet Player (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin
Reporter (uncredited)
Gordon De Main
Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
Jud De Naut
Bass Player (uncredited)
Nick Fatool
Drummer (uncredited)
Jack Gordon
Stagehand (uncredited)
Johnny Guarnieri
Piano Player (uncredited)
Ben Hall
Western Union Boy (uncredited)
Alton Hendrickson
Guitar Player (uncredited)
Jack Jenney
Trombone Player (uncredited)
Jerry Jerome
Tenor Sax Player (uncredited)
Adia Kuznetzoff
Boris (uncredited)
Lillian Lawrence
Spinster (uncredited)
Alexander Leftwich
Elevator Passenger (uncredited)
Ben Lessy
Shaw's Second Manager (uncredited)
Joseph Marievsky
Ivan (uncredited)
Charles R. Moore
Sam - Elevator Operator (uncredited)
Buddy Morrow
Musician (uncredited)
Spec O'Donnell
Disappointed Fan at Stage Door (uncredited)
Hermes Pan
College Clarinetist (uncredited)
Neely Plumb
Alto Sax Player (uncredited)
Albert Pollet
Waiter (uncredited)
June Preston
Little Blonde Girl Dancing (uncredited)
Fred Rapport
Headwaiter (uncredited)
Les Robinson
Alto Sax Player (uncredited)
Charles Smith
College Boy with Zinc Oxide on His Nose (uncredited)
Mary Stewart
Dancer / Singer (uncredited)
Leonard Sues
Trumpet Player (uncredited)
Edward Thomas
Waiter (uncredited)
Michael Visaroff
Sergei (uncredited)
George Wendt
Trumpet Player (uncredited)
Poppy Wilde
Night Club Patron (uncredited)
Allen Wood
Messenger (uncredited)
Crew
Director
H. C. Potter
Lyricist
Johnny Mercer
Screenplay
Ian McLellan Hunter
Screenplay
Elaine Ryan
Story
Frank Cavett
Writer
Ben Hecht
Reviews
Geronimo1967
February 15, 2025
6
This has some good ingredients but somehow the sum of the parts just misfires as even some lively Artie Shaw-led numbers just fizzle out. It doesn’t really help that there’s not much chemistry between Fred Astaire’s “Danny” and either his partner in crime “Hank” (Burgess Meredith) or their old pal/manager “Ellen” (Paulette Goddard). The two men have been exploiting the college band gravy train for almost a decade but have now finally been forced into the outside world to fend for themselves. They both play the trumpet and guess what… Artie is looking for a trumpeter! What he is also looking for is someone to take on the management of his popular orchestra and so the seeds are sewn for some song and dance comedy as the two men vie for both her and a job! It’s not a bad film, it’s just flat. The routines are all just a little pedestrian and even Johnny Mercer’s usually reliable pen can’t breathe much life into “Dig It” or “Would You Want to be…?”. There are a few decent moments as Shaw’s band manages to get toes a-tapping, and we are reminded that Astaire was no slouch on the piano, but even given it was made as the war was looming larger in the USA, this is all just a bit derivative and sloppily edited. It just goes to show that even the best and most accomplished stars can’t make an engaging double-act out of a sow’s ear.
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00
