Second Chorus

Watch: Second Chorus

Unrated

1/3/19411h 24m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ They're the tip-tops in toe-taps! ~

Overview:

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.

Director:

H. C. Potter

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

dancing
dance
college
musical
romantic rivalry
singing
black and white
jazz band

Cast

Fred Astaire

~ as ~

Danny O'Neill

Paulette Goddard

~ as ~

Ellen Miller

Artie Shaw

~ as ~

Himself

Charles Butterworth

~ as ~

J. Lester Chisholm

Burgess Meredith

~ as ~

Hank Taylor

Frank Melton

~ as ~

Stu

Jimmy Conlin

~ as ~

Mr. Dunn

Don Brodie

~ as ~

Clerk

Marjorie Kane

~ as ~

Secretary

Joan Barclay

~ as ~

Receptionist

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 4 month(s) ago
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.