Author Archive: Retro

Carroll plays a down-on-his-luck publisher who steals a song from budding songwriter Hayward, who plots revenge. Dir. Albert Rogell

This film is set during the turn of the century. Fred Astaire plays a footloose playboy who falls in love with Salvation Army lass Vera-Ellen. To prove his worth to the girl, Astaire breaks down and gets a job.

Jeff Carter, a singer down on his luck, turns to radio acting as a means of supporting his young son Danny. With the support of his son and his press agent Charley Grady, Jeff ultimately finds radio the means of realizing his professional ambition.

Chorus girl performing in the Ziegfeld Follies must choose between her boyfriend and stardom. Music by Irving Berlin. Dir. Millard Webb, John W. Harkrider

Movita comes up to New York and goes undercover at a nightclub to find out who framed her brother for arson. Dir. Lambert Hillyer

Stripper Vivian Blaine tries to make the jump to Broadway stardom, but her manager gets jealous when she falls for a writer hired to create her biography, in this lively musical based on a play by Gypsy Rose Lee. With Dennis O’Keefe, Perry Como, Carmen Miranda; songs include “Chico-Chico,” “Dig You Later,” “Red Hot and Beautiful.” Includes “Hubba Hubba Hubba” by Perry Como, as well as many other songs. Based on the play “The Naked Genius” by Gypsy Rose Lee.

On the eve of his big break, a veteran vaudevillian’s wife dies in childbirth, and he’s so upset he forsakes Broadway, leaving his daughter to be raised by his showbiz pals. Dir. Joseph H. Lewis

Wertheimer, a New York radio talent scout, shows up at Uncle Jed’s barn dance having received numerous letters from Nancy Shackelford, the adopted daughter of Uncle Jed Shackelford, telling him about the musical talents of Bob and the other four farm-hand musicians. He hires the boys for a new radio program to be known as “The Old Homestead” broadcast from New York. Nancy and Uncle Jed accompany them, the latter as their manager. The show is a hit and Nancy is thrilled, especially when she meets famous crooner Rudy Nash. Elsie Wilson, Rudy’s partner, resents the attention Rudy shows Nancy, and Bob takes an immediate dislike to Rudy. The band goes to a night club and get high on champagne which they think is cider. Peggy joins the boys in their clowning after the regular entertainers quit in indignation. Nancy and Rudy enter the café, and when the proprietor realizes that Nancy and (primarily) Rudy [...]

A king falls in love with a gypsy woman and is forced to choose between her or his dictatorship.