Author Archive: Retro

Dance hall singer Carole Landis is smitten with dance hall manager Cesar Romero until she learns he’s something of a Casanova. When he realizes she’s no longer interested in his charms, he coaches his pal, composer William Henry, on winning her over. Enjoyable comic tuner features the songs “There’s a Lull in My Life” and “There’s Something in the Air.” Dir. Irving Pichel.

Southern millionaire falls in love with a circus performer shortly before the start of the Civil War. Part in color.

Set in turn-of-the-century New York, a composer finds out that his girlfriend is working as a model for a painter. Songs include: “Have I Told You Lately?” & “A Bluebird Is Singing to Me.” Dir. Allan Dwan

In 1898, composer Sid Barnett manages to get his sweetheart, Adeline the beer-garden singer, to sing the lead in his new Broadway operetta; this infuriates Elysia, the erstwhile star. But Sid frets as Adeline spends increasing amounts of time with the dashing Major Day.

Agent Pete Garland is fired by society singer Monica Barrett after he got her a new radio contract, because she thinks her lawyer friend Teddy Leeds fits in better with her social status. To get even, Pete wants to make an unknown singer into a star. He finds Ruth Allison, drives her hard through rehearsals and makes her a star. But she is worried about her past, something she hasn’t told Pete: She’s an ex-convict and jumped bail in order to keep her partners in crime out of it. Further she’s in love with Pete, but feels that he’s still carrying a torch for Monica. When Monica’s popularity is decreasing, Pete is able to get Ruth a stint on the program, the result is Monica is fired and Ruth get her job, but Monica takes revenge by revealing Ruth’s past. Ruth considers it is best for her to disappear before being arrested, but she has [...]

Harry James & orchestra get drafted and put on shows for the soldiers, while a rebellious recruit falls in love with a retired officer’s daughter. Songs include: “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree with Anyone Else but Me”. Dir. Edward F. Cline

In this corn-pone musical comedy, an innocent milker soothes his cow by singing the songs he secretly writes. When others hear of it, they attempt to exploit him. Unfortunately for them, he can only compose in the presence of his favorite cow.

Homer Tompkins, a trusting young musician with aspirations of becoming a radio star, is installed in a fine set of offices in Reno by a quartet of “easy money” con artists who have bugged rooms and suites, with the title of “professional listener”, and he passes off what he hears to his employers, Lulu, Trixie, Maurice and Champ and they use the information for blackmail purposes. They also so involve his sweetheart, Toots, that he can not withdraw even when he finally learns he is being used as a tool.

Mild-mannered waltz instructor is kidnapped by pirates whose ship lands at Las Palamos, where the landlubbers assume the dancer is a pirate cheiftan. Dir. Lloyd Corrigan