MEET THE BOY FRIEND (1937)

Cleancut radio crooner Tony Page, known as "America’s Boyfriend," is dating Vilma Vlare, a Swedish actress (or "Scandhoovian" as one character says) hoping to make it big in the States. Potts, his manager, wants to keep Tony footloose and fancy free so he won't lose his rabid female fan base, so he arranges to get Vilma out of the picture with an acting job in California. In a scene which may have inspired a similar meet-cute moment in SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, Tony, running from fans, winds up on a bus next to June Delaney, who is not a fan but who does help him avoid a mobbing. June works for an insurance company, and Potts decides to take out "love insurance" on Tony, paying out if Tony would get married. June, posing as a struggling singer, flirts with Tony to take his mind off of Vilma. At a radio contest, June wins first prize, but Tony gives the prize money to competitors Otis Clapsaddle and the Ozark Beau Brummels, who clearly need the money—and the encouragement—more than she does, and Tony replaces her money from his pocket. She begins to soften toward Tony, but when Vilma returns—she wants to marry Tony to get a green card but is dating someone else—complications ensue, including a fake kidnapping and a radio gimmick involving marrying couples on the air.

In the classic-era B-movie realm, some mysteries, noirs, and comedies occasionally wind up being as good as or better than some of their A-movie counterparts. But I have yet to see a B-musical that can come close to the standards of the big studios. Good musicals require big budgets for sets, costumes, stars, and songwriting. Low-budget movies like this one from Republic just can't compete, and when a musical doesn't work, it's a dreary affair. This one is thoroughly second-rate in every aspect, though movie buffs may find something worthwhile here and there. The leads, Robert Paige (billed as David Carlyle) and Carol Hughes, are bland, but Gwili Andre is a little better as Vilma. A comedy duo known as Oscar & Elmer supply some amusing moments as two yokels hired to kidnap June as a way to get Tony to leave Vilma. Best, however, is Pert Kelton (the Widow Paroo in THE MUSIC MAN) as Potts' wife; she has a Gracie Allen vibe going here and she steals every scene she's in, and even gives the best musical performance in a comical song called "You’re My Rosebud." The Ozark Beau Brummels are a spot of fun, especially when Otis refers to them as a "sympathy orchestra." At just over an hour, it's bearable but not much more. Pictured are Pert Kelton with Andrew Tombes as her husband on the left and Robert Paige on the right. [YouTube]