TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM (1941)

Harvard educated Danny (Rudy Vallee) and small-time talent agent Mike (Richard Lane) are standing at the bar of the Zodiac Club critiquing singer Frances Lewis (Rosemary Lane). Danny thinks he can help her become a better singer and Mike, who has a crush on her, thinks he can build her into a headliner, so the two join forces and do exactly that, with Frances becoming the first name in the roster of the talent agency they form. Frances becomes a star and marries a millionaire, leaving lovesick Mike behind. Years later, Frances, now divorced and looking to make a comeback, looks Mike up and re-ignites their romance, hoping that she can be the star of a new TV extravaganza that Mike and Danny are producing. But Danny has promised up-and-coming singer Kitty Brown (Ann Miller, pictured at left), former maid to Frances, that the show, with a big Hollywood agent in attendance, will be a showcase for her. Danny, irritated by Frances' demands, tries to sabotage her chances, and when Mike finds out, they split up. Can anything get these two friends back together? And will Kitty get the break she deserves?

The basic plot of this B-musical is right out of the 1930s (42nd Street, the Gold Diggers movies) though the narrative is gossamer thin, with the emphasis here on music and comedy. On that level, this works pretty well. Ann Miller dances up her usual storm to "A-Twiddlin' My Thumbs," singer Joan Merrill (playing herself) does a nice rendition of the title tune, and the musical highlight is "The Boogie Woogie Man," a mini-Busby Berkeley number sung by Pee Wee Hunt. One of my favorite supporting players of the classic era, Allen Jenkins, plays a pianist and gets a rare chance to dance and sing (with Ann Miller), and does a fine job. Vallee is a little too low-key but Lane has some good energy and the two work together well. The Three Stooges are present, and though I do not count myself as a fan, they were enjoyable here in small doses. At one point as they're trying to pose as bad guys, someone asks, "These men are gangsters?" and Vallee replies, "They're not even men." I also quite enjoyed the comic duo of Cobina and Brenda, two wacky secretaries played by Elvia Allman (who had recurring roles on Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies) and Blanche Stewart. The character names come from two famous socialites of the day, and while their humor is not subtle, I found it quite funny, though others may not (lots of face-pulling and man-hungry attitude). In the land of 40s B-musicals, this is a nice standout. [DVD]