Old Man Rhythm

"Old Man Rhythm" is one of those musicals where the studio rounds up talent and creates a story that tries to fit them all in, including whatever specialty acts they are big on. But the plot of this film does not try much to be other than that. It opens with a musical number, on a train, that includes just about every actor in the film. That first scene tells us everything we need to know about the film: it's light and playful and filled with talent.

OMR is driven by the music of Lewis E. Gensler and Johnny Mercer. If you like clever lyrics and toe-tapping tunes, this is a good film to watch. Gensler is talented, but the entire film is Mercerized by the Ogden Nashish lyrics.

Speaking of which, the only slow part of the film is a scene about fleas. Yes, it's true. Apparently the entire scene (apart from being a silly plot device regarding a letter) is just a setup for a poem that is, nevertheless, interesting. The poem is called "Siphonaptera" and if you look it up on Wikipedia, you will learn its origins and its variations.

One more point about the music. It captures a time in the evolution of popular music when you can easily hear the transition from the blues to jazz (and swing). The musical arrangements in this film are filled with examples.

Betty Grable taps en pointe. Hermes Pan arranged the dance numbers, so I guess he might be partly responsible for this difficult feat. Among the other talented performers, I particularly liked Evelyn Poe, though her film career seems to have been short.

The story is not much to write home about. A college boy's father (John Roberts) is concerned that his son (JR, Jr.) is losing his scholarly focus because of a girl (Marion). He enrolls in the same college, hoping to turn the boy's affections toward another girl (Edith) deemed more suitable. Though Junior thinks Marion is the marryin' kind, she proves to be more interested in his familial fortune. They all live in some dormitories that wow and they frequent a soda shop where the local talents shake a leg and croon competently. Which is what the film is all about, after all--the music.

This double-bill special no doubt had the cats boogeying in their theater seats in 1935.

This is definitely a "B" movie churned out by RKO to fill its theaters. It is a very good B movie with lots of talented people who didn't get a lot of exposure. The most famous name is Betty Grable and a fading overage Buddy Rogers. The musical numbers are well staged (by Hermes Pan) and lively, are very witty, and due to Johnny Mercer, who is one of the stars, has some very good lyrics. The plot is nonsense and doesn't get in the way of the musical numbers. I only wish college had been like this. Did every college have an ice cream shop? The opening titles are very interestingly staged. Eric Blore is amusing and gets to explain the difference between male and female fleas. Erik Rhodes does his Italian thing, and George Barbier as Buddy's father seems to be enjoying himself. You will too.

Oh, come on, I said to myself. Sometimes you expect too much. It's just a second-billed, minor musical, so what's the big deal? I don't often make sense when speaking to myself, but this time I just went with the movie and had a good time, at that. The plot gets pretty far afield and far from reality but you have to appreciate the raw energy of the performers in bringing this trifle to comparative life.

The storyline has been summarized by several contributors and everything they say is on the mark; goofy, absurd, nonsensical, gets in the way of the music, etc. but the musical numbers here (all unheard-of songs which never became standards) really enliven the picture and the wait between them is worth your while. The stars are 'B-list' Hollywood stars interspersed with some good character actors, among them Eric Blore, Erik Rhodes, Donald Meek and George Barbier. Also in the cast is Johnny Mercer who wrote the lyrics to all the songs.

Not for modern tastes as clothing styles and college activities (everyone meets at the soda shop?) are very old-fashioned, but you'll especially enjoy "Old Man Rhythm" if you are of a certain age, say around WW II and before. I hope that doesn't make us too old!

This movie had some GREAT tunes, and not ones that became classics, these tunes will be new to you. I particularly like the one about going to college that the movie starts off with in the first scene. The movie is not about romantic rivalries between father and son, rather the father does not approve of the effect girls have on his son's grades and does not approve of his son's new fiancé' so he goes to college to sort things out.This is an older movie, but very watchable with none of the glitches that you sometimes see in these older films. It is rather an obscure movie from the early thirties, thus it has not been subtitled. I thought that this was a shame because I missed a few of the words to the songs and I would have liked to have heard every word. The kids were in the room when the movie started. They were on the computer and paying NO attention to Mom's old movie, but when the song about college came on, they drifted over and watched the whole, long song. I hope you enjoy this movie as much as I did. Thank goodness for TNT!

This is a small and harmless RKO musical galvanized by some tuneful (though unmemorable) songs and rhythmic dances. It is mostly set on campus and captures the youthful zest of its largely unknown players, including Betty Grable, Lucille Ball, George Barbier, Charles Rogers, Barbara Kent, Johnny Mercer, Eric Blore, John Arledge and Sonny Lamont.

For one thing, it is great to watch a very young Betty Grable with her exuberant dancing and carefree enthusiasm before stardom. This is one of her earliest movies I've seen along with 1938's "College Swing"(also a campus musical). George Barbier as the rich and overprotective father who enrolls in college to watch for his son's social life is cool especially in the "Old Man Rhythm" number. Sonny Lamont is amusing as the heavy-set college boy who does some back flips and acrobats.

The song that opens the movie, set on the train where all the college students are singing and dancing is quite catchy. But my favorite numbers are "What Would You Suggest?" and "When You Are in My Arms".