The Music Goes 'Round

The Music Goes 'Round (1936) is a low-budget attempt to establish Harry Richman in movies and is one of 3 features he made. Here he's a Broadway star in a snit because the producer won't put the song "The Music Goes 'Round" in a show. He ends up somewhere on the Mississippi where he takes a job as an actor on a riverboat (heavens to Show Boat) and romances the leading lady (Rochelle Hudson). The play is the typical old melodrama expected but he sees potential in bringing the entire acting troupe to Broadway as a comedy act in his show. The song is a big hit, proving him right, and becomes a fun scene with audience participation. The acting troupe never catches on until the end, even though the New York audiences are rolling in the aisles at the ludicrous play within a show. Lots of supporting actors here, including Walter Connolly, Douglas Dumbrille, Eddie Anderson, Victor Kilian, Etienne Girardot, Dora Early, etc.

Harry Richman (Harry) wants to include his new song in his latest show but gets it knocked back. He then disappears to take some time off rehearsals to relax on a Mississippi steam boat where he accidently gets included in a round of auditions and is hired by Rochelle Hudson (Susanna) as part of a theatre troupe who perform on the boat. The play they perform is so bad that he thinks it would be perfect for his show. He brings them to Broadway where they are a big hit. The audiences roll around laughing but Rochelle doesn't understand why as she thinks they are serious dramatic performers. Love wins out in the end and Harry gets to sing his song.

Well, this should have been so much better. It has great comedy potential but is marred by 3 major faults. Firstly, with the play that is performed, the actors don't perform it badly enough to be really amusing. Secondly, we see far too much of the play. We get endless scenes of dialogue from a rather boring play and it's not particularly funny. Thirdly, the film needed better songs including that blasted song he sings at the end. It's rubbish and never seems to stop. Just when you think it will, he invites another member of the audience to sing a verse. It's terrible and terribly boring as we get a comedy verse, an operatic verse, a chorus from the whole audience. And another. And another. It's a bit like watching Abbott & Costello who milk a joke to death, only worse.

There is a good section of the film where we see various black performers carry out their routines and they are brilliant. The film should have spent way more time with these acts. This is what lifts the film to the score I have given it. Sadly, it's not a keeper although the section with the black performers would be re-watchable.