Rhythm Racketeer

Just because something is rare does not make it valuable and when this ultra rare film turned up on Talking Pictures this morning, I was intrigued. There is always something interesting on this film buff's channel (81 on Freeview ) but this pre WWII attempt to combine the musical and gangster genres could best be described as 'Film Blanc.' Perhaps it was the equipment of the time, or the ill fitting dialogue , the over the top costumes or the 'fairy tale' ending it just did not float my boat. Harry Roy should have stuck to being a band leader. I think it was the awkward pauses, the 'I'm talking out of the side of the mouth means I'm the gangster'' not making up for the ultra rare musical numbers that dished it for me. Sorry!

I have had a 16mm print of this for many years and so must be one of the few people around to have actually seen this.Harry Roy was a famous band leader from the 30s and he married Princess Pearl of Sarawak,in one of the weddings of the year.Joe Rock,a well known independent producer,had the bright idea of teaming them in 2 films.It has to be said now that in terms of acting they are very limited.However there are 4 good musical numbers,and the producer is clearly influenced by Busby Berkeley.The numbers whilst long forgotten are nevertheless very catchy.There are some nice art deco sets and a number of familiar British character actors of the period are to be seen.Given that this has not been shown on UK TV to the best of my knowledge i am afraid that the chances of this ever being rediscovered are fairly slim.

Rachel Low magnanimously wrote of producer Joe Rock that "By 1937 he had been making films for fifteen years and had a reputation for the efficient production of quota films which were often of an unusually high standard". And 'Rhythm Racketeer' definitely turns out to be much better than it looks on paper.

Bandleader Harry Roy ably carries this slick, enjoyable version - complete with good trick photography and bizarre musical numbers - of the old comedy perennial (which later saw service in vehicles for Will Hay, Bob Hope and Norman Wisdom, among others) in which a mild-mannered nerd turns out to be a dead ringer for a desperado.

Johnny Schofield spends a remarkable amount of the film in drag; while Roy's strapping wife Princess Pearl would have had little difficulty carrying Roy himself under one arm!