Time Out for Rhythm

The popularity of the Three Stooges was soaring so high in the 1940s they were asked to appear in several feature films. In one of their more lengthy roles in a full-length picture was June 1941's "Time Out for Rhythm," a musical with Rudy Vallee, Ann Miller and Rosemary Lane. The three comedians pop in and out of the movie several times, posing as maharajahs auditioning for a show, Western Union messengers, gangsters, and even Carmen Miranda (Curly) and her (his) Brazilian sidekicks.

"Time Out for Rhythm," wrote film reviewer Stuart Galbraith, has as its "main draw for audiences today is that it features the Three Stooges, then consisting of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard. The Stooges were in the middle of their long and highly profitable run of two-reel comedies." Critic JP Roscoe adds, the picture is "simple entertainment, made all the more enjoyable by the Stooges' interludes, yielding a healthy, breezy movie that holds up rather well all these years later."

The musical fun fest features several songs from melody makers Saul Chaplin and Sammy Cahn, with the standout tap-dancing of Ann Miller, who even though only 18, appears in her 12th credited movie. She reportedly could tap 500 times a minute while performing her dance routines, and she proves it in "Time Out for Rhythm." Born Johnnie Lucille Collier in Houston, Texas, she was the daughter of a criminal lawyer famous for defending the Barrow Gang, Machine Gun Kelly and Baby Face Nelson. Suffering from rickets, Lucille took dance lessons as a child to strengthen her legs. Her mother, who was deaf, moved to Los Angeles after her divorce, and Lucille, looking much older than 13, lied about her age to secure work in nightclubs dancing, giving herself the stage name of Ann Miller. Lucille Ball along with a talent scout saw her dancing in a San Francisco club and had RKO hire her for small uncredited roles such as 1934's "Anne of Green Gables." She rose to more lengthy parts, including playing an eccentric relative in Frank Capra's Oscar Best Picture 1938 "You Can't Take It With You." Her starring role in "Time Out for Rhythm" as a young protege of talent agent Danny Collins (Rudy Vallee) was the first of eleven B musicals Miller did for Columbia Pictures.

This little known Columbia musical stars Rudy Vallee and Ann Miller, but is of great interest due to the appearance of Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard (aka The Three Stooges). Although they are not starred and have nothing to do with the nonexistent plot of the film, the Stooges have a good amount of screen time and what they have is stellar. In this film, they perform their trademark set piece "Maharajah". Compare this version to the 1946 version with a sick Curly. Here Curly is high energy and the piece is full of life. It is also superior to their television versions with Shemp and Curly Joe. The Stooges show up often in the film for a handful of gags and they participate in a group of musical numbers. The finale with the Stooges "au natural" is priceless. Vallee had developed into a fine character comedian as well and Miller's dancing is always welcome. This is a light, fun budget musical comedy.

I first read of this rare Three Stooges-Moe, Larry, and Curly-feature when reading the book "The Stooges' Lost Episodes" which loved the Stooges' routines here especially the "Maharraja of Vulgaria" one when Curly hadn't yet suffered his stroke as they say was evidenced when he later performed that in the Three Little Pirates short. Anyway, the Stooges aren't the only highlights here, tap dancer Ann Miller is introed by her glamorous legs first before we then see the rest of her in her maid outfit. No wonder Columbia gave her a long-term contract after she performed in this. Character actor Allen Jenkins Is also on hand doing fine comedy takes as well as occasionally doing a musical number as he does with Ms. Miller here. Crooner Rudy Vallee does occasionally sing with one of the numbers being with Joan Merrill who warbles a couple more solo. Besides the Stooges, Blanche Stewart and Elvira Allman also provide comic relief as secretaries Brenda and Cobina. Watch both teams during the rumba number near the end, what laughs! So on that note, I highly recommend Time Out for Rhythm for all the Stooges fans out there.

Before sitting down to watch this film I did remember it vaguely from seeing it on television as a kid in the early sixties. At that time the Three Stooges were in a comeback via television and they were who I knew and remembered. As an adult I saw that Time Out For Rhythm starred Rudy Vallee and Ann Miller.

Well we sure saw a lot of Ann Miller dancing in fact she carries the film when the Stooges aren't there. But I was amazed that Rudy Vallee sang not a note and he was first billed. His stuff had to end up on the cutting room floor.

Vallee with his stuffy personality was a hard sell as a musical film star. It was right after this film that Preston Sturges cast him in The Palm Beach Story recognizes how his type could be played for laughs and successfully.

But the Stooges with their special brand of nonsense really dominate things, especially Curly doing a swami routine. They are equally aided and abetted by Brenda&Cobina a female comedy team that were regulars on Bob Hope's Pepsodent Radio Show. They were a pair of brain dead plain Jane switchboard operators and using them with Moe, Larry, and Curly was a stroke of genius for Columbia.

The rather thin plot involved a talent agency headed by Rudy Vallee, Richard Lane, and Allen Jenkins trying to give a break to Ann Miller who is the maid of star Rosemary Lane. Lane has forbidden Miller to seek a career of her own. I think you know where this is going.

This is Columbia and not MGM so the production values on this musical are paper thin. But the film is definitely a must for Three Stooges fans.

With a cast that included Rudy Vallee, Ann Miller, Allen Jenkins and The Three Stooges, this looked like being quite an enticing movie. Unfortunately, however, it turned out to be as dull as ditchwater.

The only good thing about it was, in fact, the presence of the extremely talented dancer Ann Miller, who acquitted herself admirably in this, her debut in movies as a dancer.

I'm usually quite fond of The Three Stooges, just as long as Shemp Howard was part of the trio. Those others (Curly Howard, Joe Besser and Joe DeRita) hardly ever made me smile, let alone laugh. In this movie it was the unfunny Curly Howard who appeared, and most of the schticks they performed have been seen before in their short subjects.

I found Blanche Stewart and Eliva Allman (I've never heard of either of them) as Brenda and Cabrina respectively, most unamusing.

With a terrible plot, about two constantly quarreling agents, the movie gave me little watching pleasure.

The five stars are strictly for Ann Miller.