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.

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.

This hilarious and very hep B grade Columbia musical turns up often on Australian Television, so someone at Channel 9 besides me likes to see it programmed a lot. Good swing/jive music, great Ann Miller tap numbers, some spooky boogie woogie, Allen Jenkins being obnoxious and a lot of very funny 3 stooges routines.....and Brenda and Corvina....yikes! Two female stooges! I would never have believed it. Must have been great fun to see in the 40s in a 2000 seater and a full house. The "Twiddling My Thumbs Number" is a lot like the Jesse Matthews "Dancing On The Ceiling" number from Evergreen but here its a real toe tapper from Ms Miller.

Here's another solid 'B' musical, this time not from Universal but Columbia. Universal has bunches of these which have never been released on VHS or DVD (e.g., "The Merry Monahans(1944), but Columbia is somewhat more liberal with their product. Here is one that could go over well in release. It stars, principally, Rudy Vallee and Richard Lane as theatrical agent partners who butt heads over egotistical chanteuse Rosemary Lane. Lane likes her, Vallee does not - he finds Ms. Lane irritating and is taken with Ann Miller. This picture marks a departure for Vallee, whose character has more depth than most of his other movie appearances, and a meatier role for Richard Lane than at any other time in his career. Though not top-billed, he is the male lead and he is quite good.

There are several good musical numbers sung by Joan Merrill, and couple of song-and-dance numbers by Ann Miller, including one with Allen Jenkins (I'll bet you've never seen him sing and dance - and he's pretty good!). Throw in the Three Stooges with some comic routines and you have a pretty fair movie. The music is from the 40's, of the jive and swing variety. Just the right mix of comedy, romance and music to earn a rating of 7. A quality production in all departments.