Kicking the Moon Around

"The Playboy" is also known as "Kicking the Moon Around" and "Millionaire Merry-Go-Round." The latter title is probably for a TV release since it gives Maureen O'Hara billing in the title sequence along with Hal Thompson and Evelyn Dall. O'Hara plays the small role of the secretary in her film debut.

Plot has wealthy man (Thompson) pretends to be poor so he can ditch ambitious singer/girl friend Flo (Florence Desmond). She discovers the ruse and gets even by sabotaging the career of his new gal pal Pepper Martin (Dall) as she is about to debut as a nightclub singer with Bert Ambrose's band.

Ambrose was a major band leader in UK for decades and he appeared in about a half dozen films, always as himself. His best moment here is the "Night Ride" number.

American-born Evelyn Dall sings "No Songs About Love," " You're What's the Matter with Me," and " It's the Rhythm in Me." American Harry Richman also appears and sings "Mayfair Merry-Go-Round" and reprises "You're What's the Matter with Me." Highlight of the film is Desmond's terrific impersonations of Greta Garbo and Katharine Hepburn. Desmond was a big hit in the London production of "Auntie Mame" playing Vera Charles to Beatrice Lillie's Mame in 1958.

Co-stars include Edward Rigby and Max Bacon. Richman's final film appearance.

I hate to start off a review by rubbishing the other review but I am afraid that I must.It is Hal Chester who plays the millionaire not Ambrose for a start.There is a wafer thin plot which involves Florence Desmond doing her best to thwart the ambition of Evelyn Dall to become a nightclub singer.This is a bit ironic since according to Vera Lynn Dall gave her the cold shoulder when Lynn joined Ambrose.Harry Richman wanders in and does a couple of songs.We get a couple of songs from Dall.Then Desmond doing top notch impersonations of Hepburn and Garbo.then finally after 46 minutes we get what we have waited to see.A number from Ambrose,"nightride".To those uninitiated,including the other reviewer Ambrose was the leader of the top British dance band before the war.His peers acknowledged that "Ammie" employed the top musicians and arrangers and had the best orchestra.Unfortunately all we get is this one number and a brief snatch of his signature tune "When day is done".In "nightride" the director cuts away twice to pointless scenes.So in a way disappointing but at least it is a record of probably the greatest British dance band ever.

This depression-era film of 1938 set in London is great fun to watch and sing along with, too! And the story is fun, too: Ambrose, a millionaire investor who just found out he's struck it rich with another great investment that paid off big, decides to test his fiance Pepper by pretending he's gone bankrupt and is worthless or worse! Naturally she doesn't find it so amusing and calls the whole thing off. This amid his "tramps parade" party where the elite meets the street and hobnobs it with the hoi-polloi featuring among a couple of charming song and dance numbers by Harry Richman including "You're What's the Matter With Me"... Ambrose finds love for a song in the record shop girl who he "discovers" by cutting her a record that breaks up his sceptic pals. Primadonna Pepper the next aspiring Hepburn-wannabe is tricked into thinking she has a film contract awaiting in Hollywood, only to catch Ambrose's sidekick and secretary(Maureen O'Hara in her first feature role to date)play-acting producers on the phone in the next room! Meanwhile workers of the world unite in the park to rally against the oppression of the masses when it is discovered that the good natured accordianist who plays the cheer-up song to the tune of "March Militaire" is the shop girl's uncle she has to bail out every so often. Naturally there is a happy ending and if you get the chance to pick up a copy of this rare find, it is recommended that you will enjoy.