Sing Me a Love Song

"Sing Me a Love Song" is a lightweight musical comedy that features the tenor voice of James Melton and the high jinks of some good character actors. Melton plays the role of a department store owner who goes undercover to better manage his store. The staff of the store includes Zasu Pitts and Allen Jenkins. Hugh Herbert is a kleptomaniac who manages to steal from under the nose of a vigilant store manager.

The musical numbers are, perhaps, forgettable. But Melton's voice is formidable enough to play on the operatic stage. It would be perfect for the song "I'll String Along With You." And he is not a bad leading man, either.

Possibly if Harry Warren and Al Dubin had written a memorable hit song from this film, Sing Me a Love Song would be better remembered today. As it is the film is a pleasant enough typical Thirties story where department store clerk Patricia Ellis meets and wins the man of her dreams.

Who happens to be James Melton, possessor of a great tenor voice, and the rich young playboy's who's inherited dad's department store. He's decided to go see why the place is losing money and decided to go incognito to work there. What he doesn't realize is that the lawyers for his father's estate want to see the store keep losing money so they can pick it up for themselves at a bargain.

James Melton had a pleasing voice and a good personality. The wonder is why he didn't have a movie career. My guess is he was far more interested in the opera. He starred at the New York Metropolitan Opera for many years and hosted the Bell Telephone Hour on radio as well.

As for the songs, Melton included the old standard Your Eyes Have Told Me So which was a staple at his concerts and Carry Me Back to the Lone Prarie which he introduced in his debut film Stars Over Broadway. Better than the subpar stuff he got from Warren and Dubin.

Warner Brothers gave Melton good support with Allen Jenkins, Zasu Pitts, Nat Pendleton, and especially Walter Catlett as the officious floorwalker. But the best is Hugh Herbert as the kleptomaniac who keeps robbing the store. Herbert also gets to do an Alec Guinness, Kind Hearts and Coronets number also playing several of his family members. Herbert and his family turn out to be the saviors of the store.

Sing Me a Love Song is a pleasant enough film. So typical of the Thirties where working class women always seem to be getting some rich, handsome Prince Charming. And if Charming can clear a high C with no trouble even better.

While the stories differ enough that it cannot be considered a direct remake, "Sing Me a Love Song" was re-worked five years later as "The Devil and Miss Jones" and it is a classic. "Sing Me a Love Song" is a decent film...but the later film is much funnier and better written. Plus, while James Melton had a terrific singing voice in the movie, "The Devil and Miss Jones" is better because it's not a musical at all...just a wonderful comedy.

J. J. Haines Jr. Is set to take over the company business following his father's death. However, instead of just stepping into the office to run the department store, he decides to try working as a regular employee in order to see what it's like working there. During his time working in the music department, he becomes a well liked guy...and his new friends have no idea who he actually is.

"Sing Me a Love Song" is still a very good film...well written and the singing isn't too invasive. But the idea works so much better in the later movie. My advice? See them both!! One is a true classic...the other still a very good film. It sure helps that so many familiar character actors are in this First National release...such as Walter Catlett, Allen Jenkins, Nat Pendleton, Hugh Herbert and Zasu Pitts.

This is one of those comedies that I usually go for, since it involves a deception that the audience is in on, but many in the film are not. James Melton (a popular singing radio star at the time) goes to work in the music department of the store he inherited to learn about the business and the people. Only his lawyers and a couple of executives (who are trying to bankrupt him so they can buy the store cheaply) know he's the big boss. The comedy is excellent, with Hugh Herbert, ZaSu Pitts, Allen Jenkins, Walter Catlett, and Nat Pendleton all contributing bits that are very funny. Jenkins has the best lines, and his tongue-twister about his name had me in stitches. There are five good songs, sung by Melton and his love interest, Patricia Ellis, and even ZaSu Pitts sings in this one. I've seen the movie 3 times and it seemed to get better with each viewing.

This is a strange movie, in a way. It's only 75 minutes long, yet the supporting cast - a lot of familiar Warner Brothers comedians, like Hugh Herbert and Walter Catlett - have more screen time than I have ever seen them allotted in other pictures.

I think what that means is that Warner Brothers, after James Melton's first, undistinguished movie from the year before, *Stars over Broadway*, realized that, to put it kindly, he needed some help bringing off a feature-length film.

He sang well, certainly, so he was given a LOT of songs in this picture. Unfortunately, while Harry Warren and Al Dubin wrote a lot of very popular and still remembered songs, none of their contributions here is at all memorable. As a result, Melton really doesn't make much of an impression. His co-star, Patricia Ellis, gets a few duets with him, but makes even less of an impression.

Compare Melton to Dick Powell, for example, who was also at Warner Brothers at that time. Powell projected personality that Melton does not convey. There was also chemistry between Powell and Ruby Keeler, for example, that is completely absent here between Melton and Ellis.

So we are left with the supporting cast, who are given more screen time than usual and, as a result, do really get to shine. I don't generally like Hugh Herbert, but he gets some good scenes here. Walter Catlett gets to develop a whole character here, and does it well. Zazu Pitts and Alan Jenkins do their usual professional jobs.

That doesn't make this a great picture, but it saves it from being the forgettable zero that it could have been with no memorable songs and two pleasant but uncaptivating leads.