Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar

So, I'm watching this originally because its the last role together in a film, although they did a cameo in a film later. And it was interesting. Leo doesn't have any close-ups according to wikipedia. I listened to an audio interview of him on youtube awhile back, around this time of his life. He seemed very regretful about where he was in life at that time, being jealous on microphone about how Sammy Morrison, his Bowery Boys black co-star, is working in a full time defense contactor job and driving a Cadillac while he only gets a Buick. No lie. I have watched some of the music parts of this film like from Faron Young singing Hello Walls. I was overseas listening to that and getting very depressed, lol. The announcer reminds me of Loyd Waggoner who I sometimes watch online, its along those kind of lines after the beggining. I think when this was made, there were still many homes without a television at home or if they did have one it may have been black and white and very small like what I grew up with. So I can understand why this was made. Plus they might have chopped up the music videos and used them on TV shows or in video jukeboxes. 8 of 10, nice to see the Boyz on film one last time.

If you like old country music, 1960's style, and don't mind a little country ham thrown in, then you have got to see this! Musicly, it is really well done! Some well known stars and some not so well known but in this movie the less known ones put on just as good a show!! Hats off to the sound guys---even though it is mono it has a really high quality sound that has to be heard to be beleaved!!! Check it out, you won't be sorry!

When I was growing up in Greenville SC in the late 1950s and the early 1960s, I was somewhat familiar with what used to be known as "Country & Western" music as my family had a friend, a former pro football player, who worked as a DJ at one of the local radio stations that focused on country music (actually several did). He used to drop by the house with promotional copies of many of the singles that the station played. We only listened to them when he was around because neither of my parents were fans of country music but they were too polite to say no (besides you didn't argue with a former pro football player). I was also quite familiar with and actually a big fan of the old BOWERY BOYS movies as the local CBS affiliate ran them every Saturday right after the evening news. I must have seen every one at least three times and I even tape recorded a few (this was long before video recorders).

Right after the TV station had stopped running the films, this opus showed up at one of the local drive-ins and I went to see it not for the country music but because it featured the two primary Bowery Boys, Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall. In fact the film was billed in some ads and posters as a reuniting of the two. As it turned out, after the first third of the film they basically disappeared except for a few very brief appearances and the country music took over which was very disappointing at the time. I knew who several of the performers were (Little Jimmy Dickens, Faron Young, Bill Monroe, Del Reeves, and of course Minnie Pearl) but I was unable to really appreciate them at the time. Flash forward almost 50 years, I saw this listed on amazon at a good price and I had to buy it. It turned out to be a trip down memory lane in more ways than one.

Now I can see how old and tired Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall were (Gorcey was 48 at the time, Hall 45) and how tired their comic routines were and how sad it was to see them playing the same characters they had since 1937. After a 7 year hiatus I'm sure they were glad just to be working again but why two New York characters were thrust into a movie set in the country music world of Nashville is puzzling to say the least. Also the portions with them and Arnold Stang and his wife look as if they were shot at a local TV studio for about $1.98. Once the musical portion of the movie begins, it offers a different kind of nostalgia as you realize just how much country music has changed in half a century (the recent CMA awards are a testament to that). Today watching these acts and their staging is like watching reruns of THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW on public television. If you don't enjoy old school country music than stay away from this movie.

Despite the extremely low budget and the fact that this is basically a series of country music videos, there is old time country music talent here to burn. Today's country fans will only recognize a couple of names and while the presentation style looks as if it came out of a time warp (which it did), those of us who remember these performers will have much to enjoy. The print utilized by Time-Life for this DVD release looks a lot like the drive-in movie I remember seeing (faded color, lines in the print, and very evident reel changes) back in 1965. I'm actually amazed that they were able to find a print of it all as country music movies, then in vogue thanks to THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, quickly disappeared as tastes changed. It was good to visit SECOND FIDDLE again after all these years as I can now fully appreciate the musical talent on display and I can remember how much I enjoyed the antics of Gorcey and Hall when I was younger...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

The story behind "Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar" is interesting. It seems that following the death of her husband, country music legend Hank Williams, his wife Audrey was in financial straits and the film was created as a way to help her out with her bills. So, a bunch of famous (for the time) country talent agreed to play for the film. Additionally, a story was created with Arnold Stang as a husband whose wife hates country music (which is bad, as they live in Nashville) and she thinks opera is what folks want. To help her with her plan to bring an opera company to Tennessee are two idiots.... Huntz Hall and Leo Gorcey who are essentially playing the same sort of characters they played in with the East Side Kids and Bowery Boys. Unfortunately, the TV networks weren't interested in the film and it received small distribution in theaters.

So is this musical extravaganza any good? Well, if you love old time country music or want to see Hall and Gorcey, yes...however be aware that it's MOSTLY a musical performance film and you don't see that much of Stang, Gorcey or Hall. And, what you do see is often adlibbed. Unfortunately, the print on YouTube is VERY washed out...looking more like a sepia toned movie instead of a full color one. Overall, it's less a movie and more a musical extravaganza....and one you probably can skip unless you adore old country music.

Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar IS NOT the last teaming of Leo & Huntz in Bowery Boy persona; 1970's The Phynx was the last, though only in cameo roles.