Musical Merry-Go-Round #6

Martin Block was one of the first disc jockeys in American broadcasting. He started out playing records while people waited for news flashes on the Lindbergh kidnapping and continued with his successful career until his death in 1961. In 1948 MGM tried him out with a series of musical shorts. This is the sixth and last of the series.

The songs offered are: Art Lund singing "Ma'amzelle" and "Sad Cowboy"; Les Brown's swing version of "The Blue Danube" and Tex Beneke's rendition of "Somebody Loves Me." It's a lively short subject, but it just didn't take.

I have never heard of Martin Block before and this isn't surprising, since he was a popular disc jockey back in the 1940s. He made about a half dozen shorts for MGM...and knowing which is which is tricky. All have the same title AND all were made the same year! The only way to know which is which is by the guest stars in each film.

This installment is a little different from the rest. Instead of featuring one band, the short features two band playing modern versions of Strauss' music or music inspired by this waltz king...though after a while, I have no idea WHY they feature some of the songs! Tex Beneke and His Orchestra and the Les Brown Orchestra perform and Art Lund is a soloist. Overall, a mildly interesting short, at best, and not among the better Martin Block shorts.