That Goes Double was the one short subject that Russ Columbo did in his tragically brief career. This was certainly unlike his crooning rival Bing Crosby who did a bunch of them for Mack Sennett as kind of a warm up for his Paramount feature films.
The film does not have Mack Sennett's genius for comedy, but as an example of Columbo's singing you won't due better and it has a few moments. Columbo plays a dual part, himself and some office clerk who looks like him and resents it.
Until he finds he can make a bit of money taking some of the slack off the demands of personal appearances that the star he resembles has to make. But sad to say the double was not blessed with Russ's singing voice. That's not something he could fake though he tries.
Part of the plot involves Charlotte Wynters, society girl going to talent agent David Burns wanting to do a show and Burns will provide the acts. But the show is centered around Russ Columbo, so no Russ , no show. Burns also shows her some other acts he represents like ukulele player Roy Smeck who gets some great sounds out of the ukulele playing it like a banjo.
Burns is interesting as well, playing an agent that could have been the grandfather of Woody Allen's Broadway Danny Rose. This was David Burns's second film appearance in his career which was mostly on stage.
Russ Columbo gets to sing three of his most popular songs from his short career, My Love, Prisoner Of Love and his radio theme You Call It Madness. Getting a visual record of this was something good.
A few years ago Pat Boone hosted a show about great singers of the 20th century and Columbo was the only one who was only represented by a phonograph record. Pat obviously didn't do his research well because this short was available as well as many Columbo appearances in feature films. And this short has his best known songs.
Reason enough to watch That Goes Double.
