Music Is Magic

Alice Faye stars as a singer trapped in a lousy stage act called the Trio from Rio (with Joe Durant and Frank Mitchell). They are in a failing stage show starring a fading actress (Bebe Daniels) who acts like she's still queen of Hollywood.

When Daniels heads back to Hollywood, the trio follows, hoping to break into movies. In that grand theatrical tradition, they all land in the same movie with Daniels. But Daniels is temperamental and refuses to sing "hot" so she is replaced by Faye.

In a subplot, Daniels brings her kid sister out west, but the sister has designs of Daniels' boy friend. Only after the kid sister has an accident do we learn the truth.

The entire cast is lively. Alice Faye sings great and dances a little. Bebe Daniels (age 34) steals the film as the fading star; she's just terrific. Mitchell and Durant have a hilarious restaurant scene as dueling Tarzans. Co-stars include Ray Walker, Rosina Lawrence, Andrew Tombes, Hattie McDaniel, Luis Alberni, Hal K. Dawson, and Grace Hayle as the laundry manager with special talents.

in this otherwise trite musical. But it's interesting to see Faye at the brassy beginning of her starring career abd Daniels (at 34) playing the aging actress with a secret. This is one of Daniels' last Hollywood films. Supporting cast is ok.

Although this film was to feature Fox Film's rising star Alice Faye, the film is stolen by Bebe Daniels who plays a very vain film star who refuses to transition with age into older roles. In fact she's guilty of one piece of unbelievable vanity which I won't tell, but it's a masquerade the paparazzi would never let anyone get away with today.

Alice is part of a trio that also includes comics Frank Mitchell and Jack Durant, but they concede she's the real heart of the act. Still that doesn't mean they haven't a long way to climb up the heights of Hollywood. The film is about their effort to do so.

The title of the film is also the title of the film within the film that Daniels is starring in and that Faye is part of the chorus. It's also the title of the song that Daniels is stinking up the screen by doing it in operetta style. Alice who recorded the song in her brief stint on vinyl does a whole lot better.

Bebe Daniels must have been a person of generous spirit to allow herself to play a part where she gets some rough going. This was her last American production. Right after this was done, Bebe followed her husband Ben Lyons over across the pond where they became the most popular expatriate couple that the United Kingdom knew and loved for over 30 years.

Faye's in good voice and does well, but Daniels really steals the show. Also Hattie McDaniel is there as another ego deflating maid.

They may be trite, but these behind-the-scenes getting into movies stories are a lot of fun--especially when we see a typical 1935 Fox soundstage, a 30s laundry plant, a typical 30s neighborhood theatre and a long streetcar sequence played by Mitchell & Durant.

Ray Walker later appeared on various 50s TV shows, but never made it big in Hollywood. Great supporting cast includes Hattie McDaniel, Bebe Daniels in her last US picture and Rosina Lawrence, who was working at Hal Roach Studios at the time as the Little Rascals school teacher.

Am I imagining things, or do I see the Nicholas Brothers dance briefly in the finale?