Hollywood Hollywood

This is the film that supposedly sank fledgling Grand National Films after an only three-year existence. Supposedly costing $900,000, the failure of this film sealed the studio's fate. While this is an enjoyable film with pleasant songs and attractive players, I find it hard to believe that cost assessment. The settings are attractive, but not lavish, and aside from James Cagney, there are really no box-office champs here that would require a hefty salary. Evelyn Daw was charming and a very good singer in this, and she supposedly made just one other film before yawing into oblivion. She deserved a better chance at success. There are some familiar faces among the supporting cast such as William Frawley and Gene Lockhart. Phillip Ahn has a surprisingly non-stereotypical role as Cagney's man-Friday, and Mona Barrie is good as a temperamental co-star for Cagney. The print on my DVD is clear and in pretty good shape. A good example of cinema from the mid-to-late '30s.

This very well produced film from Grand National was it's downfall.

Costing $900k in 1937 to produce (3 times more than 42nd Street or a quarter of Gone With The Wind) it never recovered its costs and sank the studio. A mini major wannabe of its day, it grew from the reshuffle in 1934 that saw Monogram, Liberty, Mascot and Majestic studios all become Republic. Tiffany studios had gone dark about 1932 and Grand National reopened that lot in 1935 amid the talent and exec merry go round of forming and shedding.

A Warners squabble saw Cagney suspended so he walked to Grand National who much have thought they had won the talent lottery. To create industry credibility in their production values for any Cagney film, they had to spend big, and GREAT GUY in 1936 worked. But in 1937 their swing musical based loosely on their own studio tales (and lot) cost far too much and the loss by 1938 shortened their schedule and they went dark. Most jumped ship to re-formed Monogram Pictures and series films like the Shadow and Renfrew Of the Mounted Police had a new life there. Grand National had big hopes and plans and it is a huge shame they did not continue. It is a fascinating true story of ambition and crash and should be a film in itself. SOMETHING has been available in Australia on tape and DVD for years and is widely available here..like a lot of weird and small RKO titles. Lucky us and lucky you if you can find them. Grand national was a good outfit. The opening and closing nightclub scenes in this film are really smart and quite elaborate. There's even a BIG-like keyboard dance solo. And that Logo! Wow!

Okay we've been told all the stuff about Cagney arguing with WB and dancing over to Grand National, and we know this is the umpteenth remake of earlier Warner flicks.

The movie is low-low budget, but it is fun to watch so youse guys watch it. The main reason is its star who, too seldom, was given the opportunity to display his very unique dance prowess. Unfortunately, he was given too little time to dance in this pic, but when he did, it was 100% captivating.

Another treat was Evelyn Daw. One of the critics fairly compared her to Jeanette McDonald, and I agree. Beautiful voice, cute, good personality. (I boycott Jeanette movies. In "The Great Waltz" Miliza Korjus put her in the shade. Ms. M told Mr. MGM she would walk if they starred her anymore. She was a moneymaker, so Louis B did as he was told).

A couple other "Something To Sing About" pluses were Bill Frawley and Gene Lockhart as studio bigwigs with Lockhart as the biggest wig.

Anyway, if you want so spend some pleasant time, well, this sometimes frantic movie, will be fun. Just watching Cagney, whether he dances, fights, or struts like a peacock, is always a fat bonus.

James Cagney got tired of film studios wanting him to make gangster films and typecasting him, so he went to Grand National Pictures and made this film with a Independent film maker. In this picture Caqney plays the role as Terry Rooney a band leader who has a great show in Manhattan with a great singer, Rita Wyatt, (Evelyn Daw) and there is plenty of comedy and great dancing routines throughout the show. Terry is very well liked as well as his singer Rita. Hollywood becomes interested in Terry and Bennett Regan, (Gene Lockhart) is a Hollywood director who wants to give Terry a contact to make a picture. Terry finds it hard to break into the Hollywood scheme of things and gets down in the dumps about his performances. Little does Terry realize that the producers and directors all like Terry and feel he is doing a great job, but Bennett Regan does not want to tell him that in order to keep him from getting a big head on his shoulders. Great Cagney film with outstanding dance routines.

Contrary to many reviews there is much to like in "Something To Sing About", a minor Cagney movie produced by Grand National Productions (Cagney was in the midst of a dispute with Warner Bros. at the time). There are equal measures of comedy, music and romance blended together to create what must have been one of 1937's most underrated films. Cagney sings, dances and, counter to type, has some tender love scenes with Evelyn Daw, who is pretty and petite and has a lovely singing voice.

Nutshell; song and dance man Cagney gets an offer from Hollywood. He succeeds, and is bound to secrecy regarding his marriage to Daw, the 'band canary' in the same band. Complications arise as a result, with some alternately funny and tender scenes. On hand are William Frawley as the studio's publicity man, Gene Lockhart the studio head and Mona Barrie the studio prima donna. Victor Schertzinger directed and wrote the songs, the best of which are the title song and "Out Of The Blue". Unfortunately, all the songs are long-forgotten.

"Something To Sing About" is one of those forgotten gems which show up on TCM from time to time. Do yourself a favor and catch it next time it's on.

7/10 - Website no longer prints my star rating.