Trocadero

This little gem came on one of those Mill Creek compilation sets. I've never seen it, but I really enjoyed it. The slim plot traces the history of the famous nightclub with dynamite performances from Johnny Downs and Priscilla Lane. The narrative is frequently interrupted for some big-band musical interludes, and they are fantastic. A smooth musical quintet called the Stardusters contribute one of those uniquely 1940's type harmonies. The whole thing comes to a conclusion with a fantastic production number featuring no less than four bands playing at once. If you like a breezy narrative interspersed with a bunch of socko big band numbers, then this is the film for you.

It's a wartime revue musical, with just enough story to keep it glued together. Apparently the Hollywood night club started out as a restaurant during Prohibition (read: speakeasy). With the coming of Repeal, the owner dies and his adopted children, Rosemary Lane and Johnny Downs take over. Thanks to Sheldon Leonard, who like everyone is sweet on Miss Lane, it converts to an up-to-date joint in 1935, and success follows success.... in business. The kids' love lives are a little less successful.

There are a bunch of fine band pieces, but for me the highlights are Wingy Manone and orchestra doing "The Music Goes Round and Round" and Ida James' version of "Shoo Shoo Baby" with Bob Chester's orchestra. The other musicians of the era include Gus Arnheim and Eddie LeBaron, while the acting cohort has Ralph Morgan, Cliff Nazarro, Dewey Robinson and an appearance by Dave Fleischer.

It's a cheap Republic motion picture directed by William Nigh, but it certainly gets the job done.

Judy and Johnny are orphaned siblings being raised by Tony Rocadero, a Hollywood restaurateur who knows no limit in supporting his adopted children, even sending them both off to college. When Tony dies suddenly, one of them has to return home to keep the establishment open. The film opens with a present-day (present-day 1944) sequence of cameo appearances by 1940s Hollywood celebrities, then becomes a series of flashbacks explaining the history of the Hollywood Trocadero, usually in the form of musical numbers by the various types of big band, singing-dancing and stand-up acts which had kept the club going. Along the way, both Judy and Johnny find love and learn the difference between pretentious upper-class fronting and real-people sincerity. There's nothing that stands out about the film, but in 1944 watching it in a heated theater certainly beat sitting at home in the dark.

"Trocadero" is a low-budget b-movie made by tiny Walter Colmes Productions. Because of its budget, it has a cast of mostly unknowns and second-tier actors (such as Ralph Forbes, Rosemary Lane and Sheldon Leonard). Lane's voice is pleasant but nothing more and the song and dance acts are of about equal quality. Because of this and the writing, the film just seems okay and nothing more.

When the film begins, Tony Rocadero is about to make some folks famous in his nightclub but he's killed by a hit and run driver. So, in the same spirit as you'd find in "Babes in Arms", they remaining staff decide to make a go of the club in order to honor Tony's memory. At first, the club founders but soon they get a partner, a decent band and the place takes off. Then, in order to create some conflict a couple monkey wrenches are thrown into the mix...and naturally work themselves out in order for a happy ending.

The film is just one adequate but certainly not very good act after another, a few really bad acts and some adequate writing...all resulting in a film with nothing remarkable. Plus, the number of musical acts are too many...and the film sorely lacks plot.

By the way, being out of work, animator Dave Fleischer makes an appearance near the beginning and end. He uses a character similar to his early 'Out of the Inkwell' series...but it really doesn't fit into the film.

Just watched this, one of those B-musicals from the '40s which I'm sure played on the bottom half of the double bill. Of the players, one I very much noticed was Sheldon Leonard-who's in my favorite movie It's a Wonderful Life-as one of the employees of the title nightclub. I also recognized one of the tunes, "Shoo Shoo Baby", sung here by one Ida James who I remembered as a player in Cab Calloway's 1947 movie, Hi-De-Ho, as well as a duet with Nat King Cole in the Soundie of Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby? And I just found out that one of the bandleaders is played by Dick Purcell who was also Captain America in a Republic serial the same year this was made. Unfortunately, he'd soon pass away not long after making another movie. Finally, there's an appearance of one Dave Fleischer, who had just split from brother Max after Paramount ousted them from their cartoon studio which would become Famous Studios, who provides an amusing cartoon scene involving one of the Trocadero's patrons. The story's for the birds but there's some amusements to keep one's interest as well as fine music throughout. My favorite scene involved one of the leads, Johnny Downs, doing his tap routine in front of his potential in-laws of which many audience members greet it with a mixture of horror or applause! So on that note, Trocadero is worth a look.