Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934) User Reviews

The Man With the Golden Voice

[lugonian · 7/10 · 15 December 2001]

"Twenty Million Sweethearts" (First National, 1934), directed by Ray Enright, marked a new beginning from the earlier musicals released by Warners, changing the scenery from the Broadway theater with tap-dancing Busby Berkeley chorus girls to a radio station with musical interludes focusing only its singers and nothing else. The "sweethearts" as the title implies is in reference to the millions of female listeners and admirers to the new radio singer dubbed a couple of times in the story as "The Singing Romeo."

The story begins in Los Angeles where Russell "Rush" Blake (Pat O'Brien), a smooth talking talent scout for Consolidated Broadcasting, with a reputation of discovering such great entertainers as Russ Columbo and Bing Crosby, is dining at Perry's Brass Rail, a beer garden, where he comes across Buddy Clayton (Dick Powell), a singing water. After getting Clayton fired from his job, Rush makes amends by getting him to return to New York City with him on the promise of a singing career on the radio. As Rush is making arrangements for an audition, Clayton strolls through the radio station and encounters Peggy Cornell (Ginger Rogers), the "Cinderella Girl," who takes an instant dislike towards him for making funny faces on the glass window as she is trying to sing. Later, Clayton goes on with his audition, but fails, thus, no contract negotiations. With the help of Peggy, who now likes him, she succeeds into getting Clayton a second chance when it is realized that Clayton could put it over better with love songs. He goes on the air and becomes a success. With Buddy and Peggy now in love, it is up to Rush to prevent the couple from getting married so that Clayton can go on with his successful radio career, which then causes plenty of problems.

With music and lyrics by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, the songs featured include: "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" (traditional circus song sung by Dick Powell); "The Last Wind-Up" (sung by Eddie Foster, Billy Snyder, Matt Brooks and Morris Goldman); "Yes, I Heard" (sung by The Mills Brothers); "Out for No Good" (sung by Ginger Rogers); "How Am I Doing?" (The Mills Brothers); "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" (reprise by Powell); "I'll String Along With You," "I'll String Along With You" (reprise, both sung by Powell); "Fair and Warmer" (Powell); "Out for No Good" (Powell and The Mills Brothers); "Fair and Warmer" (instrumental by Ted Fio Rito and his Orchestra); "What Are Your Intentions?" (sung by The Debutantes and Ted Fio Rito); "I'll String Along With You" (Powell and Rogers) and "I'll String Along With You" (reprise by Powell). In the very opening of the movie, the camera focuses on various radio sets with the Three Radio Rogues, given screen credit for their unseen but heard performance, musically and comically doing their imitations of then popular radio stars of the day including Ben Bernie, Kate Smith, Arthur Tracy, Rudy Vallee, Amos and Andy, Joe Penner, Morton Downey and Bing Crosby.

"Twenty Million Sweethearts" is Warner Brothers answer to Paramount's radio musical satire, "The Big Broadcast" (1932), which also presented The Mills Brothers in song numbers, but didn't have the silliness that Paramount presented. "Sweethearts," a promotional showcase for Dick Powell, who was by then riding high in popularity in screen musicals, starts off well and funny, becomes mediocre somewhere in the middle but picks up again near the end. Although successful with its 1934 audiences, Warners reworked the plot element of "Sweethearts" again the following year with "Broadway Gondolier" (1935), with Joan Blondell, and using the same radio personalities as Ted Fio Rito and The Mills Brothers once more. Of the two, "Sweethearts" is better because of the chemistry between Powell and Rogers. The two had earlier appeared in two classic backstagers, "42nd Street" and "Gold Diggers of 1933" (both 1933), with Powell romancing Ruby Keeler, and Rogers in the supporting category as a wisecracking chorus girl. This time she not only keeps up with the wisecracks, but is elevated to Powell's co-star and succeeds as both singer and actress. Rogers would soon prove herself star material after becoming Fred Astaire's co-star and dancing partner in a series of successful musicals for RKO Radio throughout most of the Depression '30s.

The supporting cast of "Sweethearts" consists of character actors as the heavily accented Joseph Cawthorn; the hot-tempered but sophisticated Grant Mitchell; the simple-minded Henry O'Neill; the raspy-voiced Allen Jenkins as the star of a kiddie program; and everybody's male secretary, Johnny Arthur.

Portions of "Twenty Million Sweethearts" were reworked again by Warners with its Technicolor production of "My Dream is Yours" (1949) starring Jack Carson in the role originated by O'Brien, with Doris Day as the vocalist. The remake even includes the old tune of "I'll String Along With You," which, in spite of several reprises in the original, remains one of the best songs ever written for the musical screen.

"Twenty Million Sweethearts" is not available on video cassette at present, but can be seen on Turner Classic Movies. The movie is of sole interest not only to Powell and Rogers fans, but to those curious about the atmosphere of the world of radio broadcasting way back when. (***1/2)

"To Sing My Love Songs To"

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 6 October 2008]

Twenty Million Sweethearts is out of that era of wonderful musical entertainment that Warner Brothers did the very best of in the Thirties. It's a musical about radio during that quarter of a century when it was the most popular entertainment medium. Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers play a pair of young hopefuls eager to break into radio and Pat O'Brien is Powell's discoverer/manager whose machinations get Powell in the door and almost out of the industry before he's started.

O'Brien played this part so often in those years he could have phoned in the performance, but it's what you expect of him. He finds Powell as a singing waiter doing a boffo version of The Man On The Flying Trapeze, a very popular song in 1934 with it getting a prominent place in It Happened One Night.

Pat may be a little too sharp for his own good, but he does know talent and he brings him to radio station owner Grant Mitchell and sponsor Joseph Cawthorn. They've got a girl singer in Ginger Rogers already, but Ginger and Dick hit it off. But there are complications and they make up the rest of this film.

Harry Warren and Al Dubin wrote most of the original score for this film and the best song in the film is one of my personal favorite Dick Powell number, I'll String Along With You. It's sung both solo and as a duet with Rogers. Powell recorded it and Fair and Warmer for Brunswick records and it enjoyed a good sale during the Depression. It was recycled for Doris Day for her film My Dream Is Your's where it's done as a lullaby to her small son. But when you hear Powell do it, you will hear him at his best as a singer. Interestingly enough Doris's film is also about the radio industry. Powell also does a nice scat version with the Mills Brothers of Out For No Good which is also done by Rogers as a solo.

Twenty Million Sweethearts was done by Ginger on loan out from RKO where she had just signed a long term contract. She had just done Flying Down To Rio, her first with Fred Astaire. Previously she had worked with Powell though not opposite him in 42nd Street and Golddiggers of 1933. Jack Warner thought they'd make a good team together and they did make some beautiful music and beautiful box office. But she made even bigger box office with Flying Down To Rio over at RKO with Astaire and RKO wasn't about to give her up. So the screen team of Powell and Rogers never made another film.

Take note of the performance of Allen Jenkins as the grouchy host of a kid's radio program, he's got some very nice lines. When you hear talk of a Hooper rating, back in the day that referred to the barometer of popularity, like the Nielsen is for today's television. I liked hearing the Radio Rogues, only hearing them mind you, at the beginning of the movie where you hear them do their imitations of the current radio stars. They had appeared in Bing Crosby's We're Not Dressing earlier in the year at Paramount and now that they were not in his film, his imitation is added to their repertoire.

Twenty Million Sweethearts is charming and entertaining with a nice cast going through their usual paces on screen. It may not be the best film ever made about radio, but until the day that one comes along, I'll string along with Twenty Million Sweethearts.

Not exactly 20 million chuckles but still lots of fun

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 21 November 2009]

This is a pleasant little romantic musical comedy in the tradition of 1930's Warner Brothers, minus Busby Berkeley and minus some of the rougher precode elements of some of Warner's musicals from 1933 and before.

Dick Powell plays Buddy Clayton, a singing waiter in a beer garden discovered by the slippery fast-talking talent scout Rush Blake (Pat O'Brien). Rush takes Buddy back east where he becomes a radio singing sensation and heartthrob, although it does take awhile and a few odd quirks of fate. In the meantime, Buddy has started up a romance with singer Peggy Cornell (Ginger Rogers) that is leading to the altar, but the sponsor of the radio show on which Buddy sings says that a married heartthrob is no heartthrob at all, and instructs Rush to talk the pair out of marriage. This split is at first amicable and temporary, but then Rush dreams up a publicity stunt that misfires hilariously.

The film features the music and lyrics of Warren and Dubin, the comic support of familiar Warner contract player Allen Jenkins, and the direction of Ray Enright who managed to get this one right - it's funny in all the right places without being inane.

They really put a damper on Ginger Rogers' performance this time. After playing the tough precode chorine in the earlier Berkeley musicals, here they've turned down the volume on her sauciness a couple of notches. Plus, in anticipation of the production code, the romance between Peggy and Buddy is squeaky clean. There is no taking a can opener to metal bathing suits or checking into the Honeymoon Hotel in this musical as there was the previous year.

Highly recommended as a pleasant way to spend 90 well-paced minutes.

when radio was king

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 27 September 2012]

What a fun film, and what an education about the entertainment field, taking us back to the early '30s and the importance of radio.

Pat O'Brien has one of his wheeler-dealer roles as Russell Blake, an agent who's not delivering the great talent he's promised his boss but keeps getting pay advances nonetheless. Finally he's fired. However, at a restaurant, he hears a singing waiter, Buddy Clayton (Dick Powell) do a goofy "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" and brings him to the attention of the radio station. Reluctantly, his boss (Joseph Cawthorne) gives Buddy an audition - and is immediately sorry. Admittedly it's hard to hear Buddy's real voice singing the Flying Trapeze song.

Eventually, however, everyone hears Buddy sing and a radio show sponsor wants him. The current singer, Peggy Cornell (Ginger Rogers) clicks with Buddy, which makes for complications.

The score by Dubin and Warren is very good, as well as other songs, and there are performances by the Mills Brothers, bandleader Ted Fio Rito, Ginger Rogers, and The Radio Rogues.

The versatile Dick Powell had a beautiful tenor voice, showcased here, and Rogers is delightful. They made a cute couple. Besides his in front of the camera talent, Powell was a very astute businessman and had a keen eye for talent himself. During his career, he acted, produced, directed, and was responsible for giving Aaron Spelling and Sam Peckinpah their starts. Rogers of course would go on to do her films with Astaire.

Fun film, some good music, loved the cast.

"I'm not a customer! I'm a prophet from the promised land."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 16 November 2014]

Pushy talent agent (Pat O'Brien) makes a radio star out of a singing waiter (Dick Powell). Powell's new heartthrob status means he has to remain single in the public eye but he wants to marry Ginger Rogers. So O'Brien schemes to break them up. Pat O'Brien talks so fast in this I'm surprised he was ever able to catch a breath. Dick Powell's singing is good and he has a rootable quality about him. Ginger's likable and fun. Not one of her better roles but okay. This is an amusing musical comedy. Some laughs and nice songs. One of the best parts is singing quartet The Mills Brothers. This may not be a highlight in the careers of the stars but it's an entertaining way to pass the time. Any movie with Allen Jenkins in it can't be bad.

Stringing along on the wings of love, and quite gingerly, too.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 30 June 2016]

Vallee and Crosby have their work cut out for them as new radio sensation Dick Powell threatens to knock them off the shelf in the competition of crooners. Pat O'Brien is desperate to score a new radio romeo in order to get back in good with boss Grant Mitchell who fired him because he couldn't find another Crosby or the now forgotten Ross Columbo. Every movie studio had a top crooner, it seems, and Powell, already established as Warner Brothers' top singing dog, gets to spoof that image. This Warner Brothers musical comedy successfully spoofs the image of the popular male singers of the time, not really altered until some skinny guy named Frankie came along to knock these heartthrobs off the microphone.

Having scored with wide eyed Ruby Keeler in a series of impressive dance musicals, Powell gets a popular rising star from RKO as his leading lady here, and she ain't dancin' with the skinny but elegant Fred. Ginger Rogers, who had supporting roles in a couple of those smash hits with Powell, has her only romantic co- starring role opposite him, and she's a combination of fiery cynicism and good hearted sweetness. This is Warner Brothers musical comedy at its most delightful, and no matter how silly it gets at times, there's never a shortage of delights on it.

In addition to a song from Ginger herself, there's also performances from specialty acts like the Mills Brothers and the comical Radio Rogues who imitate popular acts of the time. Fine support also is provided by Allen Jenkins who was one of the top cynical comics of his day. Powell's repeated "I'll String Along With You", is seemingly over and over, but for so be reason, I don't get tired of it. The rhythms of the 1930's will put a song in your heart, and the melody still lingers on 80+ years later.

Slightly different minor Warner Brothers' musical

[vert001 · 5/10 · 13 August 2017]

TWENTY MILLION SWEETHEARTS has no Busby Berkeley production numbers, indeed, has no dancing at all, and replaces stalwart Ruby Keeler with Ginger Rogers, but mostly it's a typical second string musical from a studio that put out a million of them in the thirties. So far as plot is concerned, Pat O'Brien is the actual star, playing the sort of fast- talking hustler, this one a talent scout, that showed up in countless Warners' pictures of the decade. Besides O'Brien, Lee Tracy made a career out of them, and Jimmy Cagney in his lighter moments was another of the brotherhood. This time it's O'Brien pushing a new singing sensation towards a radio career. Dick Powell is the very passive object of his machinations, and other than having some unusually nice songs to sing (the big hit, I'll String Along With You, is beaten to death in the movie), this is the kind of role that left him deeply dissatisfied and led to his surprising turn to tough guy Noir parts later in his career.

House composers Warren and Dubin came up with a very nice score, and it is the picture's strong point. What there is of humor in TWENTY MILLION SWEETHEARTS is mostly provided by Allen Jenkins and Ginger Rogers, and one wishes that their roles had been considerably extended. A very nice duet (or was it a quintet?) between Powell and the Mills Brothers of a song sung rousingly by Rogers a few scenes earlier was another highlight. The plot contrivances, however, are anything but rousing and pull the movie down to the mediocre level.

One thing I didn't understand: Dick Powell wows everyone with a rendition of 'The Man On The Flying Trapeze' while working as a singing waiter, but when he performs the same number as a radio audition it's seen as embarrassingly awful by everyone who hears it. What happened?

Forgotten Musical That's Great Fun

[skybar20 · 8/10 · 4 April 2005]

I found this film to be light hearted and great fun musically. Grant Mitchell almost steals the show as the near apoplectic manager of the radio station. It's always fun to see radio settings in old movies, as it's a form of entertainment (in this manner) long gone. Dick Powell displays the boyish charm that made him a hit in movies. Ginger Rogers, often overlooked as the great film actress that she was, gives her usual excellent performance as does Pat O'Brien. The opening of the film, with The Radio Rogues doing horrible impersonations of then celebrities (some of whom are long forgotten), gets off to a wobbly start, but things manage to pick up with O'Brien's character setting the pace. The Mills Brothers lend a wonderful contribution with their smooth effortless song style. I liked this film and would urge anyone who enjoys the music of the early and mid 1930s to tune in when it's scheduled.

Blah Warners musical

[bensonj · 5/10 · 5 November 2000]

When Lee Tracy plays a promoter who gets fired but tries to promote a nobody anyhow, that's chutzpa; when Pat O'Brien is in the role, it just seems like failure with bluster. If Tracy tried to break up the happy couple it would be playing the "game" too far, and he'd really regret it later. O'Brien just seems like a heel, and there's no sense of his remorse even when he belatedly fixes things up. RKO's similar PROFESSIONAL SWEETHEART, also with Ginger Rogers and made the year prior, is a much better, much funnier film, although even it doesn't have the timing and ensemble playing of the very best Warners films. Unfortunately, TWENTY MILLION SWEETHEARTS isn't one of the best Warners films by a long shot; it's too long, too flabby, not smartly written, and with a weaker cast than the RKO film (Cawthorne is not Ratoff). The story has Powell singing several songs more than once, and he sings them all the way through each time. And they're not great songs. The Mills Brothers are great, but their two numbers are placed back-to-back (perhaps to more easily excise them in the South). And the plot doesn't really make much sense. One has to assume that this was made LATE in 1934, after the stringent implementation of the Production Code. (But Ginger is splendid anyhow.)

Stretching 60 into 90

[dougdoepke · 9 April 2010]

Fast-talking agent (O'Brien) promotes radio career of promising crooner (Powell) despite obstacles.

The first half is very enjoyable with a behind-the-scenes look at radio, the Mills Brothers, O'Brien's matchless chutzpah, and Powell's knockout rendition of "I'll String Along with You". Apparently, however, the screenwriters had another 30 minutes to fill, so they recycled much of the first half. The trouble is that unlike love and the old song, the plot etc. is not better "the second time around". What's really unfortunate is that the fine signature tune is repeated to the point of tedium. Too bad the film didn't quit while ahead.

Of course, watching Rogers at this career stage remains a treat even if she's more subdued than usual. While O'Brien machine guns out more words per second than a dragster spits out rpm's. His promotional drive almost amounts to a force of nature. At the same time, Powell does his tuneful tenor bit as a "Lochinvar from California" heart-throb". However, some of his facial expressions while crooning the musical's last number are borderline clownish.

All in all, the impression is of a pleasant lower-end musical whose repetitive material over- stretches a solid core of performers and a great signature tune.

Pleasant but too much singing...

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 26 March 2010]

This is an interesting film to watch with the closed captions turned on because the film features a lot of impersonations of famous radio stars at the very beginning--and very, very, very few viewers will be able to identify who the imitations are supposed to be! But, the person who did the captioning listed who the impersonation was of--making it a lot easier for viewers. While I recognized impersonations of Kate Smith and Amos 'n Andy, most of the rest were complete ciphers--thanks to captioning I could place them.

The plot involves a fast-talking agent (Part O'Brien) who is down and out and desperately looking for a star who will help him back on his feet. When he happens upon a singing waiter (Dick Powell), he thinks this guy might just be his salvation. Although Ginger Rogers has top billing along with O'Brien, she doesn't appear until about 15 minutes into the film. She plays a radio singer that Powell is smitten with and their first meeting makes little sense. She's singing on the radio yet she walks all around the recording booth--and is nowhere near the microphone as she sings! But, being a Hollywood film, they are soon head over heels.

As far as Powell's big break goes, O'Brien is actually able to finagle him a chance. However, O'Brien insisted that Powell sing a terrible old tune ("Man on the Flying Trapeze") and the opportunity is lost. Naturally, you know that despite this, eventually Powell will be recognized and everyone will have a "happily ever after". But, when this does occur, O'Brien nearly blows it again--as he is, apparently, a total idiot! When Powell does make it big, he's the idol of women across the country. However, the sponsor is now worried that if Powell marries his sweetie (Rogers) that women will be turned off! So, it's up to O'Brien to try to stop the marriage--and he does it in the most devious and nasty way possible.

Aside from the main plot, I really enjoyed the Mills Brothers and was happy they performed three times (including a nice number with Powell)--and I enjoyed their singing far more than the sappier tunes sung solo by Powell. Also, Allen Jenkins is entertaining as the host of a horribly saccharine kid's radio show--and as a result, he absolutely hates children! Overall, a pleasant little film but one where there simply is too much singing. Back in the 30s, a lot of Dick Powell and the rest went a long way. Today, it just seems to be too much--as it clearly gets in the way of the plot. A pleasant but not particularly great film.

The Golden Age of Popular Songs

[itsmits · 8/10 · 24 February 2007]

The adolescent who viewed this movie in 1934 could not possibly have guessed that he would be viewing it again more than seven decades later. The 'hit of the day', "I'll String Along With You" by Dubin and Warren which was introduced in "20 Million Sweethearts" is as fresh as ever today. Dick Powell who was often paired with Ruby Keeler in the memories of many, actually made more musical movies with other female stars such as Joan Blondell, Marion Davies, Rosemary Lane, Priscilla Lane, Gloria Stuart, Ann Dvorak, Doris Weston, Anita Louise and Josephine Hutchison.

If a decade is to be characterized by a single male singer, it would be difficult to find a more industrious actor-singer than Mr. Powell. Bing Crosby was also popular but the many others who tried never seemed to appear as often as did Dick Powell.

In this low budget movie, which did not have the huge production numbers associated with Busby Berkeley, a fast paced simple plot with many sparkling musical numbers made it a success. Of course, the presence of the gifted Ginger Rogers as a co-star helped immensely. ( This was before she was to star in "Top Hat")

A stalwart supporting cast of Pat O'Brien, Allen Jenkins, Grant Mitchell and Joseph Cawthorn carried the story. This was backed up with many numbers by the original Four Mills Bros. "Out For No Good" rendered by the four together with Powell is a real treat. Sadly, a scant two years later, John Jr expired suddenly and John Sr was prevailed upon to 'fill in'. Thus it is that the quartet was to consist of a father and three sons for the major part of its successful career.

The Radio Rogues bring back memories of other stars of the era with their great imitations of Ben Bernie, Kate Smith, Joe Penner, Morton Downey, to mention a few.

If this movie appears on your TV schedule, by all means, grab the opportunity to look behind the scenes of how the major entertainment media of the 30's, radio, operated and enjoy the music.

Popular singers entertain, set in the heyday of radio and nightclub shows

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 15 January 2023]

This is one of the early Hollywood musicals that retained some of the characteristics of vaudeville and stage shows like the Ziegfeld Follies. It has a plot that is more than the usual thin plots of most such films that just tie the song and dance numbers together. This one has some historical value in its portrayal of radio productions and the era in which radio ruled the waves and the hearts and minds of people everywhere.

Modern audiences won't be very taken by what passes as the comedy in "Twenty Million Sweethearts." Most fans from the mid-20th century on didn't care much either for the fast-talking, bombastic personas such as Pat O'Brien sometimes played, as he does here. That was something that apparently enjoyed a short stint of popularity in early sound pictures, but quickly died out within a few years. O'Brien's Rush Blake is as much a cad as he is a good guy, and while his boisterous character is just tolerable, his last tirade toward the end of the film is way overboard. It's not only unnecessary, but it would have improved the film to have left that on the cutting room floor. The only real comedy is in the short scenes with Allen Jenkins who plays Pete, host of a children's afternoon radio show.

But for most of this movie, audiences are in for a treat, seeing the singing that was popular at that time. Dick Powell had a very good tenor voice, and he plays a very likeable Buddy Clayton. And opposite him is a very young Ginger Rogers as Peggy Cornell, who shows that she could sing a nice tune. And, another special reason for seeing and enjoying this film is the Mills Brothers. This was just the second of a dozen films the famous singing foursome would be in. This is in their early years with some of the humorous tunes they sang then. By the 1940s, they would skyrocket on the music charts with many hit tunes over three decades. Performing until the early 1970s, the Mills Brothers would record more than 2,000 songs that sold more than 50 million records.

No other artists or groups could sing their top hits tunes as well, and no others even tried to record some of their best tunes. The lasting talent and quality of the Mills Brothers is proven as some of their top tunes are still heard on radio music programs and in occasional modern films. Once one heard these songs, they'd be remembered forever as sung by the Mills Brothers - "Paper Doll" of 1943, "St. Louis Blues" of 1944, "You Always Hurt the One You Love" of 1944, "Glow-Worm" of 1952, "Memory Lane" of 1956, "Say Si Si" of 1964, "Dream a Little Dream of Me" of 1968, and "Dream" of 1969.

This is a movie to enjoy the old-fashioned type of stage shows, the heyday of radio entertainment, and a look at top and upcoming musical talents of the time.

The best humorous line in the fine was by Pete, when actor Jenkins says, "I hate kids. I think every child should be born at the age of 20. Maybe they'd have some sense."