IMDb > Rhythm on the River (1940)

Rhythm on the River (1940) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   131 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 26% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Dwight Taylor (writer)
Jacques Théry (story)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Rhythm on the River on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 September 1940 (USA) more
Genre:
Musical | Comedy more
Tagline:
Some singers! Some swingers! The hum-dinger of hum-dingers!
Plot:
Popular songwriter Oliver Courtney has been getting by for years using one ghost writer for his music and another for his lyrics... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. more
User Comments:
Lost his muse more (6 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Bing Crosby ... Bob Sommers

Mary Martin ... Cherry Lane
Basil Rathbone ... Oliver Courtney
Oscar Levant ... Billy Starbuck
Oscar Shaw ... Charlie Goodrich
Charley Grapewin ... Uncle Caleb
Lillian Cornell ... Millie Starling
William Frawley ... Mr. Westlake
John Scott Trotter ... Himself
Jeanne Cagney ... Country cousin (as Jean Cagney)
Helen Bertram ... Aunt Delia
Ken Carpenter ... Teddy Gardner (announcer)

Charles Lane ... Bernard Schwartz
Harry Barris ... Bass Sax player
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
92 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Certification:
UK:U | Hungary:14 | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl
Company:
Paramount Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since. more
Soundtrack:
Ain't It a Shame About Mame more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful.
Lost his muse, 18 March 2004
9/10
Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

Poor Basil Rathbone, an egotistical composer who's lost his muse. He's been faking it for some time, buying his lyrics and his music from various sources. Trouble is that two of the sources (Bing Crosby music) and (Mary Martin words) happen to meet and fall in love. And then they discover what they've been doing. Complications ensue, but all is righted at the end.

Crosby and Martin sing terrifically. Mary had signed a Paramount contract and also at the same time doubled as a regular on Crosby's Kraft Music Hall Radio Show. For reasons I don't understand, movie audiences didn't take to her, so she went back to Broadway and did One Touch of Venus in 1944 and stayed there.

Basil Rathbone in one of the few times he played comedy does it very well. His ego is constantly being deflated by sidekick Oscar Levant and again I'm surprised they didn't do more films together.

As in most of Crosby's Paramount vehicles, no big production numbers, but I agree with the previous reviewer about the title tune being done as an impromptu jam session in a pawn shop. Good job by all.

A surprisingly original plot and great entertainment.

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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
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