Sweet Music (1935)

College band-leader "Skip" Houston keeps his band together after graduation, they turn professional, and they are a big hit on the radio and in nightclubs. He falls in love with Bonnie ... See full summary »

Director:

Alfred E. Green

Writers:

Jerry Wald (story), Jerry Wald (screenplay)

Stars:

Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Ned Sparks

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rudy Vallee	...	Skip Houston
Ann Dvorak	...	Bonnie Haydon
Ned Sparks	...	'Ten Percent' Nelson
Helen Morgan	...	Helen Morgan
Robert Armstrong	...	'Dopey' Malone
Allen Jenkins	...	Barney Cowan
Alice White	...	Lulu Betts
Joseph Cawthorn	...	Sidney Selzer
Al Shean	...	Sigmund Selzer
Phillip Reed	...	Grant
William B. Davidson	...	Billy Madison
Henry O'Neill	...	Louis Trumble
Addison Richards	...	Mr. Thomas
Russell Hicks	...	The Mayor
Clay Clement	...	Mr. Johnson

Storyline

College band-leader "Skip" Houston keeps his band together after graduation, they turn professional, and they are a big hit on the radio and in nightclubs. He falls in love with Bonnie Haydon, a dancer who hates him because he is constantly taunting her about her act and offering suggestions for improvements. She slowly learns that any engagements or work she has is because of Houston.

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Plot Keywords:

actor shares last name with character | actor shares first and last name with character | dancer | nightclub | fictional biography | 

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Genres:

Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 February 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

Melodias Radiantes

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Skip Houston: [teasing Bonnie while she's doing a tap dance on stage] Hey, that's a snappy routine - in fact it always was a good routine, I remember *way back* in 1914...

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Soundtracks

Nagasaki
(uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played in part by Rudy Vallee and His Connecticut Yankees (as Rudy Vallee's Connecticut Yankees)

User Reviews

Rather enjoyable...

I was actually rather surprised that I enjoyed "Sweet Music" as much as I did. While I have enjoyed a few of Rudy Vallee's later films when he played supporting roles, I have never been in love with his starring roles. Plus, here he plays a super-nice guy...something that according to every source I have read (including IMDb), Vallee was notorious for mistreating everyone around him.

When the film begins, you get to see Vallee's band doing some of their hi jinks. It's rather clever and was a better than average musical number. The story that follows is about Skip Houston (Vallee) and his feud with a temperamental dancing and singing diva, Bonnie Haydon (Ann Dvorak). They bicker a lot...and most of it seems to be coming from Ms. Haydon. Despite this, Houston is such a swell guy that he works hard to try to get Haydon's career off the ground. But when it falters, she unfairly blames Skip and that's sad...as they've begun to fall in love. Can things be righted and everyone live happily ever after? Or, will Skip's idiot publicity agent (Allen Jenkins) keep doing his best to foul up everything?

The music in the film was okay...but a few of the songs were rather goofy and that helped make the film more watchable. Also, the film was well written and very pleasant viewing. Worth your time.