Melody for Two (1937)

Mel Lynch and his aide 'Remorse' Rumson are wheeler dealer managers for big band leader Tod Weaver. They finally get him into the big time but then must deal with competing singers Gale Starr and Lorna Wray.

Director:

Louis King

Writers:

Richard Macaulay (story "Special Arrangements"), George Bricker

Stars:

James Melton, Patricia Ellis, Marie Wilson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Melton	...	Tod Weaver
Patricia Ellis	...	Gale Starr
Marie Wilson	...	Camille Casey
Fred Keating	...	'Remorse' Rumson
Dick Purcell	...	Mel Lynch
Wini Shaw	...	Lorna Wray (as Winifred Shaw)
Charley Foy	...	'Scoop' Trotter (as Charles Foy)
Craig Reynolds	...	Bill Hallam
Bill Elliott	...	Walter Wilson (as Gordon Elliott)
Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson	...	Exodus Johnson (as Eddie Anderson)
Eddie Kane	...	Alex Montrose
Gordon Hart	...	Mr. Woodruff
Harry Hayden	...	Mr. Armstrong

Storyline

A professional triangle with some personal twists thrown in is presented. Bandleader Tod Weaver has a successful New York career with Gale Starr, his girl, his lead female vocalist - Tod being the lead male vocalist - performing urbane classy melodically driven songs, expertly arranged by Mel Lynch, in upscale uptown clubs. Tod and Mel have a falling out, partly because of Mel's interest in Gale professionally and personally, with neither backing down from their principled positions of Tod not wanting anything to do with Mel ever again, and Mel wanting to ruin Tod. Gale somewhat sides with Mel if only for the survival of her own career, which leads to Gale taking over Tod's band at their latest gig at the Sky Terrace, and Tod being blacklisted by uptown clubs and the bandleaders' association. But with Tod goes his faithful manager Remorse Rumson and publicist Scoop Trotter, whose professional lives are also at stake. The three have different perspectives of how to get Tod on his feet ...

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Plot Keywords:

music arranger | singer | musician | reporter | janitor | 

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Taglines:

Oh, say, can they sing! Oh, boy, how you'll swing! (Print Ad- Niagara Falls Gazette, ((Niagara Falls, NY)) 4 June 1937)

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Genres:

Romance | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

'September In The Rain,' written by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, introduced in this film, was also featured in 2 Warner Brothers cartoons in 1937. The song was later a hit for the legendary Dinah Washington in 1961, reaching #5 US R'n'B.

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Connections

Referenced in Sunburst (1975)

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Soundtracks

Melody for Two
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Performed by James Melton

User Reviews

The Luster Is Lacking In This Thin Musical

"Melody for Two" is a musical--one of those musicals common to its time, where the story takes place on a stage or in a nightclub as an excuse to present musical numbers that have little, if anything, to do with the plot. In this film, the primary characters all work in or around nightclubs. The big "drama" in the story comes from the "novel" idea of introducing swing music to the nightclub patrons. Is it a passing fad? Will audiences like it as much as they do in Harlem clubs? There is a minimum of romance, and who carries a torch for whom has little to do with the action.

What the viewer is left with is a collection of musical performances which, in this case, are an assortment of mediocre tunes and the occasional hummable melody.

The dialogue is meant to be the snappy banter that typifies the thirties and successfully punctuated the successes of Ginger Rogers, Jean Arthur, Cary Grant, and many others. But the banter is uninspired and it feels forced and wooden as delivered by this troupe. The worst is Charley Foy (yes, one of those Foys) who plays a hoofer named Scoop (natch). Foy is the comic whose job is to insert clever one-liners throughout his scenes, but his jokes are lame and they destroy the rhythm of the dialogue.

The fashions in this film are horrible and make one truly appreciate other films of the time that celebrated beauty, ingenuity and the female form.

It is interesting to hear the characters argue over the consequence of swing music as many in the 1950s argued about rock and roll and those at the turn of the century discussed hip hop. Swing enjoyed a heyday during the big band era and enjoys success today, if primarily as part of the swing dancing phenomenon. Swing always had what many now refer to as "swag".

All in all, "Melody for Two" is a shadow of what it could have been with better talent and, perhaps, a bigger budget.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

King of Swing

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1