Brilliant and touching

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

"Old Man Rhythm" is one of those musicals where the studio rounds up talent and creates a story that tries to fit them all in, including whatever specialty acts they are big on. But the plot of this film does not try much to be other than that. It opens with a musical number, on a train, that includes just about every actor in the film. That first scene tells us everything we need to know about the film: it's light and playful and filled with talent.OMR is driven by the music of Lewis E. Gensler and Johnny Mercer. If you like clever lyrics and toe-tapping tunes, this is a good film to watch. Gensler is talented, but the entire film is Mercerized by the Ogden Nashish lyrics.Speaking of which, the only slow part of the film is a scene about fleas. Yes, it's true. Apparently the entire scene (apart from being a silly plot device regarding a letter) is just a setup for a poem that is, nevertheless, interesting. The poem is called "Siphonaptera" and if you look it up on Wikipedia, you will learn its origins and its variations.One more point about the music. It captures a time in the evolution of popular music when you can easily hear the transition from the blues to jazz (and swing). The musical arrangements in this film are filled with examples.Betty Grable taps en pointe. Hermes Pan arranged the dance numbers, so I guess he might be partly responsible for this difficult feat. Among the other talented performers, I particularly liked Evelyn Poe, though her film career seems to have been short.The story is not much to write home about. A college boy's father (John Roberts) is concerned that his son (JR, Jr.) is losing his scholarly focus because of a girl (Marion). He enrolls in the same college, hoping to turn the boy's affections toward another girl (Edith) deemed more suitable. Though Junior thinks Marion is the marryin' kind, she proves to be more interested in his familial fortune. They all live in some dormitories that wow and they frequent a soda shop where the local talents shake a leg and croon competently. Which is what the film is all about, after all--the music.This double-bill special no doubt had the cats boogeying in their theater seats in 1935.

Oh, come on, I said to myself. Sometimes you expect too much. It's just a second-billed, minor musical, so what's the big deal? I don't often make sense when speaking to myself, but this time I just went with the movie and had a good time, at that. The plot gets pretty far afield and far from reality but you have to appreciate the raw energy of the performers in bringing this trifle to comparative life.The storyline has been summarized by several contributors and everything they say is on the mark; goofy, absurd, nonsensical, gets in the way of the music, etc. but the musical numbers here (all unheard-of songs which never became standards) really enliven the picture and the wait between them is worth your while. The stars are 'B-list' Hollywood stars interspersed with some good character actors, among them Eric Blore, Erik Rhodes, Donald Meek and George Barbier. Also in the cast is Johnny Mercer who wrote the lyrics to all the songs.Not for modern tastes as clothing styles and college activities (everyone meets at the soda shop?) are very old-fashioned, but you'll especially enjoy "Old Man Rhythm" if you are of a certain age, say around WW II and before. I hope that doesn't make us too old!

In which a dad enrolls in college when he learns his son has become infatuated with a blonde (dad prefers a different gal for junior). Dad is soon strolling around campus in freshman beanie and getting into trouble for walking on the sophomore pathway. When he sees that sonny is set on sticking with the blonde, he gets advised from a fellow student in the know - she's a gold-digger. So - dad pretends his business is going bust to get the gold-digger to leave his son alone!This film is a bit of fluff, mainly held together by some really good musical numbers. The opening scene features a train ride to college, full of the students singing a very catchy tune - I particularly enjoyed this number. Best of all - one of the students is played by a very young and beautiful Betty Grable who sings, tap dances on pointe, and charms her way across the screen to coming super-stardom - every time she is on screen she is all you can look at! The story in this isn't the greatest, and Buddy Rogers (who I love in silent films) is a bit of a dud here, though still pretty handsome to look at - he even sings (or is dubbed, I'm not sure) a rather lackluster number himself. Enjoyable, light fare.

This is a small and harmless RKO musical galvanized by some tuneful (though unmemorable) songs and rhythmic dances. It is mostly set on campus and captures the youthful zest of its largely unknown players, including Betty Grable, Lucille Ball, George Barbier, Charles Rogers, Barbara Kent, Johnny Mercer, Eric Blore, John Arledge and Sonny Lamont. For one thing, it is great to watch a very young Betty Grable with her exuberant dancing and carefree enthusiasm before stardom. This is one of her earliest movies I've seen along with 1938's "College Swing"(also a campus musical). George Barbier as the rich and overprotective father who enrolls in college to watch for his son's social life is cool especially in the "Old Man Rhythm" number. Sonny Lamont is amusing as the heavy-set college boy who does some back flips and acrobats. The song that opens the movie, set on the train where all the college students are singing and dancing is quite catchy. But my favorite numbers are "What Would You Suggest?" and "When You Are in My Arms".