Step Lively

This features an emaciated young crooner by the name of Frank Sinatra who is a playwright writing unmitigated rubbish which a producer (George Murphy) is trying not to put on stage. When he hears young Frankie sing though, he wants to put him in a musical he is rehearsing in a hotel. Unfortunately, Murphy is low on funds and an exasperated hotel manager (Walter Slezak) and the hotel auditor (Adolphe Menjou) are having kittens trying to get their hands on some folding stuff or throw this producer and his retinue out on the street.

Frankie reluctantly decides to sing in the musical - most probably because the female lead in it is Gloria DeHaven and of course in the end everything turns out well for all concerned in the tradition of MGM musicals of the period.

This film is very enjoyable - even though the general theme of it is the same as many others, Adolphe Menjou, whilst at the same time being sartorially elegant, manages to go over the top a number of times and don't we all love it when he does? Gloria and Frankie sing a number of songs and they are all nice and tuneful. Eugene Pallette walks on blustering a few times and we wonder if at any time he may suddenly explode. The script is amusing, the story tight and the direction by Robert Fellows quite capable. Good entertaining fun.