...with the exception of Pat O'Brien there are really no other big screen stars in this film. However, there are some quite famous singing stars including Jane Froman and James Melton.
The story starts out in a bar with down-on-his-luck agent/talent scout Al McGillevray (Pat O'Brien) being the butt of jokes at every table he visits in the joint. Disheartened, he goes back to his hotel and requests his trunk be brought up to his room, saying he's going to check out. He is - but not the way the night clerk thinks as Al has a gun in that trunk and plans to end it all. He changes his mind when happy singing porter Jan King (James Melton) arrives with his trunk and Al thinks he can make him into a sensation and finally become a big shot which seems to be his highest goal in life.
Al takes odd jobs in order to pay Jan's expenses during the weeks it takes for Jan to take some basic voice training from Professor Minotti, and then Jan makes his debut. Minotti wants to take Jan to Italy for lengthy training so that he can sing opera, since he has that potential. This doesn't mix with anxious Al's desire to drag Jan to the top as fast as possible so he can go around town crowing that he discovered him. What is dragged up fast can be dragged down in a hurry too, as Jan begins to be more interested in wine and women than song. Throughout all of this, there is the presence of a demure young woman, Nora, who wants to be a singer. She is constantly asking Al if he'll be her agent, and for some reason that's not clearly understandable, he keeps refusing. Things come to a head between Jan and Al when Jan not only is trashing his own career but is planning on making Nora another notch in his belt.
This one is a little light on dramatic enjoyment but I have to take my hat off to Pat O'Brien's acting here. His character starts out a weakling who is willing to end it all over nothing more than foolish pride, but by the end of the film I really admired the guy. On top of that there's some beautiful singing by James Melton in one of his very few film appearances of the 30's.
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