Swingtime in the Movies (1938)

Swingtime in the Movies (1938)

*** (out of 4)

A "behind the scenes" short from Warner has a musical director (Fritz Feld) being disappointed in his leading lady who can't quite get her Southern accent down. He eventually finds a lady (Kathryn Kane) working in the cafeteria who is from Texas and is just right for the part. The "story" side of this film is mildly entertaining but the real reason to watch is for an early sequence inside the Warner cafeteria where some of their biggest stars are show. We get to see Pat O'Brien, George Brent, John Garfield, Prescilla and Rosemary Lane and a funny sequence with Humphrey Bogart keeping the "Dead End Kids" in line. It's worth noting that this short was also Garfield's only Technicolor film so that's reason enough alone to check it out. These stars are the main reason to see this film but there are plenty of other good moments and that includes the music numbers. The big production inside the cafeteria is certainly the best one but all of them are worth listening to. Kane herself makes for a nice leading lady and really delivers a fun performance making her character quite likable and memorable.