Second Chorus

1941 "They're the tip-tops in toe-taps!"
5.7| 1h24m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 03 January 1941 Released
Producted By: Paramount
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Danny O'Neill and Hank Taylor are rival trumpeters with the Perennials, a college band, and both men are still attending college by failing their exams seven years in a row. In the midst of a performance, Danny spies Ellen Miller who ends up being made band manager. Both men compete for her affections while trying to get the other one fired.

Genre

Comedy, Music, Romance

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Director

H. C. Potter

Production Companies

Paramount

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Second Chorus Audience Reviews

Diagonaldi Very well executed
Actuakers One of my all time favorites.
Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
wes-connors Believe it or not, frisky Fred Astaire (as Danny O'Neill) and boyish Burgess Meredith (as Hank Taylor) are a pair of trumpet-playing college roommates. To explain their old age, the story suggests they've been failing in college for seven years (to get good gigs for their band). A likely story. They meet pretty secretary Paulette Goddard (as Ellen Miller), who dances and romances Mr. Astaire and Mr. Meredith (one will win her on-screen, one will win her off-screen). They also meet and compete with famous bandleader Artie Shaw (newly single, after divorcing Lana Turner). Complicating matters, Ms. Goddard goes to work for Mr. Shaw.Shaw managed to get the "Second Chorus" soundtrack highlight "Concerto for Clarinet" into the Top 10, riding the coattails of his much bigger non-soundtrack "Frenesi" - #1 for thirteen weeks, during this film's original release. Astaire couldn't catch a break at Paramount Pictures after RKO ran its course, and his record sales were more waning than waxing. He is a class act, however, occasionally shining in this obviously lackluster movie. The Astaire/Goddard highlight is easily "Dig It (I Ain't Hep to That Step)" as you'll see, and don't expect any competition (unless you want to include the version by Les Brown and Doris Day).*** Second Chorus (12/3/40) H.C. Potter ~ Fred Astaire, Paulette Goddard, Burgess Meredith, Artie Shaw
DKosty123 This is the last film in which Artie Shaw would actually do some acting. Originally, the producers wanted to make a film with just Artie Shaw & his music. Then along came the opportunity to get Fred Astaire during one of the rare times his career lagged for a short time so they grabbed him and put some first rate folks around him.Paulette Goddard was a very busy actress during this period. She is fine as the lead in this one too. She rarely disappointed during her career. This is a few years after she divorced Chaplin & in 4 years she would marry Burgress Meredith who is in this movie too. A lot of folks in this cast were busy going to the alter. Artie Shaw would be married 8 times during his lifetime.Fred Astaire has a sequence conducting & dancing Shaws Orchestra, and it is an interesting sequence. There are also several famous folks doing cameos. The big thing with this is some excellent music from an era of music that is now looked back on fondly by everyone who discovers it. Big Band, great stuff & a small plot to hang on about a backer for the concert.
Scaramouche2004 Second Chorus as a movie is a little disappointing to say the least.Paulette Goddard, despite the great acting ability and the great beauty she possessed, is alarmingly miscast when it came to anything slightly musical.The Characters portrayed by Fred Astaire and Burgess Merideth are both shockingly underused - Astaire is given but two or three dance routines at the most and the odd song, whilst Merideth who was obviously the comic relief was given very poor material and very little to do, especially when both were capable of so much more. Their characters are also dis likable double crossing schmucks who never miss a chance to screw each other over, sometimes in the nastiest ways possible.Artie Shaw however does shine. Okay he wasn't the best actor ever but then he never pretended to be or I'm sure even wanted to be. He was by all accounts portraying a man named Artie Shaw, a clarinet playing band leader and no acting was really required. He was in the film purely to showcase his music and his orchestra and it must be said, he fulfilled his contract perfectly.Only two or three scenes save this already obscure picture from the deeper obscurity it would so otherwise deserve.1) The scene where Astaire having had his Trumpet solo completely rewritten by Merideth for his long awaited, life changing and career defining audition with Artie Shaws band, starts blasting out bum notes and discordant musical passages that foul up the entire song. Hilarious almost pant wetting comedy, expertly acted by the confused Astaire, made even more funny by the fact that he obviously attach's the blame of the bum arrangement to the great Artie Shaw himself before realisation dawns.2)Artie Shaws great if somewhat shortened Concerto for Clarinet which not only proves that he the best clarinet player the world had known before or since, but that his band was truly the premier big band orchestra of the day. It is a shame his music and talent could not be showcased a little more than it was. In this film it seems he talks more than he actually plays.3) Astaire again conducting Shaws band to "Poor Mr.Chisolm" while tapping his merry little head off. Again like Shaw, Astaire was the very best at his chosen craft and this film apart from this moment does little to showcase it.With input from top quality entertainers like Astaire and Shaw this film could have pulled such wonderful feats out of the hat, yet apart from the three scenes mentioned, it failed at almost every single level and every opportunity was missed.The plot was weak, and the dialogue far from clever and as a motion picture alone it fails to stand up, but for lovers of Astaire and fans of Artie Shaws music may find them like I did the saving Grace of a spent force. Definitely one black cloud with two silver linings.
ccthemovieman-1 A generally-entertaining story that was fun to watch, except for a number of parts in the final 30 minutes which annoyed me. It was, well, the normal lying and deceiving that was played out in so many films of this era, and is so many of Fred Astaire's movies.Speaking of Astaire, I watch his films to see him dance. That's what he does best, so it was disappointing not to see much of that in "Second Chorus."Although I thought Charles Butterworth's character was stupid, I really enjoyed seeing a young Burgess Meredith and it's always a treat to see Paulette Goddard, one of the real beauties of the 1940s. Overall, this was a good- hearted story and when Astaire danced, he was fantastic, as always.The songs are in here are good and band-leader Artie Shaw even showed he could act, too. I liked this despite poor tape quality. I see that this is out on DVD so I might consider purchasing this, even though Astaire himself has been quoted as saying "Second Chorus" was his "worst movie." Ouch!