Something to Shout About (1943) DVD-R

Starring Don Ameche, Janet Blair, Jack Oakie, William Gaxton, Cobina
Wright, Veda Ann Borg, Cyd Charisse
Directed by Gregory Ratoff

Print: black/white
Runtime: 90 min.
Genre: musical
Print Quality: B

Following three flops in a row, Broadway stage producer Willard Samson
(William Gaxton)is told by wealthy divorcee Donna Davis (Cobina Wright,
Jr.)that she will finance a show but only if she is the star. The fact she can
neither sing, act nor dance does not deter Samson. His press agent, Ken
Douglas (Don Ameche), lives in a theatrical boarding house run by his
friend from vaudeville, Larry Martin (Jack Oakie), where he meets Jeanie
Maxwell (Janet Blair), singing teacher and aspiring songwriter from, of
course, Altoona, Pa., who has come to New York to sell her songs.
Samson is not interested in her songs as much as he is her stage
abilities, but he can't get rid of Donna. Ken is also plugging for Samson to
use the vaudeville acts, living at the boarding house, who can't get work
because there is no more vaudeville, despite the fact that some of the
acts are examples of what killed vaudeville in the first place. The show
appears to have potential, with the exception of Donna, when Ken
convinces her she is the perfect "outdoorable girl" for a publicity
campaign and takes her to the countryside. Samson frames them as being
dangerous counterfeiters and they are arrested by the country sheriff
(Lee 'Lasses' White), and Samson rushes Jeanie into the star role for the
final dress rehearsal. But Donna is released from jail, returns to the show
for opeing night and it is a miserable flop. Jeanie returns to Altoona,
Samson goes on a drunken binge and Ken tries to save the show by
convincing Donna into quitting.