Product: Rhythm On The Range/Rhythm On The River - Double Feature (1936)
Rating: 3.0
Pleasant nostalgia
This Crosby double feature is a fair example of the programmers which Paramount churned out in the thirties and early forties for the famous crooner. Both are pleasant entertainment and each contain a few memorable and some unintentionally funny moments."Rhythm on the Range" released in 1936, is clearly based on "It Happened One Night" with the intelligent and stunning Frances Farmer as the runaway heiress. Bing is miscast as a cowboy of sorts. Since Farmer has been urged to find a "real man" by her rather butch aunt, it is unintentionally funny that Crosby, with middle age spread and a notable lack of masculine prowess, becomes the object of her affections. There are other funny moments: for example, that shadow of the horse trainer visible in the rodeo when Bing sings and the arc light shone like a halo over Farmer in every scene. The songs are mainly duds sung with little gusto by Bing. The good moments are Martha Raye singing her signature tune "Mr Paganini" and everyone having a go at "I'm an Old Cowhand"."Rhythm of the River" is a much better film with Bing more suitably cast as a ghost song writer for Basil Rathbone. Mary Martin plays the lyricist and as always, she impresses with her warmth, humour and delightful vocals. The script has bite, not surprising since Billy Wilder is listed in the credits and there is at least one memorable moment when Bing sings the title song in a pawn shop.Both films' scripts refer to Bing as a young man at least once and this is ludicrous since he clearly was not. Thank goodness Bob Hope turned up to galvanise him into animation in the Road Pictures.The prints are immaculate and there are no extras which is OK since this is not an expensive DVD.