Time Out for Rhythm
Brief Synopsis
The producers of a musical each hire different women to star.
Cast & Crew
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Sidney Salkow
Director
Ann Miller
Kitty Brown
Rudy Vallee
Daniel Collins
Rosemary Lane
Frances Lewis
Allen Jenkins
Off-Beat [One Note] Davis
Joan Merrill
Herself
Film Details
Also Known As
Show Business
Genre
Musical
Release Date
Jun
20,
1941
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the play Show Business by Alex Ruben (copyrighted 15 Jul 1933).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 14m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8 reels
Synopsis
When Daniel Collins, an erstwhile producer of college musicals, hears singer Frances Lewis perform at the Zodiac Club, he offers her several suggestions on how to improve her delivery. Mike Armstrong, a fledgling talent agent who has a crush on Frances, is so impressed by Danny's ideas that he proposes they become partners in a talent agency. As the years pass, the agency grows successful. Danny, the creative member of the team, is busily developing a new television program to showcase singer Joan Merrill when Mike learns that Frances has just divorced her wealthy husband. Soon after, Frances, a shameless opportunist, visits Mike at his office to ask for a spot in the show. After Mike offers her a supporting role, Frances, exploiting Mike's feelings for her, insists on being the star. When Mike asks him to redesign the show for Frances, Danny, skeptical of Frances' talent, refuses, causing the partners to argue. Valuing Mike's friendship, Danny relents and agrees to go to Frances' apartment to tell her the good news. There, Danny and his friend, One Note Davis, watch as Frances' maid, Kitty Brown, dances and sings while cleaning house. Impressed by Kitty's performance, Danny hires her for one of the production numbers. Soon after, a tipsy Frances returns home from her date with a tobacco magnate. Angry at Frances' betrayal, Danny warns her not to lead Mike on and offers her Joan's part. When Frances is late for the audition the next day, Mike goes to her apartment and discovers that she is being detained by The Three Stooges, whom Danny has hired to pose as gangsters to prevent her from leaving the building. After Mike phones the studio and learns that Kitty has been assigned to replace Frances, he cancels the show and dissolves the partnership in earnest. While at a diner one night, One Note and Danny meet Mike, who tells them he plans to marry Frances and has bought the Skyline Club to showcase her. Although both Mike and Danny boast of their success, in reality, they are miserable without each other. Soon after, Danny receives a telegram from movie mogul James Anderson, asking to audition some new talent. When Danny decides to develop a show around Joan and Kitty, Kitty, who wants to reconcile the former partners, suggests staging it at the Skyline Club. Knowing that Mike will refuse their request, One Note suggests asking Frances if they can use the club in return for the material that Danny is developing. When the ever-ambitious Frances agrees to let them use the club in exchange for making her the star, Danny refuses. Kitty, who has fallen in love with Mike, decides to sacrifice her part to Frances and disappears, forcing Danny to offer the role to Frances. Determined to become a star at any cost, Frances tells Mike that the revue has been conceived for the club, neglecting to inform him that it is really a Hollywood audition. On the night of the performance, Mike sees Anderson in the audience and learns about the audition. Thinking that he has been betrayed by both Frances and Danny, Mike confronts his wife, who declares that her career takes priority over their marriage. After Mike orders her out of the club, he is about to accuse Danny of betrayal when One Note stops him and explains that one of the reasons that Danny staged the audition at the club was to expose Frances as a ruthless opportunist. Mike then agrees to let the show go on, and as Kitty dances her dazzling finale, Mike and Danny shake hands.
Director
Sidney Salkow
Director
Cast
Ann Miller
Kitty Brown
Rudy Vallee
Daniel Collins
Rosemary Lane
Frances Lewis
Allen Jenkins
Off-Beat [One Note] Davis
Joan Merrill
Herself
Richard Lane
Mike Armstrong
Stanley Andrews
James Anderson
Brenda And Cobina
Six Hits And A Miss
Eddie Durant's Rhumba Orchestra
Glen Gray
Eddie Laughton
Broadcast engineer
Lloyd Whitlock
Maitre d'hotel
Joe Mcguinn
Stage manager
Laura Treadwell
Dowager
Stanley Brown
Jim Talbot
George Humbert
Guiseppe
Robert Lakenan
College boy
Alan Hale Jr.
College boy
Jack Banta
College boy
William Benedict
Messenger
Bert Roach
Drunk
Richard Fiske
Customer
Curley Wright
Greek cook
Bud Jamison
Counterman
Gordon Demain
Theatrical producer
Walter Soderling
Landlord
Craufurd Kent
Marlow
Trude Marson
Member of sister act
Sheila Darcy
Member of sister act
Eddie Searles
Dancer
Bob Locke Lorraine
Dancer
Sol Haines
Dancer
Don Ackerman
Dancer
George Ford
Dancer
Ward Arnold
Dancer
Crew
Gene Anderson
Assistant Director
Lionel Banks
Art Director
Bud Brill
Assistant Director
Sammy Cahn
Composer
Saul Chaplin
Composer
P. J. Faulkner
Sound Recording
Bert Granet
Story
Edmund Hartman
Screenwriter
Bert Lawrence
Screenwriter
Robert Lively
Contr to trt
Cary Odell
Art Director
Franz F. Planer
Director of Photography
Leroy Prinz
Music numbers Director by
Saltern
Gowns
Arthur Seid
Film Editor
Irving Starr
Producer
M. W. Stoloff
Music Director
Videos
Movie Clip
Film Details
Also Known As
Show Business
Genre
Musical
Release Date
Jun
20,
1941
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Distribution Company
Columbia Pictures Corp.
Country
United States
Screenplay Information
Based on the play Show Business by Alex Ruben (copyrighted 15 Jul 1933).
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 14m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
8 reels
Articles
Time Out for Rhythm
The producers of a musical each hire different women to star.
Time Out for Rhythm
The producers of a musical each hire different women to star.
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working titles of this film were Show Business and Time Out for Music. According to pre-production news items in Hollywood Reporter, Columbia wanted Dick Powell, Benny Goodman, Xavier Cugat and Yvette to appear in this picture. William Gargan was initially cast as "Mike Armstrong," but withdrew over a dispute about his billing, according to another Hollywood Reporter news item. This picture marked the screen debut of nightclub singer Joan Merrill. Although the character played by Allen Jenkins is listed as "Off-Beat Davis" in the onscreen credits, he is called "One Note Davis" in the film.
Miscellaneous Notes
Released in United States 1941
Released in United States 1941
