Rhythm on the River
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Victor Schertzinger
Bing Crosby
Mary Martin
Basil Rathbone
Oscar Levant
Oscar Shaw
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Oliver Courtney, a celebrated songwriter suffering from a bout of writer's block, employs ghost writers to pen his hits. His latest tunesmith is Bob Summers, a recluse who lives at his uncle Caleb's hotel in Tarrytown, and his new lyricist is Cherry Lane, who has been sworn to secrecy about her job. Seeking solitude to write her compositions, Cherry visits Bob's uncle Caleb's hotel in Tarrytown where she meets Bob, although neither is aware that the other is also a collaborator on Courtney's songs. Bob and Cherry are attracted to each other and begin to write music together, and compose a song entitled "Only Forever," which they pledge will be only theirs forever. While accidently meeting at Courtney's office one day, the two lovers discover that they have been jointly ghosting his songs, and decide to formalize their partnership and sell their songs under their own names. When they do, however, they are accused of copying Courtney's style and are rejected by publisher after publisher. While they are auditioning a song at Westlake Music, orchestra leader John Scott Trotter hears Cherry sing and offers her a job as a vocalist with his band. Cherry resists the offer, but Bob, feeling rejected, insists that she accept, and in order to buy her an evening gown for her debut, borrows two hundred dollars from Courtney, using "Only Forever" as collateral. Later, when Broadway producer Charlie Goodrich storms in Courtney's office and threatens a lawsuit unless Courtney produces some music, Courtney's assistant, Charlie Starbuck, gives him the sheet music for "Only Forever." Goodrich gives the piece to Trotter who presents it to Cherry, who in turn believes that Bob has betrayed her. They then both confront Courtney and, under threat of ruin, he finally acknowledges them as his collaborators.
Director
Victor Schertzinger
Cast
Bing Crosby
Mary Martin
Basil Rathbone
Oscar Levant
Oscar Shaw
Lillian Cornell
William Frawley
John Scott Trotter
Phyllis Kennedy
Jean Cagney
Wingy Manone
Brandon Hurst
Charles Lane
Pierre Watkin
Helen Bertram
Ken Carpenter
Harry Barris
Wingy Manone And His Band
Crew
Hugh Bennett
Johnny Burke
Hans Dreier
Ernst Fegte
Arthur Franklin
Earl Hayman
Edith Head
William Lebaron
James V. Monaco
Richard Olson
Victor Schertzinger
Karl Struss
Dwight Taylor
Ted Tetzlaff
Jacques Thery
John Scott Trotter
Hal Walker
Billy Wilder
Victor Young
Film Details
Technical Specs
Award Nominations
Best Song
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Ghost Music. According to a news item in Hollywood Reporter, Karl Struss subsituted for camerman Ted Tetzlaff when Tetzlaff became ill. John Scott Trotter was a popular orhcestra leader of the period. The song "Only Forever" was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Song. This was actor-pianist Oscar Levant's second film as an actor, his first was The Dance of Life a 1929 Paramount Picture (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.1141).
