Swingin' on a Rainbow
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
William Beaudine
Jane Frazee
Brad Taylor
Harry Langdon
Minna Gombell
Amelita Ward
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In Bellflower, Nebraska, composer Lynn Ford admits to her fellow radio station workers that she submitted a tune entitled "Wrap Your Troubles in a Rainbow" to an amateur songwriting contest sponsored by band leader Jimmy Rhodes. Lynn had received a rejection letter from Jimmy's manager, Huston Greer, but when she hears the song being played on Jimmy's radio show, under the title "Swingin' on a Rainbow," she assumes that she has won the contest and goes to New York City to collect the $1,000 prize. Lynn spends the next two weeks being refused entry to the radio station from which Jimmy broadcasts, until finally she sneaks in and confronts Greer. Greer tells her that because she did not copyright her tune, she cannot press plagiarism charges, and after she storms out, Greer apprises Jimmy of the situation. Jimmy, who knowingly stole Lynn's song, decides to leave town for a while, but Lynn overhears his plans, and, through a little subterfuge, convinces Parker, the manager of his apartment building, that she is Jimmy's niece and is to stay at his apartment until his return. While Lynn is enjoying her luxurious surroundings, advertising executive Thomas Marsden consults with his top client, Minnie Regan of Lady Minerva Beauty Products, about a new song she has requested, which is to be sung by Thomas' spoiled daughter Barbara on her radio show. Marsden has already commissioned Jimmy to supply the song's melody, and Barbara insists that lyric writer Stephen Ames be hired to supply the words. Marsden is worried that Stephen is just another in Barbara's long line of crushes, but sends his assistant, Chester Willoby, to collect the music from Jimmy. Upon his arrival at Jimmy's apartment, Chester meets Lynn, who seizes the opportunity by stating that she is Jimmy's collaborator. Lynn promises to bring the tune to Marsden's office the next morning, then inadvertently becomes embroiled in a "noise" war with her unseen next-door neighbor, who pounds on the wall when she makes any loud noises. Lynn pounds back heartily but gets the tune written, and goes to Marsden's office in the morning. Minnie likes the music and Marsden orders Chester to arrange for Lynn and Stephen to work together on the song. While visiting the songwriters, Chester realizes that they live next door to each other and are the noisy neighbors about which they have been complaining. Believing that they hate each other, Chester attempts to keep them separated, but Stephen and Lynn meet and are instantly attracted to each other. Their collaboration goes well, and Lynn, who is the first to learn that they are neighbors, keeps Stephen from finding out, even while she continues to tease him by pounding on the wall. At a party given by Marsden for Minnie, the jealous Barbara refuses to sing Lynn and Stephen's song, and Stephen coaxes the talented Lynn into performing. The next day, Barbara's possessiveness convinces Lynn that Stephen is romantically entangled with her, and Lynn breaks off their relationship. Meanwhile, not knowing about Lynn's deception, Chester wires Jimmy to attend the Lady Minerva radio show, which will feature the premiere of "his" and Lynn's song. When Chester tells Lynn about the imminent arrival of her "partner," she sneaks out of Jimmy's apartment, although he learns from Parker about the presence of his "niece." On the way to the radio staion, Lynn confesses all to Stephen, who has told her that he is not Barbara's boyfriend. In the studio, Marsden receives a phone call from Barbara, who refuses to perform, and Stephen suggests that Lynn again go on in her place. Stephen keeps Jimmy from interrupting the show, and when Jimmy hears how good the song is, he happily agrees to become Lynn's partner for real. When the group returns to Jimmy's apartment to celebrate, Lynn reveals to Stephen that she was his noisy neighbor, and the couple laugh and kiss.
Director
William Beaudine
Cast
Jane Frazee
Brad Taylor
Harry Langdon
Minna Gombell
Amelita Ward
Tim Ryan
Paul Harvey
Wendell Niles
Richard Davies
Helen Talbot
Ellen Lowe
Charles Forsythe
Roy Darmour
George Davis
Charles Dorety
George Barton
John Wald
Jimmy Zaner
Holmes Herbert
Ken Niles
Frank Fanning
Rex Lease
Frank Wayne
Billy Wilkerson
William Austin
Eddie Kane
Archie Twitchell
Ralph Montgomery
Jerry Shane
Ruth Lee
Sheila Stuart
Bert Roach
Cyril Ring
Gertrude Astor
Jimmy Kelly
Crew
Fred Allen
Tom Carman
Gano Chittenden
Olive Cooper
Olive Cooper
Jack Elliott
Kim Gannon
John Grey
Virgil Hart
Walter Kent
Russell Kimball
Herb Kirkpatrick
Marcel Lepicard
Adele Palmer
Armand Schaefer
Gordon C. Schaefer
Morton Scott
Otto Siegel
John Stransky Jr.
Eddy White
Howard Wilson
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Moonlight and Roses. According to a May 1944 Hollywood Reporter news item, Jane Withers was originally set to star in the film, which was to be produced by Lester Sharpe. Swingin' on a Rainbow marked the last screen appearance of comedian and popular silent-film star Harry Langdon, who died on December 22, 1944. Although not acknowledged in the film's credits or reviews, the picture was a remake of the 1937 Republic film Rhythm in the Clouds, which featured a screenplay by Olive Cooper, starred Patricia Ellis and Warren Hull and was directed by John H. Auer (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.3717).
