Second Chorus

• Fred Astaire: Danny O'Neill
• Paulette Goddard: Ellen Miller
• Artie Shaw: Artie Shaw
• Charles Butterworth: Mr. Chisholm
• Burgess Meredith: Hank Taylor
• Frank Melton: Stu
• Don Brodie: official
• Marjorie Kane: secretary
• Joan Barclay: Receptionist
• Willa Pearl Curtis: Housekeeper

Second Chorus is an American musical film directed by HC Potter from the year 1940.

Action

The trumpet player Danny O'Neill and Hank Taylor are permanent students for seven years. They fall on purpose by the tests because they make more money as a musician as members of the College Band Perennials as outside the university. One day, Danny meets during a college graduation concert on the attractive Ellen Miller, who admits to have been looking for him - he owes her boss some money. Also, Hank is in love with Ellen and then both go the next day to Ellen's boss, but are more interested in re- watching the young woman. You comes the idea to hire Ellen as a band manager. When she explained that she already has a job, Danny and Hank obtain using a lie their dismissal. Perforce is Ellen and her manager is so successful that the College Band soon even the renowned band around Artie Shaw takes away the orders by her feminine charms. The ears prick because either the band or the band's manager must be very good. It promises to be a concert of the band.

Danny and Hank believe that he wants to engage one of them as a trumpet player for his band and try their hand at showing against each other to outdo. At the end it turns out that Artie Ellen has engaged a new manager. The band Danny and Hank breaks down now and both pretend to want to follow in the footsteps of their fathers professional, that have nothing to do with music. In reality, both Ellen traveling to New York City to and standing in her office when Ellen just could prevail with Artie that Danny and Hank play for him. In addition to the rivalry for Ellen Danny and Hank are also professional competitors in all friendship and try to sabotage each other's. When Danny Artie auditions during a concert, Hank manipulates his score, so Danny plays wrong. Hank, in turn, is pushed by Danny shortly before his solo from the stage. Both men are thrown by guards from the concert hall and Ellen swears to do not want a reunion of the two. As word gets around the scandal, Hank his money at the end as a trumpeter on horse racing and Danny is posted as a Russian singer and dancer in a small restaurant.

Ellen, meanwhile, has been found in the rich and naive Mr. Chisholm a backer for a planned concert Artie Shaw. Mr. Chisholm once played passionately fond of the banjo, but it is totally unmusical. When he meets up with Ellen to agree on and makes music with her ​​more bad than good, Danny and Hank rise secretly into her home because Ellen has both fobbed off on the phone and now everyone thinks jealous of each other was with her. When both again see Ellen's bed, they take the plan to drive out the supposed rival Mr. Chisholm. Hank pretends to be Ellen's husband and Mr. Chisholm is distraught. Ellen is desperate because Arties concert is now threatening to fail, and Danny and Hank are contrite. They promise to make up for the error. You confess Mr. Chisholm that Hank lied, and make him feel guilty because he thought badly of Ellen. He is grateful to them both and play him a song before, that Danny wrote. As donors he could decide which songs are played and so is Mr. Chisholm finally before Artie on Danny's song that he even wants to accompany the banjo. Danny must audition and Artie agrees to a gig with Danny's song. Hank has the task of holding Mr. Chisholm on the evening of games and is successful: Mr. Chisholm and he mix each other's secretly sleeping pills into a drink, so that both missed the great concert evening. Danny again celebrates with his song that he has been the conductor, a roaring success. Together with Ellen he drives away after the premiere.

Production

Second Chorus was shot on the campus of Occidental College in Los Angeles and at Paramount Studios. The film saw its premiere on December 3, 1940 in New York City and arrived on 3 January 1941 in the American cinema. In Germany the film has not yet been released.

In the film can be heard on various songs. The trumpet solos were here played by Bobby Hackett ( Fred Astaire Parts) and Billy Butterfield ( Burgess Meredith Parts).

• Sweet Sue Just You (music: Victor Young, Text: Will J. Harris)
• Would You Like to Be the Love of My Life - sung by Fred Astaire (music by Artie Shaw, text: Johnny Mercer )
• I'm Yours ( Music: Johnny Green, Text: EY Harburg)
• Beautiful Dreamer - sung by Charles Butterworth ( Music: Stephen Foster)
• Poor Mr. Chisholm - sung by Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith ( Music: Bernard Hanighen, text: Johnny Mercer )
• Dig It - sung by Fred Astaire (music by Hal Borne, text: Johnny Mercer )
• The New Moon Is Shining ( trad.)
• Sugar ( Music: Maceo Pinkard, instrumental)
• Everything's Jumping (music by Artie Shaw, instrumental)
• Double Mellow (music by Artie Shaw, instrumental)
• Concerto for Clarinet ( Music: Artie Shaw, instrumental)

Originally, the film contained no dance numbers and was rewritten during filming for Fred Astaire. He had promised his participation in the film because he wanted to be with Artie Shaw together in front of the camera. Looking back Astaire called the film in an interview the worst film of his career.

Criticism

Leonard Maltin gave the film two out of four stars, calling him a " veteran musical comedy ", and wrote that the film is not enough own music and hardly dance routines, but do a lot of fun.

Awards

Second Chorus received at the Oscar ceremony in 1941 two nominations: Artie Shaw and Johnny Mercer were nominated for Best Song Love of My Life for an Oscar in the category. Artie Shaw also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score.