Crooner (film)
| Crooner | |
|---|---|
 Ted Taylor (David Manners) conducts his band | |
| Directed by | Lloyd Bacon |
| Written by | Charles Kenyon (screenplay) Rian James (story) |
| Produced by | Lucien Hubbard |
| Starring | David Manners Ann Dvorak |
| Cinematography | Robert Kurrle |
| Edited by | Howard Bretherton |
| Music by | Ray Heindorf |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | First National Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 67 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Crooner is a 1932 American pre-Code musical drama film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring David Manners along with Ann Dvorak and Ken Murray. It concerns the abrupt rise and fall of a popular crooner, Ted Taylor.
Plot
Ted Taylor is the leader of Ted Taylor's Collegians. One night, his usual singer can't sing. He decides to try out singing. However, his voice can't be heard over the band. A dancer stops and jokes with him by handing him a megaphone. Taylor sings through it, and he is heard. The ladies are enamored with his soft voice while the men are disgusted. Taylor becomes a big star over night, but his ego becomes inflated. Things come to a head when Taylor loses his temper and punches a heckler in the audience, who he didn't realize was a cripple. Shunned, he loses his girlfriend, his band, his fame, and his dignity.
Cast
- David Manners as Ted Taylor
- Ann Dvorak as Judy Mason
- Ken Murray as Peter Sturgis
- J. Carrol Naish as Nick Meyer
- Guy Kibbee as Mike
- Claire Dodd as Mrs. Brown
- Allen Vincent as Ralph
- Edward Nugent as Henry
- Teddy Joyce as Mack
- William Janney as Pat
Production
Donald Novis provided Ted Taylor's singing voice. Rudy Vallée was originally considered for the role of Taylor, but contracts prevented this.[1][2]
Reception
"It hands a loud but quite amusing razz to all such radio performers," wrote a critic for Photoplay. "Ken Murray and Ann Dvorak help to make this bright and entertaining."[3]
Soundtrack
- "In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town"
- Music by Jack Little and John Siras
- Lyrics by Joe Young
- "Sweethearts Forever"
- Music by Cliff Friend
- Lyrics by Irving Caesar
- "Three's a Crowd"
- Music by Harry Warren
- Lyrics by Al Dubin and Irving Kahal
- "I Send My Love With These Roses"
- Music by Joseph A. Burke
- Lyrics by Benny Davis
- "You're Just a Beautiful Melody of Love"
- Music by Bing Crosby and Babe Goldberg
External links
References
- ^ "Hot Off the Ether!". Screenland. New York: Screenland Magazine, Inc. September 1932. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ^ "Men of the Mike". Silver Screen. New York: Screenland Magazine, Inc. June 1932. Retrieved February 22, 2016.
- ^ "The Shadow Stage". Photoplay. New York: Photoplay Publishing Co. October 1932. Retrieved February 21, 2016.