In Tin Pan Alley, John Payne and Jack Oakie play pals and songwriters in the years before WWI. When no one buys their songs, they turn to purchasing other songs from other songwriters, then jazzing the tunes up for the vaudeville stage. In one scene, they buy a song from Elisha Cook, Jr. They give him a very low offer, but he insists on a better price, quipping, "I know I look dumb, but that's an advantage." Then, when John and Jack buy his song, they change the temp and time signature, much to his disgust. He, like anyone whose work has been bought and altered, has no choice but bury his head in his hands and lament that he's "only the composer."
John Payne sure lucked out with Miracle on 34th Street, because in many of his earlier roles, he wasn't very likable. In all the Alice Faye movies I've seen him in, he plays a bit of a jerk, someone who values his work far more than the woman who loves him. Tin Pan Alley is no different, and even though he's very handsome, I was on Alice's side during their fights. For example. John promises her a romantic date after nonstop performances, and once there, he spills champagne all over the singer's gown and spontaneously suggests Alice sing instead. It was all on purpose so his new song would be exposed at the swanky nightclub!
During Alice's performances, the girl next to her swung her hips with three times the gusto and tap danced with twice as much flair, I wondered why she didn't become a big star, and why Alice didn't put more into her performance with someone trying so hard next to her. Turns out, the matching blonde was Betty Grable! Still, I don't know why Alice didn't try harder, when a replacement was being groomed right in front of her.
If you like the cast or want to see a pre-wartime Betty Grable, you might want to try out Tin Pan Alley. John, Alice, and Jack teamed up for two more movies later in the 1940s, so if you like their chemistry together, you can see them again in Hello, Frisco, Hello and The Great American Broadcast.
John Payne sure lucked out with Miracle on 34th Street, because in many of his earlier roles, he wasn't very likable. In all the Alice Faye movies I've seen him in, he plays a bit of a jerk, someone who values his work far more than the woman who loves him. Tin Pan Alley is no different, and even though he's very handsome, I was on Alice's side during their fights. For example. John promises her a romantic date after nonstop performances, and once there, he spills champagne all over the singer's gown and spontaneously suggests Alice sing instead. It was all on purpose so his new song would be exposed at the swanky nightclub!
During Alice's performances, the girl next to her swung her hips with three times the gusto and tap danced with twice as much flair, I wondered why she didn't become a big star, and why Alice didn't put more into her performance with someone trying so hard next to her. Turns out, the matching blonde was Betty Grable! Still, I don't know why Alice didn't try harder, when a replacement was being groomed right in front of her.
If you like the cast or want to see a pre-wartime Betty Grable, you might want to try out Tin Pan Alley. John, Alice, and Jack teamed up for two more movies later in the 1940s, so if you like their chemistry together, you can see them again in Hello, Frisco, Hello and The Great American Broadcast.