Something to Sing About (1936)
-
43% of users liked it
(97 ratings)
Battling Hoofer is the reissue title of the 1936 James Cagney vehicle Something to Sing About. Cagney plays Terry Rooney, a New York bandleader who heads to Hollywood when he is offered a movie contract. The down-to-Earth Rooney resists the "star treatment," an attitude misinterpreted by… More Battling Hoofer is the reissue title of the 1936 James Cagney vehicle Something to Sing About. Cagney plays Terry Rooney, a New York bandleader who heads to Hollywood when he is offered a movie contract. The down-to-Earth Rooney resists the "star treatment," an attitude misinterpreted by movie executive Bennett O. Regan (Gene Lockhart) as arrogance. When Terry's first film is a hit, Regan orders everyone involved to keep its success a secret from Terry, lest he develop a swelled head! (We don't believe it either.) The best sequence has Rooney chewing out his Asian houseboy, Ito (Philip Ahn), whereupon he drops his "So solly" pidgin English and begins talking like a Harvard professor! Terry gets to romance newcomer Evelyn Daw, as well as veteran vamp Mona Barrie; he also gets to participate in several lively dance numbers. Something to Sing About was the second of Jimmy Cagney's films for Poverty Row studio Grand National: the production values and snappy script work that he might have enjoyed at Warner Bros. are noticeably lacking, but Cagney is always fun to watch. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Victor Schertzinger, Charlie Jordan
- Written By
- Austin Parker
- Genres
- Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Nov 19, 1937 Wide
- On DVD
- Jun 21, 2005
- Studio
- Screencraft Pictures
Critic Reviews
-
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Cagney is a treat to watch as he spoofs, hoofs and romances.
-
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
The higher rating for this low budget musical is for Cagney's great dance sequences.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
James Cagney
as Terry Rooney
-
Evelyn Daw
as Rita Wyatt
-
William Frawley
as Hank Meyers
-
Mona Barrie
as Stephanie Hajos
-
Gene Lockhart
as Bennet O. Regan
-
James Newill
as Orchestra Soloist
-
Cully Richards
as Soloist
-
Candy Candido
as Candy
-
Richard Tucker
as Blaine
-
Marek Windheim
as Farney
-
Dwight Frye
as Easton
-
Johnny Arthur
as Daviani
-
Philip Ahn
as Ito
-
Kathleen Lockhart
as Miss Robins
-
Kenneth Harlan
as Transportation manager
-
Herbert Rawlinson
as Studio attorney
-
Ernest Wood
as Edward Burns
-
Joe Bennett
as Dancer
- Jack Boyle
-
Chick Collins
as Man Terry fights
-
William B. Davidson
as Cafe manager
-
Duke Green
as Man
-
Edward Hearn
as Studio guard
-
Eddie Kane
as S.F. theatre mgr.
-
Alphonse Martell
as Head Waiter
-
Bob McKenzie
as Ships captain
- John Miller
-
Larry Steers
as Studio official
-
The Vagabonds
as Specialty
-
Frank Mills
as Cabby
- Pat Moran
-
Bill Carey
as Singer
-
Harland Dixon
as Dancer
-
Ed Allen
as Dancer
- Bo Peep Karlin
- Buck Mack
- Bart Braverman
- Brian J. White
- Darius McCrary
- Devika Parikh
- Irma P. Hall
- Jack Axelrod
- Kirk Franklin
- Lobo Sebastian
- Rashaan Nall
- Tamera Mowry
