Crooner (film)

Crooner
Crooner
	Teddy Taylor (David Manners) conducts his band
Directed by	Lloyd Bacon
Screenplay by	Charles Kenyon
Story by	based on a story; by Rian James
Produced by	Lucien Hubbard
Starring	David Manners; Ann Dvorak
Cinematography	Robert Kurrle
Edited by	Howard Bretherton
Music by	Vitaphone Orchestra conducted by; Leo F. Forbstein
Production; company	First National Pictures, Inc.
Distributed by	First National Pictures
Release date	August 20, 1932;
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, Teddy Taylor.^[1]

A print is held by the Library of Congress.^[2]

Plot

Teddy 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.

In the final scene, as a drunk and unhappy Peter Sturgis, who promoted Teddy Taylor into a singing star and gave up his fiancée Judy Mason to him, continues to drink heavily in a speakeasy, an announcer on the speakeasy's radio proclaims, "…And now, it is our great privilege to bring to you the new sensation of the air, Bang Busby, who will croon for you in his inimitable manner, 'Sweethearts Forever'". As the song, which had already been sung a number of times by Teddy Taylor, begins to be heard, Sturgis grabs a bottle and hurls it at the radio, breaking it.

Cast

David Manners as Teddy Taylor
Ann Dvorak as Judy Mason
Ken Murray as Peter Sturgis
J. Carroll Naish as Nick Meyer
Guy Kibbee as Mike
Claire Dodd as Mrs. Brown
Allen Vincent as Ralph
Edward J. Nugent as Henry
William Janney as Pat
Teddy Joyce as Mack

Uncredited (in order of appearance)
Herman Bing	German-accented vaudevillian with dachshunds
Sumner Getchell	Teddy's band member
John Harron	Teddy's band member
Harry Stubbs	Stage manager who cuts performance of Teddy's band
Brick Holton [voice only]	Teddy Taylor's singing voice
Dennis O'Keefe	Man on dance floor
William Bailey	Man on dance floor
Leo White	Man on dance floor
Bert Moorhouse	Man on dance floor
Mary Treen	Woman who listens with pleasure to Teddy's singing
Harrison Greene	Man on dance floor
Lee Phelps	Man on dance floor
Emmett King	Man on dance floor
Wild Bill Elliott	Man on dance floor
Sheila Terry	Hatcheck girl telling Meyer how well Teddy sings
Hattie McDaniel	Women's room maid who admires Teddy's singing
Olaf Hytten	Nightclub patron impatient about having his hat checked
Rolfe Sedan	Waiter who comes to Judy's and Peter's table
Ruth Hall	Peter Sturgis' secretary
James Donlan	Man who shuts off radio upon hearing Teddy sing
John Larkin	Men's room attendant who comments on Teddy's singing
Luis Alberni	Tamborini, Teddy's singing coach
Allan Lane	Heckler on dance floor
George Magrill	Nightclub brawler

Production

Brick Holton provided Ted Taylor's singing voice.^[3] Rudy Vallée was originally considered for the role of Taylor, but contracts prevented this.^[4]^[5]

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."^[6]

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 Joe Burke

Lyrics by Benny Davis

"You're Just a Beautiful Melody of Love"

Music by Bing Crosby and Babe Goldberg

References

^ The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993:Crooner
^ Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress, (<-book title) page 37 c.1978 by The American Film Institute
^ Bradley, Edwin M. The First Hollywood Musicals: A Critical Filmography of 171 Features, 1927 through 1932 McFarland, 1996, p. 311.
^ "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.

External links

Crooner at IMDb

[1] The AFI Catalog of Feature Films 1893-1993:Crooner

[2] Catalog of Holdings The American Film Institute Collection and The United Artists Collection at The Library of Congress, (<-book title) page 37 c.1978 by The American Film Institute

[3] Bradley, Edwin M. The First Hollywood Musicals: A Critical Filmography of 171 Features, 1927 through 1932 McFarland, 1996, p. 311.

[4] "Hot Off the Ether!". Screenland. New York: Screenland Magazine, Inc. September 1932. Retrieved February 21, 2016.

[5] "Men of the Mike". Silver Screen. New York: Screenland Magazine, Inc. June 1932. Retrieved February 22, 2016.

[6] "The Shadow Stage". Photoplay. New York: Photoplay Publishing Co. October 1932. Retrieved February 21, 2016.

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