RHYTHM IN THE CLOUDS

RHYTHM IN THE CLOUDS (1937). Director: John H. Auer.

Aspiring and audacious (and hungry) songwriter Judy Walker (Patricia Ellis of Romance on the Run) uses the name of successful composer Phil Hale (Robert Paige), with whom she has only corresponded, to get entry into a studio, pretend to be his collaborator, and to even move into his apartment while he's out of town. There her next door neighbor, songwriter Bob McKay (Warren Hull of Mandrake the Magician), whom she comes to loathe, engages in a feud with her. Then Hale comes back to town ...  Ellis and Hull give good performances, but the movie is nearly stolen by Zeffie Tilbury [Werewolf of London] as the advertising "Duchess; William Newell also scores as the radio assistant, Lyons. Dorothy Day has a nice turn as the sexy singer, Suzanne. Some of the music is a neat combination of classical and jazz. It's all easy to take if quite minor.

Verdict: Perfectly amiable if nothing to crow about. **1/2.

ROMANCE ON THE RUN

Edward Brophy and Donald Woods

ROMANCE ON THE RUN (1938). Director: Gus Meins.

When the famous "Czarina's Tears" necklace is stolen, insurance man Ridgeway (Andrew Tombes) is horrified to discover that his secretary, Dale (Patricia Ellis), renewed the policy while he was in Boston. Ridgeway hastily calls in private eye Barry Drake (Donald Woods) to get back the necklace for $10,000. Drake gets the necklace and takes the money, but it turns out that the necklace is a phony. So Dale rushes after him and his valet Whitey (Edward Brophy) even as they rush after the thieves, Lily (Grace Bradley) and Charlie (Craig Reynolds). The "romance" of the title is that Barry and Dale are supposedly falling in love after initial mutual hostility, but we see precious little evidence of this. Woods can handle this kind of light material with aplomb, but this material isn't just light, it's paper-thin, and an interesting enough premise is completely wasted. William Demarest plays a cop who's also looking for the necklace. Director Gus Meins' best-known film is Laurel and Hardy's wonderful Babes in Toyland. Ellis isn't bad; she made only three more pictures after this, including Block-Heads, also with Laurel and Hardy. Woods did several "Mexican Spitfire" films with Lupe Velez, and starred on television as Craig Kennedy, Criminologist.

Verdict: A couple of minor titters and little more, but the cast is game enough. **.