1h 22min | Comedy, Western, Musical | 13 February 1942
Director: Arthur Lubin
Stars: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Foran, Ella Fitzgerald.
Nick Castle ... musical number choreographer
In the Tap! Appendix for "uncredited." (Remember this book was published in 1990.) IMDb lists a dance trio The High Hatters, which could have been the trio we saw briefly, trying to be Berry-Brother-ish; but we spent more time cut away from them than on them. Then we get another brief Lindy-Hopper octet who sort of tap too, and they dance off almost as quickly as they danced on so the white folks can imitate them. IMDb lists Dorothy Dandridge as a dancer somewhere in the film.
The dvd Production Notes assert the classic routines include Heard of Cows, Crazy House and the poker game. They also explain that Universal had a deal with MGM to load A&C out to them for one film/year; this year was Rio Rita. No indication of what Universal got in exchange.
Johnny Mack Brown was featured here, likely attracting his fans. Douglass Dumbrille appears as an Indian after LC to marry a squaw.
Ella Fitzgerald made her 1st of 4 film appearances (the next was is in '55), singing A-Tisket, A-Tasket and Rockin' and Reelin' (a swing square dance). Tasket appeared earlier, in 3 films in '39, where she gets credit for both writing music & lyrics with Van Alexander.
Soundtracks lists 7 songs in total, 2 by Dick Foran plus 1 with the Merry Macs, 2 by the Merry Macs alone plus 1 with Ella, then Tasket by Ella alone. The stand-out for me is I'll Remember April (sung by Moran), which was on a Doris Day album from my youth.
Universal, dir. Lubin; 6
The dvd Production Notes assert the classic routines include Heard of Cows, Crazy House and the poker game. They also explain that Universal had a deal with MGM to load A&C out to them for one film/year; this year was Rio Rita. No indication of what Universal got in exchange.
Johnny Mack Brown was featured here, likely attracting his fans. Douglass Dumbrille appears as an Indian after LC to marry a squaw.
Ella Fitzgerald made her 1st of 4 film appearances (the next was is in '55), singing A-Tisket, A-Tasket and Rockin' and Reelin' (a swing square dance). Tasket appeared earlier, in 3 films in '39, where she gets credit for both writing music & lyrics with Van Alexander.
Soundtracks lists 7 songs in total, 2 by Dick Foran plus 1 with the Merry Macs, 2 by the Merry Macs alone plus 1 with Ella, then Tasket by Ella alone. The stand-out for me is I'll Remember April (sung by Moran), which was on a Doris Day album from my youth.
Universal, dir. Lubin; 6
