froberts73 Okay we've been told all the stuff about Cagney arguing with WB and dancing over to Grand National, and we know this is the umpteenth remake of earlier Warner flicks.The movie is low-low budget, but it is fun to watch so youse guys watch it. The main reason is its star who, too seldom, was given the opportunity to display his very unique dance prowess. Unfortunately, he was given too little time to dance in this pic, but when he did, it was 100% captivating.Another treat was Evelyn Daw. One of the critics fairly compared her to Jeanette McDonald, and I agree. Beautiful voice, cute, good personality. (I boycott Jeanette movies. In "The Great Waltz" Miliza Korjus put her in the shade. Ms. M told Mr. MGM she would walk if they starred her anymore. She was a moneymaker, so Louis B did as he was told).A couple other "Something To Sing About" pluses were Bill Frawley and Gene Lockhart as studio bigwigs with Lockhart as the biggest wig.Anyway, if you want so spend some pleasant time, well, this sometimes frantic movie, will be fun. Just watching Cagney, whether he dances, fights, or struts like a peacock, is always a fat bonus.

Jay Raskin Some movies try to do too much. This is a good example. The first hour has Cagney doing a wonderful satire on his own career in Hollywood. This works fine and if they had expanded this part of the film by adding one or two more dance numbers for Cagney, it would have been a comedy classic. Unfortunately, the movie was also trying to make a star out of newcomer Evelyn Daw. So the last half hour has a plot where Cagney is married to Daw, but being a new star, has to hide the fact from the public. The story of a movie studio trying to make a natural born actor into a Hollywood actor is funny, a story about a movie studio fooling the public about the marital status of a star is not so funny. This silly second plot seems tacked on and tacky.Daw was strikingly beautiful and had a lovely operatic voice. She certainly could have been a movie star with the right material, but this wasn't the right material. Her voice was simply inappropriate for the swing numbers she had to sing in the film. Unfortunately, the fact that this, her first film, and it flopped financially, ruined her career. She only made a single film after this.The film certainly has a lot of fun moments. The three gay assistants who try to re-mold tough guy Cagney into a Hollywood star are hilarious. The fake stage fight that turns into a real fight also is memorable. Cagney is as natural and delightful as ever. The three dance numbers he does are too short, but they show off his unique dance style well.For Cagney fans it is a must. For others, I think it will be a pleasant diversion.

ptb-8 This very well produced film from Grand National was it's downfall.Costing $900k in 1937 to produce (3 times more than 42nd Street or a quarter of Gone With The Wind) it never recovered its costs and sank the studio. A mini major wannabe of its day, it grew from the reshuffle in 1934 that saw Monogram, Liberty, Mascot and Majestic studios all become Republic. Tiffany studios had gone dark about 1932 and Grand National reopened that lot in 1935 amid the talent and exec merry go round of forming and shedding.A Warners squabble saw Cagney suspended so he walked to Grand National who much have thought they had won the talent lottery. To create industry credibility in their production values for any Cagney film, they had to spend big, and GREAT GUY in 1936 worked. But in 1937 their swing musical based loosely on their own studio tales (and lot) cost far too much and the loss by 1938 shortened their schedule and they went dark. Most jumped ship to re-formed Monogram Pictures and series films like the Shadow and Renfrew Of the Mounted Police had a new life there. Grand National had big hopes and plans and it is a huge shame they did not continue. It is a fascinating true story of ambition and crash and should be a film in itself. SOMETHING has been available in Australia on tape and DVD for years and is widely available here..like a lot of weird and small RKO titles. Lucky us and lucky you if you can find them. Grand national was a good outfit. The opening and closing nightclub scenes in this film are really smart and quite elaborate. There's even a BIG-like keyboard dance solo. And that Logo! Wow!

claudecat This little-known film is surprisingly entertaining, with lots of pre-"Singin' in the Rain" pokes at Hollywood's star machine, good songs, and a few lively dance numbers, especially the one onboard ship. James Cagney is great as usual, and the supporting cast has some fine bits of their own, especially Gene Lockhart as arrogant but ineffectual studio head "B.O." Regan. William Frawley from "I Love Lucy" gets to show a different side as a tough and efficient publicist. Unusually, the film makes a small plea for treating minorities as full-fledged people (what a concept!), though how well it succeeds in that will be up to the individual viewer. The movie also proclaims that there's nothing wrong with women band leaders--an idea still unusual today. The production design will please 30's fans: the studio's offices are a small wonder of art deco intimidation, and even the regular movie theaters have signs with beautiful typography. Odd item to watch for: the shipboard cat boxing match--they wear gloves, so no one gets hurt, but some will find it cruel. But the film overall is a fine addition to musicals of the period.