Radio City Revels

90 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget$810,000^[2]Box office$750,000^[2]

Radio City Revels is a 1938 American musical comedy film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and starring Bob Burns, Jack Oakie and Ann Miller.^[3]

The film's sets were designed by the art director Van Nest Polglase. Although set in New York City, specifically at Radio City, much of the film was shot in RKO's California studios. The company had originally planned to make the film in 1934 starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. In 1937 the project was revived with a new cast.

Plot

A struggling song-writing team strike gold when an aspiring writer arrives in New York as he composes masterpieces in his sleep. They begin to appropriate his work under their own name, scoring major hits.

Cast

• Bob Burns as Lester Robin
• Jack Oakie as Harry Miller
• Kenny Baker as Kenny Baker
• Ann Miller as Billie Shaw
• Victor Moore as Paul Plummer
• Milton Berle as Teddy Jordan
• Helen Broderick as Gertie Shaw
• Jane Froman as Jane Froman
• Buster West as Squenchy
• Melissa Mason as Lisa
• Richard Lane as Crane
• Marilyn Vernon as Delia Robin
• Charles Coleman as The Butler
• Don Wilson as Don Wilson - Radio Station Announcer
• Hal Kemp and His Orchestra as Themselves
• William Brisbane as Mr. Ipswich
• Rosalind Marquis as Singer
• Kirby Grant as Singer
• Bobby Barber as Waiter

Reception

According to RKO records, the film made a loss of $300,000.^[2] It got a mixed reception from critics at Variety and The New York Times who were negative about aspects of the film while praising the performance of rising star Ann Miller.^[4]

References

Bibliography

• Shelley, Peter. Ann Miller: Her Life and Career. McFarland, 2020.

External links

• Radio City Revels at TCMDB
• Radio City Revels at IMDb