Second Chorus

494. SECOND CHORUS (1940-usa). WITH fred astaire, paulette goddard, burgess MEREDITH, ARTIE SHAW and HIS ORCHESTRA, CHARLES BUTTERWORTH. The one-and-only Fred Astaire and a cast Of top-flight Hollywood talent combine to add spunk to this slam-bang musical comedy. Fantastic Fred and Burgess Meredith play a pair Of college students/trumpet players who share a love-hate relationship. The boys have been undergrads for seven years: they keep failing their courses so that they may remain in school, where they are able to earn a comfortable living with their student band. The fun starts when Astaire and Meredith become rivals for the attention Of pert Paulette Goddard, who becomes their manager and attempts to hook them up with bandleader Artie Shaw. Meredith, until then known mostly for his dramatic roles, proves himself a more-than-able comic performer, while Charles Butterworth is amusing as a wealthy jazz patron who plays a key role as the scenario unfolds. Goddard has never been lovelier and Astaire, then in his prime, gets to lap his feet in a trio Of dance routines. Plus, there are some snappy swingin’ band numbers courtesy Of Artie Shaw and his boys. By the way, Goddard and Meredith actually did marry, four years after making this picture. 84 minutes. Music Comedy