It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Playing Around (1930) – Musical #796

Playing Around, lobbycard, from left: Chester Morris, Alice White, 1930. (Photo by LMPC via Getty Images)

Studio:
First National Pictures, distributed by Warner Bros.

Director:
Mervyn LeRoy

Starring:
Alice White, Chester Morris, William Bakewell, Richard Carlyle, Marion Byron, Maurice Black, Lionel Belmore, Shep Camp, Ann Brody, Nellie V. Nichols, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes (uncredited), Carolynne Snowden (uncredited), Doris McMahon (uncredited)

Plot:
When Sheba Miller (White) and her boyfriend Jack (Bakewell) are at a nightclub, Sheba enters a “best legs” contest, judged by club patron, Nickey Solomon (Morris). Sheba wins and Nickey begins wooing Sheba, making her toss Jack to the curb. Sheba believes Nickey is wealthy playboy, but the way he earns his money isn’t as honest as she thinks.

Trivia:
• Based on the short story, “Sheba” by Viña Delmar.
• A silent version of the film was also released.

Highlights:
• The dancing during “You’re My Captain Kidd”

Notable Songs:
• “You’re My Captain Kidd” performed by Carolynne Snowden
• “You Learn About Love Every Day” performed by Alice White
• “That’s the Lowdown on the Lowdown” performed by an unidentified singer

My review:
This week’s Musical Monday is one of those films we occasionally review that is filed as a musical, but it only just scrapes by with enough songs to make it as a musical.

PLAYING AROUND (1930) follows Sheba Miller (Alice White), who seems dissatisfied with her daily life, where she works for a living, her boyfriend Jack (Bakewell) is a soda jerk and her father (Richard Carlyle) runs a cigar store. When Sheba and Jack go on a date to a nightclub, Jack balks at the high prices and Sheba retaliates by entering a “best legs” contest, which is judged by club patron, Nickey Solomon (Chester Morris). Sheba wins and Nickey begins wooing Sheba with the idea of wealth. He takes her on rides in his fancy cars, takes her to expensive night clubs and gives her expensive guests. Jack and Sheba’s father question Nickey’s intentions, especially because he refuses to meet Sheba’s father. Sheba thinks Nickey is wealthy and earns his money honestly, but it turns out he earns his money through more dishonest means.

It’s interesting to watch this movie, made just one year after THE HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929 or BROADWAY MELODY (1929). Only a year later, the musical numbers are already staged better.

The movie starts in a really fun way. You think you are seeing a scene on a pirate ship, and then the performers break into song, as the camera backs up showing you that you’re watching a stage production, performed by Carolynne Snowden singing “You’re My Captain Kidd.”

The star of the film is cute Alice White who looks and acts like the quintessential flapper. In April 1930 newspapers of this film, articles tout White as “the embodiment of flapperism. To mention her name means to have the youngsters prick their ears—for here is a girl who, at least in a material way, is a banner of the younger set.”

While I’ve found several of White’s films and performances to be stinkers, PLAYING AROUND (1930) is a good one and she gives a good performance of a girl who is fooled by a boyfriend. White also sings a cute song, “You Learn About Love Every Day.”

Chester Morris plays the nefarious boyfriend, Nickey Solomon, in a role that is still fairly early in his career. I have to say that while Morris plays such a jerk, physically he looks so hot in this. When the film was released New Movie Magazine called Morris the best of the cast.

I wasn’t familiar with William Bakewell, who plays the spurned boyfriend, and figured he was one of those actors whose career fizzled with the 1930s. Not so! I was surprised to see William Bakewell had a long career (before and after this film), though there are bit parts. I can’t speak to his acting ability, but if they wanted to have a ninny character, he’s good at it. Bakewell also has a nice heroic moment at the end.

While there are only three songs in this and it’s more of a crime film, the reviews of the 1930s touted this as a musical.

“Playing Around is good dramatic stuff, and to the original story by Vina Delmar has been added just the right amount of dancing, music and song, without detracting from the plot value of the picture,” said an April 8, 1930 review in The Atlanta Constitution.

This brisk 66 minute film was so much fun, but I especially love Morris.

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