Rhythm in the Air

Last updated

Rhythm in the Air
Rhythm in the Air.jpg
Swedish poster
Directed by Arthur B. Woods
Written byJack Donohue
Vina de Vesci
Produced by Michael Balcon
Starring Jack Donohue
Tutta Rolf
Cinematography Roy Kellino
Music by Colin Wark (music director)
Distributed by Fox British
Release date
1936
Running time
72 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Rhythm in the Air is a 1936 British comedy dance film directed by Arthur B. Woods and starring husband and wife dance partnership American Jack Donohue and Norwegian Tutta Rolf. The film was a quota quickie production,[ citation needed ] written by Donohue in collaboration with Vina de Vesci, and was reportedly largely autobiographical, as the events in the film closely mirrored Donohue own experience of coming to be a dancer.

Contents

Plot

Jack Donovan (Donohue), a riveter working on the construction of a high-rise building, is distracted from his work by spying through a nearby window on a lissom young woman Mary (Rolf) as she rehearses her tap-dancing routines. When she finishes, he pauses to give the unsuspecting Mary an ovation of cheers and wolf-whistles, but in the process loses his balance and falls to the ground, breaking both ankles.

The sympathetic Mary, who witnessed his fall, later visits him in hospital. Finding him very attractive, she claims that as his bones start to mend, tap-dancing is a wonderful way to strengthen his muscles and joints. He laughs at the absurdity of the suggestion.

Fully recovered, Jack goes back to his job, only to find that he has developed a new and severe fear of heights and it is quite impossible to continue in his line of work. He meets up again with Mary, and now takes her up on her suggestion of learning to tap. He finds he has a natural aptitude, and soon takes up dancing professionally. The couple fall in love, and are soon married.

Cast


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleanor Powell</span> American tap dancer, actress, (1912–1982)

Eleanor Torrey Powell was an American dancer and actress. Best remembered for her tap dance numbers in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s, she was one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's top dancing stars during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Powell appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and most prominently, in a series of movie musical vehicles tailored especially to showcase her dance talents, including Born to Dance (1936), Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937), Rosalie (1937), and Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940). She retired from films in the mid-1940s but resurfaced for the occasional specialty dance scene in films such as Thousands Cheer. In the 1950's she hosted a Christian children's TV show and eventually headlined a successful nightclub act in Las Vegas. She died from cancer at 69. Powell is known as one of the most versatile and powerful female dancers of the Hollywood studio era.

<i>Babes in Toyland</i> (1961 film) 1961 film

Babes in Toyland is a 1961 American Christmas musical film directed by Jack Donohue and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It stars Ray Bolger as Barnaby, Tommy Sands as Tom Piper, Annette Funicello as Mary Contrary, and Ed Wynn as the Toymaker.

"Last Tap Dance in Springfield" is the twentieth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 7, 2000. In the episode, Lisa decides to sign up for tap dancing lessons after being inspired by a film about a girl who enters a tango contest and wins. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse hide out at the mall to escape going to summer camp. "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" was written by Julie Thacker, who based it on her own experiences with dance classes.

<i>Youll Never Get Rich</i> 1941 film by Sidney Lanfield

You'll Never Get Rich is a 1941 American musical comedy film with a wartime theme directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The title stems from an old Army song that includes the lyrics, "You'll never get rich / By digging a ditch / You're in the Army now!".

Frankie Brady is a fictional character on the American soap opera Days of Our Lives. The role of Frankie was played by veteran Emmy Award-winning actor Billy Warlock from July 25, 1986 to October 5, 1988, from November 2, 1990 to July 12, 1991 and from June 26, 2005 to November 24, 2006. Christopher Saavedra played the character in a flashback sequence in 1990.

Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse is a Canadian children's animated television series co-produced by Nelvana and Hong Guang Animation for Teletoon and PBS Kids. Among the series' executive producers are Michael Paraskevas and Betty Paraskevas, creators of Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, who also created the book that the show is based on. It tells the stories of a young horse named Marvin who is part of a carnival. Some episodes include original songs to help illustrate the theme or accompany montages that carry the story forward.

<i>Night of the Twisters</i> (film) 1996 American television film directed by Timothy Bond

Night of the Twisters is a 1996 made-for-television disaster film that was directed by Timothy Bond. The film premiered on The Family Channel on February 11, 1996, as the cable channel's first original movie.

<i>I, the Jury</i> (1953 film) 1953 film by Harry Essex

I, the Jury is a 1953 American film noir crime film based on the 1947 novel I, the Jury by Mickey Spillane. It was directed by Harry Essex, produced by Victor Saville's company, Parklane Pictures and released through United Artists.

<i>Rhythm on the River</i> 1940 film by Victor Schertzinger

Rhythm on the River is a 1940 musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby and Mary Martin as ghostwriters whose songs are credited to a composer played by Basil Rathbone. Crosby and Martin sang "Only Forever", for which James V. Monaco (music) and Johnny Burke (lyrics) were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

<i>Hoosier Schoolboy</i> 1937 film by William Nigh

Hoosier Schoolboy is a 1937 American drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Mickey Rooney, Anne Nagel and Frank Shields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tutta Rolf</span> Norwegian-Swedish actress (1907–1994)

Tutta Rolf was a Norwegian-Swedish film and theatre actress and singer. She was born in Oslo. She appeared in 14 films between 1932 and 1939. She was married three times, first to the Swedish actor and singer Ernst Rolf (1930–1932), then to the American director Jack Donohue (1936–1950), and finally to the Swedish director/actor Hasse Ekman (1953–1972). She was the mother of the Academy Award–winning film editor Tom Rolf and the actress Jill Donohue.

<i>The Search for Santa Paws</i> 2010 American film

The Search for Santa Paws is a 2010 Christmas adventure fantasy film released on November 23, 2010. The title is the tenth film in the Air Bud franchise and is also a prequel to Santa Buddies, as well as a spin-off from the Air Buddies film franchise.

<i>Valley of Eagles</i> 1951 British film

Valley of Eagles is a 1951 British thriller film written and directed by Terence Young and starring Jack Warner, Nadia Gray and John McCallum. The screenplay concerns a Swedish scientist, whose crucial new invention is stolen by his wife who tries to take it to the Soviet Union.

John Francis Donohue was an American film actor, screenwriter, director, producer, composer, and choreographer.

Ernst Ragnar Rolf, better known as Tom Rolf, was a Swedish-born American film editor who worked on at least 48 feature films in a career spanning over fifty years. Most notable among these films are Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, for which he was nominated for the 1976 BAFTA Award for Best Editing, and Philip Kaufman's The Right Stuff, for which he and his editing team won the 1983 Oscar for Best Film Editing. Other notable films he edited include WarGames, Jacob's Ladder, Heat and The Horse Whisperer.

<i>Take It Big</i> 1944 film by Frank McDonald

Take It Big is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Frank McDonald and written by Howard J. Green and Joe Bigelow. The film stars Jack Haley, Harriet Hilliard, Mary Beth Hughes, Richard Lane, Arline Judge and Fritz Feld. Also featured is Hilliard's husband in real life, bandleader Ozzie Nelson.

Bosko in Person is an American animated short film featuring Bosko. It is a Looney Tunes cartoon, featuring Bosko, the original star of the series. It was released on February 11, 1933, though one source claims the release date is April 10, 1933. Like most Looney Tunes of its day, it was directed by Hugh Harman; its score is by Frank Marsales. The film features Bosko and Honey in a vaudeville-act. This is the second cartoon directed by Friz Freleng.

<i>Revolting Rhymes</i> (film) 2016 British animated television film

Revolting Rhymes is a 2016 British computer-animated fantasy comedy drama television film written for the screen and directed by Jakob Schuh and Jan Lachauer, based on the 1982 book of the same name written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xander Kiriakis</span> Fictional character from Days of Our Lives

Xander Kiriakis is a fictional character from Days of Our Lives, an American soap opera on the NBC network. The character, created by Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell, is portrayed by Paul Telfer.