Tin Pan Alley
US (1940): Musical
Top-of-the-line Fox musical, directed by Walter Lang, stars Jack Oakie and John Payne as two struggling songwriters in New York's fabled Tin Pan Alley who meet singing sisters Alice Faye and Betty Grable. Faye joins their music-publishing biz for a while, but when Grable hits it big in London, she's back in the act and the boys can't get a break. When the two songsmiths enlist in WWI, they head to London and a rendezvous with their old flames. The first pairing of Faye with Grable, the up-and-comer who would replace the veteran star as queen of the Fox musical. The nostalgic numbers include "Sheik of Araby," "K-K-K-Katy," and "Honeysuckle Rose." The film gives a rare glimpse at the musical talents of veteran character actor Elisha Cook Jr. Best known for playing lowlifes in films like The Maltese Falcon (1941), Cook plays piano in two Tin Pan Alley numbers. Other supporting cast includes Allen Jenkins, Esther Ralston, Ben Carter and Billy Gilbert. (amctv.com)
1 nomination, 1 Award
· Music Scoring Awards (Best Score) 1940: Alfred Newman