Too Much Harmony

An old-fashioned backstage show-biz yarn that bears more than a passing resemblance to CLOSE HARMONY (1929), a talkie which was codirected by Sutherland with titles written by Mankiewicz. Crosby is a New York stage personality who finds himself stuck in a tiny Ohio town. While there, he meets a terrific comedy team in Oakie and Gallagher, plus young Judith Allen, a looker if there ever was one. He helps Allen get her chance at Broadway stardom and she succeeds in that, as well as nabbing Der Bingle out of the clutches of naughty Tashman. Green scores as a noisy, cantankerous Broadway producer; Sparks contributes some funnies as a man who despises actors and Oakie's...