Second Chorus

"They're the tip-tops in toe-taps!"

1941 1h 24m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 41

ComedyRomance

Synopsis

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Danny O'Neill and Hank Taylor are rival trumpeters with the Perennials, a college band, and both men are still attending college by failing their exams seven years in a row. In the midst of a performance, Danny spies Ellen Miller who ends up being made band manager. Both men compete for her affections while trying to get the other one fired.

“They're the tip-tops in toe-taps!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Fred Astaire
Danny O'Neill
Paulette Goddard
Ellen Miller
Artie Shaw
Artie Shaw
Charles Butterworth
Mr. Chisholm
Burgess Meredith
Hank Taylor
Frank Melton
Stu
Jimmy Conlin
Mr. Dunn
Don Brodie
Clerk

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: H. C. Potter
Writers: Frank Cavett, Elaine Ryan, Ian McLellan Hunter
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

85 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by H. C. Potter, shot by Theodor Sparkuhl. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jack Dennis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Fred Astaire and Paulette Goddard and Artie Shaw carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They're the tip-tops in toe-taps!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0033029 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

H. C. Potter directs. Theodor Sparkuhl behind the camera. Jack Dennis cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
285 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by H. C. Potter, shot by Theodor Sparkuhl. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Jack Dennis shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Fred Astaire and Paulette Goddard and Artie Shaw carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "They're the tip-tops in toe-taps!".
7IMDB entry: tt0033029 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 8 themes, including "dancing", "dance", "college", "musical".

The technical file

Cinematography: Theodor Sparkuhl
Editing: Jack Dennis
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Second Chorus (1941)

Also by

H. C. Potter

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-02-15
★ 6/10
This has some good ingredients but somehow the sum of the parts just misfires as even some lively Artie Shaw-led numbers just fizzle out. It doesn’t really help that there’s not much chemistry between Fred Astaire’s “Danny” and either his partner in crime “Hank” (Burgess Meredith) or their old pal/manager “Ellen” (Paulette Goddard). The two men have been exploiting the college band gravy train for almost a decade but have now finally been forced into the outside world to fend for themselves. They both play the trumpet and guess what… Artie is looking for a trumpeter! What he is also looking for is someone to take on the management of his popular orchestra and so the seeds are sewn for some song and dance comedy as the two men vie for both her and a job! It’s not a bad film, it’s just flat. The routines are all just a little pedestrian and even Johnny Mercer’s usually reliable pen can’t breathe much life into “Dig It” or “Would You Want to be…?”. There are a few decent moments as Shaw’s band manages to get toes a-tapping, and we are reminded that Astaire was no slouch on the piano, but even given it was made as the war was looming larger in the USA, this is all just a bit derivative and sloppily edited. It just goes to show that even the best and most accomplished stars can’t make an engaging double-act out of a sow’s ear.

Production companies