Thu 3/6 @ 7PM
The 1940 musical film Rhythm on the River has one of those silly, weightless and predictable plot lines that fueled those Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers classics in the 30s: couple meets, feels an attraction, has a misunderstanding about who the other is, and finally, when things get straightened out, get together. But it stars Bing Crosby and Mary Martin as the romantic leads, playing a tunesmith and lyricist who are hired to ghostwrite for a composer played by Basil Rathbone, each without realizing at first the other is working for him. With voices like Crosby’s and Martin’s there have to be opportunities to show them off and there are on duets like “Only Forever,” and “That’s for Me” and Crosby’s rendition of the title tune.
This film is the next entry in The Musical Theater Project’s Movies at Home series. If you’ve previously taken part, you know the drill. First watch TMTP artistic director Bill Rudman’s introduction on YouTube telling you what to watch for. Then watch the film which is available on YouTube, Finally, join Bill on Zoom to talk about the movie. It’s free and open to all; no registration is required — just log in.