''Music in the Air'' is a 1934 American romantic comedy musical film based on

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

and

Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight ...

's Broadway musical of the same name. It was part of the popular subgenre of

operetta films Operetta films (German: Operettenfilm) are a genre of musical films associated with, but not exclusive to, German language cinema. The genre began in the late 1920s, but its roots stretch back into the tradition of nineteenth century Viennese op ...

made during the era. The film was a commercial failure on its release, losing $389,000. This was the worst performing release by

Fox Film The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...

that year. The Broadway musical ''Music in the Air'' opened at the Alvin Theatre in New York City on November 8, 1932, and ran for 342 performances.

Plot

Aspiring songwriter Karl Roder (

Douglass Montgomery Robert Douglass Montgomery (also credited as Kent Douglass; October 29, 1909 – July 23, 1966) was an American film actor. Early years The son of Chester Montgomery, a jeweler, Montgomery graduated from Los Angeles High School. Career ...

) travels to the big city, along with a girl he is in love with, Sieglinde Lessing ( June Lang), and her Father Walter Lessing (

Al Shean Abraham Elieser Adolph Schönberg (May 12, 1868 – August 12, 1949), known as Al Shean, was a comedian and vaudeville performer. Other sources give his birth name variously as Adolf Schönberg, Albert Schönberg, or Alfred Schönberg. He is mos ...

) who has just written a new song that he thinks will take the world by storm (with lyrics by Karl). They stumble into the stormy relationship of Opera star Frieda Hotzfelt (

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

), and librettist Bruno Mahler ( John Boles) who constantly bicker and make up. When the composer for their new show suddenly leaves town, they decide to use Walters song, partially out of convienince, and party due to the fact that Bruno has fallen in love with Sieglinde, and Frieda has fallen in love with Karl, though he does not reciprocate. Karl, realizing the city is no place for him, decides to go back to the village, but Bruno convinces Sieglinde that she is destined for the stage, and she stays behind to replace Frieda as the Prima Donna in the opera. However, as the opening night approaches, the cast and crew all determine that Sieglinde can not act, and they ask Frieda to come back and star in the show. Walter calls them all cruel for breaking his daughters heart, but they tell him that the audience is crueler, and they are being spared the worst of it. At the end of the day, the feelings of two amateurs are not more important than the livelihood of the crew who deserve to put on a good show. Sieglinde and Walter return to their town, and Sieglinde goes to apologize to Karl with her tail between her legs for not listening to him, but Walter can still be proud that his music is featured in a real show, and the whole town listens to it together on the radio. Meanwhile, Frieda and Bruno are together again, and also fighting. .Green, Stanley (1999) Hollywood Musicals Year by Year (2nd ed.), pub. Hal Leonard Corporation page 39

Cast

as Frieda Hotzfelt * John Boles as Bruno Mahler *

as Karl Roder * June Lang as Sieglinde Lessing *

as Dr. Walter Lessing *

Reginald Owen John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was a British actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and television programs. Career The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert ...

as Ernst Weber *

Joseph Cawthorn Joseph Bridger Cawthorn (March 29, 1868 – January 21, 1949) was an American stage and film comic actor. Biography Born on March 29, 1868, in New York City to a minstrel-show family, Cawthorn started out in show business as a child, debu ...

as Hans Uppman *

Hobart Bosworth Hobart Van Zandt Bosworth (August 11, 1867 – December 30, 1943) was an American film actor, director, writer, and producer. Early life Bosworth was born on August 11, 1867, in Marietta, Ohio. His father was a sea captain in the Civil W ...

as Cornelius * Sara Haden as Martha *

Marjorie Main Mary Tomlinson (February 24, 1890 – April 10, 1975), professionally known as Marjorie Main, was an American character actress and singer of the Classical Hollywood period, best known as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s and 1 ...

as Anna *

Roger Imhof Frederick Roger Imhof (August 15, 1875 – April 15, 1958) was an American film actor, vaudeville, burlesque and circus performer, sketch writer, and songwriter. Early years Imhof was born in Rock Island, Illinois on April 15, 1875 to Nicholas ...

as Burgomaster * Jed Prouty as Kirschner *

Christian Rub Christian Rub (pronounced ''Rhoob''; April 13, 1886 – April 14, 1956) was an Austrian-born American character actor. He was known for his work in films of the late 1910s to the early 1950s, and was featured in more than 100 films. Biography ...

as Zipfelhuber *

Fuzzy Knight John Forrest "Fuzzy" Knight (May 9, 1901 – February 23, 1976) was an American film and television actor. He was also a singer, especially in his early career. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1928 and 1967, usually as a cowboy h ...

as Nick *

George Chandler George Chandler (June 30, 1898 – June 10, 1985) was an American actor who starred in over 140 feature films, usually in smaller supporting roles, and he is perhaps best known for playing the character of Uncle Petrie Martin on the televi ...

as Assistant Stage Manager *

Claire Rochelle Claire Rochelle (1908–1981) was an American film actress. She played the female lead in a number of westerns.Pitts p.389 Selected filmography * '' Tanned Legs'' (1929) * '' It's Great to Be Alive'' (1933) * ''Music in the Air'' (1934) * '' Sky ...

as Dancer * Donald Haines as Peanut Vendor (uncredited)

References

Bibliography

* Solomon, Aubrey. ''The Fox Film Corporation, 1915-1935: A History and Filmography'' (McFarland, 2011).

External links

* * {{Joe May 1934 films 1934 musical comedy films American black-and-white films American films based on plays Films directed by Joe May Films about opera 1934 romantic comedy films American romantic musical films Operetta films Films set in Bavaria American musical comedy films Films produced by Erich Pommer Films with screenplays by Billy Wilder 1930s romantic musical films Fox Film films 1930s American films