''Jazz Heaven'' is a 1929 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

film directed by Melville Brown and written by Myles Connolly and J. Walter Ruben, based on a story by Pauline Forney and

Dudley Murphy Dudley Bowles Murphy (July 10, 1897 – February 22, 1968) was an American film director. Early life Murphy was born on July 10, 1897, in Winchester, Massachusetts, to the artists Caroline Hutchinson (Bowles) Murphy (1868–1923) and Herma ...

. It was moderately successful for

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

, and was released in both sound and silent versions.

Plot

Barry Holmes is a poor songwriter from the south who travels to New York City to be a success, bringing with him his prize possession, his piano. While trying to break into Tin Pan Alley, he stays at a boardinghouse run by Mrs. Langley, who insists that her house always be run with the highest propriety. Ruth Morgan lives in the room next to Holmes. One night, he annoys the entire boarding house as he is trying to complete his song "Someone". He is stuck on the ending until he hears Ruth humming how she thinks it should go. Stunned, he goes to her room and invites her back to his to finish the song. Unfortunately, Mrs. Langley discovers the two unmarried people in his room, and summarily kicks him out, intending to keep his piano as payment for back rent. Ruth works for music publisher Kemple and Klucke and plots to get them to publish Holmes' song. Both of her bosses are interested in Ruth, even though Kemple is quite a bit older than her. The two partners make a bet that the younger Klucke cannot take Ruth out to dinner. Ruth makes a deal with Kemple not to agree to the dinner, but changes her mind when Klucke agrees to listen to Holmes' song if she accompanies him. Mrs. Langley's husband, Max, has a soft spot for the young couple, and attempts to sneak Holmes' piano out of the rooming house. Unfortunately, in the attempt, the piano is dropped down a flight of stairs, and broken into pieces. Distraught, Ruth and Barry are stuck on how they will finish the song in order to pitch it to Kemple and Klucke. To make up for the loss of the piano, Max sneaks them into a piano factory during the night, where they finalize the song. Unknown to them, the factory also has an open microphone to a radio station, and the song is actually broadcast over the air. The song is an instant hit, and a bidding war starts between Kemple and Klucke and Parker Pianos for the rights to the song. Holmes is a success, and, of course, ends up getting the girl.

Cast

* Sally O'Neil as Ruth Morgan *

Johnny Mack Brown John Brown (September 1, 1904 – November 14, 1974) was an American college football player and film actor billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career. He acted and starred mainly in Western films. Early life Born and raised ...

as Barry Holmes (as John Mack Brown) * Clyde Cook as Max Langley * Joseph Cawthorn as Herman Kemple *

Albert Conti Albert Maroica Blasius Franz Maria, ''Ritter'' Conti von Cedassamare (29 January 1887 – 18 January 1967), commonly known as Albert Conti, was an Austrian Americans, Austrian-American actor. He was a member of the noble Kaboga family. Biograph ...

as Walter Klucke *

Blanche Friderici Blanche L. Friderici (January 21, 1878 – December 23, 1933) was an American film and stage actress, sometimes credited as Blanche Frederici. Early years Friderici was a native of Brooklyn, New York. Her parents were William E. Friderici and ...

as Mrs. Langley * Henry Armetta as Tony

Reception

Mordaunt Hall of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' gave the film a mixed review and an overall good rating, while criticizing some of the individual plot points.

References

External links

* * * 1929 romantic comedy films RKO Pictures films American black-and-white films Films directed by Melville W. Brown American romantic comedy films 1929 films 1920s American films 1920s English-language films English-language romantic comedy films {{1920s-US-film-stub

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links