Bars and Stripes

O. Henry's short story "The Cop and the Anthem" is redone as a musical short with plenty of MGM gloss that disappoints for no clear reason. Perhaps the problem is the one common to just about every movie version of an O. Henry story I have ever seen except for "The Ransom of Red Chief" -- his short, 'snapper ending' stories don't pace well with the details needed to pad them out to a full reel; and this being MGM, the visual gags are executed too lavishly to be funny -- when the Chief of Police's wife decides to put curtains on the jailhouse windows, they lack the gaudy poor taste to make the gag funny; instead, they make her look mad.

The two musical numbers are decently executed in that big swing style that is better known from Busby Berkley's MGM movies. It's worth a look, but you won't be looking at it again.

Bill Forrest and the Melodaires (not a real band by the way) are rehearsing for an upcoming gig. However, when Bill is driving home, he isn't paying attention to his speed and gets tossed into jail for five days. The band has an insane idea...to all get arrested and get thrown in with Bill so they can all have a chance to rehearse. Unfortunately, their tuba player cannot get arrested despite trying...at least while Bill and the gang are inside.

This is a weird short film from MGM...just plain weird. This is the only real reason to watch it, as the music itself is only okay and not especially memorable.

This is a pleasant enough one gag musical short. Both the music and the story work, but you'll be amused, not impressed.

The curiosity here is the singer (and lead), Vyola Von. She is in her late teens or early twenties, bouncy, sort of cute, not a great singer and not a great beauty. About 15 years later, she reappears as Veola Vonn with small roles in a number of full features. Now she plays a strikingly attractive and very shapely sexpot, often a Frenchwoman busily seducing the likes of Lou Costello or Huntz Hall. You have to look closely to determine that it is the same person. She doesn't seem to have had any extensive cosmetic surgery, she just has filled out, aged very well, and plays a different character.