Ethel Smith Movies

Unwilling to claw his way to the top of the corporate ladder, the college-educated Jonathan (Jordan Christopher) prefers the carefree life of a cab driver. A rebel, he vents his daily frustration by kicking pigeons in the park. The film's rambling plot encompasses such eccentric characters as a naive motorcyclist, a gay interior decorator and a parent-subsidized hippie who embarks upon a bumpy romance with Jonathan, whose lack of commitment proves his downfall. Very much a product of its times (psychedelic camerawork and all), Pigeons was originally released under the strenuously "hip" title Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Disney was known for combining his musical cartoon shorts into interesting feature-length anthologies and Melody Time is one of the best. But for the fact that all of the featured segments have musical themes, they vary widely in musical and artistic style. Included are the exciting "Bumble Boogie," with a jazzy version of Rimski-Korsakov's famed "Flight of the Bumblebee," played by Freddy Martin and His Orchestra; the legend of Johnny Appleseed, "Little Toot," the story of a courageous tug-boat narrated by the Andrews Sisters; "Trees," based on Joyce Kilmer's poem and featuring songs by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians; "Blame It on the Cowboys," featuring Ethel Smith kicking up her heels with Donald Duck and his Three Caballeros pal Joe Carioca, and cowboy stars Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers in a live-action/animated retelling of the legend of "Pecos Bill." ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This Universal B-musical casts Desi Arnaz as himself: a Cuban bandleader making it big in the United States. Shawnee (Joan Fulton) schemes to draw Arnaz from his homeland and transform the Havana musician into a star in New York City by having him perform on a successful radio show. Adding urgency to her efforts is the show's sponsor, who threatens to pull out if Arnaz doesn't play. Her efforts prove ineffective until she gets support from Arnaz's beloved niece, who persuades him that the gig is worth taking. Songs include "El Cumbanchero" and "Rhumba Matumba". ~ Nicole Gagne, Rovi

Like the same-named 1934 and 1935 films, RKO Radio's 1945 musical George White's Scandals uses the eponymous Broadway revue as a framework for a fabricated plotline. The main story concerns the romance between stage comedienne Joan Mason (Joan Davis) and back-bay Bostonite Jack Williams (Jack Haley), which is staunchly opposed by Jack's spinsterish sister Clarabelle (Margaret Hamilton, who of course had previously costarred with Haley in The Wizard of Oz) A secondary romance involves the hot-and-cold relationship between British socialite Jill Martin (Martha Holliday) and Tony McGrath (Philip Terry), the assistant to Broadway impresario George White (played not by the real White but by Glenn Tryon). Musical specialties are provided by Gene Krupa and his band, organ virtuoso Ethel Smith and pianist Rose Murphy. The film's highlight is "Who Killed Vaudeville?", a tour-de-force for Joan Davis and Jack Haley which was later excerpted in the RKO musical pastiche Make Mine Laughs (prompting a lawsuit from Haley!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi