Rhythm on the River
1940, 92 min., b&w

Many celebrities from other fields have come to the films for brief appearances, but none have earned their money as honestly as Oscar Levant has in this. He is sensational. Basil Rathbone is suave and competently villainous in a nice way.

Oscar Shaw and Lillian Cornell do nicely in supporting roles. Oliver Courtney (Basil Rathbone), is a successful song writer, who for years has employed "ghosts" to write his hits. His "standby" employee is Crosby, who hides away in his uncle's hotel upstate, and composes beautiful music. Rathbone's lyricist, Mary Martin, goes to the hotel to get enough quit to work, and falls in love with Crosby, not knowing he is the writer of the music to her lyrics. Eventually they discover they are dupes of Rathbone and determine to break away and succeed on their own.

The going is tough, and when Mary is offered a job singing in a night club with John Scott Trotter's band Crosby puts up as security for a two hundred dollar loan, a song they wrote together but agreed never to sell. Through a misunderstanding the tune is placed in Trotter's hands for broadcasting. Crosby and Mary threaten to expose Rathbone as a fake unless he gives them credit for writing the tune. He does, and success at last comes to the young couple.

Kent Carpenter, another member of Crosby's air troupe, offers a couple of very clever comedy scenes. Wingy Mahone does a few incidental hat-trumpet numbers, and gives Crosby a chance to demonstrate his "Jive" abilities. Charley Grapewin, as Crosby's uncle, gives his usual fine performance. Camera work by Ted Tetzlaff is excellent.

—The Film Daily, 20 August 1940

Rhythm on the River carries all of the essentials required for wide-spread box office oomph. Mounted on a  light, but sufficient story structure, it's a well-mixed concoction of comedy, romance and melody unwinding at a nice pace in which dull passages are absent. Each factor is added insurance of top grosses and holdovers in all runs.

Bing Crosby continues his policy of splitting co-starring credits and performance importance with others in the cast. Her he shares with Mary Martin and Basil Rathbone, providing the former with unlimited opportunity to score effectively both in the singing and acting departments. It will pay her big dividends for future box office ratings. Rathbone's prominent role is handled in player's usually competent style.

After establishing fact that Rathbone is rated as a prominent composer of hit songs, and in demand for writing tunes for musical shows, Crosby is disclosed as his ghost-writing employee whose melodies find popular favor. Rathbone discovers Mary Martin to ghost-write lyrics to Crosby's numbers, and she is ignorant that latter is also on Rathbone's payroll. She goes to a quiet retreat to write. It's a resort owned by Crosby's uncle. Pair find mutual interest in music, romance buds, comes the disclosure both ghost for Rathbone, and couple quit to go on their own. After discouraging attempts to place their tunes, Rathbone is forced to sponsor their efforts and start the couple on the road to success.

Crosby tackles his acting assignment with the nonchalance that has proven effective in past releases and on the air. He also provides releases and on the air. He also provides much of the musical potion of the film in singing tunes in solo and with Miss Martin.

Oscar Levant is prominently cast as the piano-playing, deadpan assistant to Rathbone. He gives out with spontaneous quips for rousing laughs, and makes frequent trips to the piano for some slick playing. He gives the initiated a laugh on himself when he picks up a book, Smattering of Ignorance [written by Levant himself], and comments that "it stinks."

Script by Dwight Taylor is a workmanlike job that displays a smoothness in its overall setup. There's no doubt that some of the sparkling dialog originated on the set during shooting. Victor Schertzinger's direction topnotch throughout, providing for neat blending of the musical and story passages. Ted Tetzlaff provides uniformly excellent camera work throughout.

—Variety, 1 August 1940

First there was Bing Crosby and Bob Hope on "The Road to Singapore" and then there was Bob Hope in "The Ghost Breakers" and now here comes Bing Crosby as a ghost. But it's a different kind of ghost. In this case the word "ghost" could mean chump. It means the guy who does the work in order that someone else can take the bows.

Well, it seems that both Bing and Mary, unknown to each other, do the work, which is song-writing. Now, there might be a lot of quibbling about whether song-writing is work, but can you do it? Neither can Basil Rathbone, who merely sticks his "Hancock" on the finished product, collects all the money and honor and throws Mary and Bing some small change for their labor. Naturally, they don't like it. Naturally, they eventually go out into the world to try it on their own. And naturally, after some minor ups and downs, they make the grade, both economically and Cupidically speaking.

But the point is that it's all in fun. The writer of the movie was obviously having a good time writing the lines and all the actors immensely enjoy spieling them. Bing is in rare form and you'll be astonished at how good Mary Martin is; the gal can do anything and make you like it. Basil Rathbone gets a new lease on life in a light role; he's still the villain, but with a smooth line.

There are seven swell tunes, most popular of which will probably be "Moon Over Madison Square," "That's For Me" and "Rhythm on the River." In case you happen to be a hot jive fan, you'll find both John Scott Trotter, "Wingy" Manone and their bands right in the groove.

—Modern Screen, November 1940

Levant, looking rather suspicious and belligerent most of the time, gives a quite convincing performance of Oscar Levant as we like to think of him. He has an amusing part to work with, playing the business manager for a composer (Basil Rathbone) who has made a great reputation on other men's work. Bing Crosby plays the man who writes the composer's music and who is perfectly satisfied with a small, regular salary for his efforts until Mary Martin comes into his life. Mary Martin, it seems, writes the lyrics.

Wingy Manone is in the film with his band, and Crosby sings quite a few songs in his accustomed off-hand manner. Miss Martin also sings, but the film never touches greatness except when Levant is snarling wisecracks in his fascinating Don't-hit-me-I'm-unhealthy manner.

—Hollywood, November 1940

Rhythm on the River is available on DVD

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