Something to Sing About

Something to Sing About (1937)

A Cagney you have never seen!

James Cagney has a rare chance to show his song-and-dance-man roots in this low-budget tale of a New York bandleader struggling with a Hollywood studio boss.

Date of release
1937-09-30
TMDB
6.2 / 10 (20)
Runtime
1h 33m
Genres
Comedy, Romance
Director
Victor Schertzinger

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Awards: 0 · Nominations: 1

Something to Sing About (1937), re-released in 1947 as Battling Hoofer, is the second and final film James Cagney made for Grand National Pictures – the first being Great Guy – before mending relations with and returning to Warner Bros. It is one of the few films besides Footlight Parade and Yankee Doodle Dandy to showcase Cagney's singing and dancing talents. It was directed by Victor Schertzinger, who also wrote the music and lyrics of the original songs, as well as the story that Austin Parker's screenplay is based on. Cagney's co-stars are Evelyn Daw and William Frawley, and the film features performances by Gene Lockhart and Mona Barrie.

Production

Something to Sing About was in production at Grand National's studios on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood from late June to late July 1937, under the working title "When I'm with You". Evelyn Daw was not the studio's first choice for the part of Cagney's love interest: they initially announced that Helen Jepson would play the part.

Because of the expense of making this film, and its poor box office, Grand National went bankrupt in 1940. The next film they had planned for Cagney was Angels With Dirty Faces, which ended up being bought by Warners and filmed with Cagney in the lead.

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