They're the tip-tops in toe-taps!
Danny O'Neill and Hank Taylor are rival trumpeters with the Perennials, a college band, and both men are still attending college by failing their exams seven years in a row. In the midst of a performance, Danny spies Ellen Miller who ends up being made band manager. Both men compete for her affections while trying to get the other one fired.
Second Chorus (1941) is a comedy and romance film directed by H. C. Potter, released on January 3, 1941 with a runtime of 1h 24m. It stars Fred Astaire, Paulette Goddard, Artie Shaw and Charles Butterworth. Viewers rate it 5.8 out of 10 across 40 ratings.
Fred Astaire
as Danny O'Neill
Paulette Goddard
as Ellen Miller
Artie Shaw
as Artie Shaw
Charles Butterworth
as Mr. Chisholm
Burgess Meredith
as Hank Taylor
Frank Melton
as Stu
Jimmy Conlin
as Mr. Dunn
Don Brodie
as Clerk
Marjorie Kane
as Secretary
Joan Barclay
as Receptionist
Willa Pearl Curtis
as Scrubwoman
Phil Arnold
as Shaw's First Manager (uncredited)
Directed by H. C. Potter, written by Frank Cavett, Elaine Ryan and Ian McLellan Hunter, produced by Boris Morros.
Average viewer score of 5.8/10 from 40 ratings.
This has some good ingredients but somehow the sum of the parts just misfires as even some lively Artie Shaw-led numbers just fizzle out. It doesn’t really help that there’s not much chemistry between Fred Astaire’s “Danny” and either his partner in crime “Hank” (Burgess Meredith) or their old pal/manager “Ellen” (Paulette Goddard). The two men have been exploiting the college band gravy train for almost a decade…
Reviewed on February 15, 2025
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Second Chorus (1941) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, Brew, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Pure Flix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Great American Pure Flix Amazon Channel and Artiflix, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Brew and Fandango At Home. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Second Chorus (1941) includes Fred Astaire, Paulette Goddard, Artie Shaw, Charles Butterworth and Burgess Meredith. The film was directed by H. C. Potter. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Second Chorus was released on January 3, 1941 and runs for 1h 24m.
Second Chorus (1941) holds an average rating of 5.8 out of 10 from 40 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy comedy and romance films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
