Second Chorus

Second Chorus (1940) is a Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette Goddard, Artie Shaw, and Charles Butterworth, with music by Artie Shaw, Bernie Hanighen, Hal Borne and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The film was directed by H. C. Potter and produced independently for Paramount Pictures by Boris Morros. In a 1968 interview, Astaire described this effort as "The worst film I ever made". From a dance perspective, h... more

Second Chorus (1940) is a Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette Goddard, Artie Shaw, and Charles Butterworth, with music by Artie Shaw, Bernie Hanighen, Hal Borne and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The film was directed by H. C. Potter and produced independently for Paramount Pictures by Boris Morros. In a 1968 interview, Astaire described this effort as "The worst film I ever made". From a dance perspective, however, it greatly surpasses either Dancing Lady (1933) or Finian's Rainbow (1968) and benefits from the musical presence of a leading swing band in its prime—Artie Shaw and his orchestra. Astaire admitted that he was attracted to the film by the opportunity to "dance-conduct this real swingin' outfit". From a musical standpoint, the film contains a fine partnered dance, an important Astaire tap solo, an Academy Award nominated song and a classic extended piece by Artie Shaw and his orchestra. In an interview shortly before his death, Shaw... less