"Second Fiddle"

We get to go to a show at the Earl Carroll Theatre about a half-hour into "Second Fiddle" (20th Century Fox, 1939). Studio PR guy Tyrone Power is tasked with finding an actress to play the lead in the Consolidated Pictures adaptation of a novel called "Girl of the North." He sees a photo that a friend of Minnesota school teacher Sonja Henie has sent in and goes to offer her a screen test. After she gets the part they hit the theatre when he shows her the sights of Hollywood. 

 

Also featured are Rudy Vallee, Mary Healy, Edna Mae Oliver, Lyle Talbot, Alan Dinehart, Mina Gombell, Stuart Reburn and Spencer Charters. The songs are by Irving Berlin. Sidney Lanfield directed. The cinematography was by Leon Shamroy.

 

 

The star of the show is Consolidated Pictures actress Jean Varick, played by Mary Healy. Her boyfriend is played by Rudy Vallee. 

 

 

 

Patrons dancing on the stage before the performance. 

 

 

 

 

Mary and Rudy come over to meet the new star before the show. That's Aunt Phoebe on the right, played by Edna May Oliver. She's also come west from Minnesota. Tyrone suggests that Rudy sit at their table during the show. He's trying to cook up a romance between Rudy and Sonja's character for PR purposes. 

 

 

 

The show begins. 

 

 

 

Mary Healy onstage. She's not happy when she hears about Rudy hanging out with Sonja. 

 

 

 

The beginning of the "Dancing Back to Back" number. 

 

 

Audience members join in. Tyrone dances with Edna May and Rudy pairs with Sonja.

See the pages about the Earl Carroll Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the building along with hundreds of photos both recent and vintage. The theatre is at 6230 Sunset Blvd., just east of Vine St. 

 

 

 

Sonja is heartbroken when she finds out her romance with Rudy is a sham. She goes back home. "Girl of the North" premieres at the Carthay Circle and, of course, is a big hit. There's some chitchat at the entrance as stars and executives arrive but we don't go inside the theatre. Poor Tyrone mopes around because he's fallen for Sonja and his boss has to convince him to go to Minnesota again to woo her back to Hollywood. 

See the pages about the Carthay Circle Theatre on the Los Angeles Theatres site for a history of the now-vanished building along with many photos.

On IMDb: "Second Fiddle"  

 

 

An ad for "Second Fiddle" that was shared by someone on IMDb. 

 

 

A lobby card for the film appearing on IMDb. 

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