Tin Pan Alley

The first and last film shown at the Beechwold was the 20th Century Fox musical Tin Pan Alley, starring Alice Faye and Betty Grable (pictured above), plus Jack Oakie, John Payne, Allen Jenkins, Esther Ralston, John Loder, Elisha Cook Jr., Fred Keating, Billy Gilbert, Lionel Pape, Ben Carter, Lillian Porter, and the Nicholas Brothers.

The plot revolves around song writers Harrigan and Calhoun (John Payne and Jack Oakie) as they struggle to make their way in the bustling music district of New York called Tin Pan Alley. They get the Blane Sisters, Katie (Alice Faye) and Lily (Betty Grable), to introduce their new songs. After becoming romantically involved with Harrigan, Katie decides to join the company. Meanwhile, Lily goes off to London and becomes a success on the stage. The company does well until the boys give a song Katie wants to introduce at a benefit to Nora Bayes (Esther Ralston) instead. Deeply hurt, Katie leaves for London to join Lily in a lavish stage production including "The Sheik of Araby". As the war effort gets underway, Harrigan and Calhoun arrive in England with the army, and, as the war ends, everyone is happily reunited.

With six musical numbers, including one new song by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon ("You Say The Sweetest Things, Baby"), Tin Pan Alley is an entertaining picture and a terrific portrait of some of the finest stars of the 1940's.

Here in Columbus, Tin Pan Alley originally opened at Loews' Ohio in November 1940. The Beechwold was one of several neighborhood theaters playing the film in second run when the theater opened. In honor of the Beechwold's history, Tin Pan Alley was presented on closing day as the theater's last feature.

Tin Pan Alley is now available from Fox on videocassette under catalog number 1818, part of the Alice Faye Collection.