If viewers can accept 40-year-old Fred Astaire and 37-year-old Burgess Meredith as college students, perennial or not, they may find a few scattered bits in "Second Chorus" to make the film worth their time. Strung together on a thin story line that involves Astaire and Meredith vying for the same lovely lass, Paulette Goddard, and seeking employment with band leader Artie Shaw, the sequences are short on Astaire's skillful dancing and long on his so-so singing. Early in the movie, Goddard does a fine job dancing with Astaire, and Fred does a playful solo disguised as a Russian near the finale, but, otherwise, Fred sings some painfully dull songs and indulges in some painfully dull humor. Depending on one's taste, the music of Artie Shaw is played to good advantage and is arguably the film's best asset.
Pairing the beautiful Goddard with the middle-age Astaire is a mismatch that even Shaw referring to Fred as a "young man" cannot overcome; Shaw was actually 11 years younger than Astaire at the time. The performers are engaging, with Meredith and Charles Butterworth offering amusing support. However, when not on the dance floor, Goddard and Astaire have no visible chemistry to buttress their supposed romance. Although fans of Astaire will want to see his every dance routine, and a second-rate Astaire film is better than none, "Second Chorus" is a slog at times to sit through; re-watch "Swing Time" or "Top Hat" instead.
Pairing the beautiful Goddard with the middle-age Astaire is a mismatch that even Shaw referring to Fred as a "young man" cannot overcome; Shaw was actually 11 years younger than Astaire at the time. The performers are engaging, with Meredith and Charles Butterworth offering amusing support. However, when not on the dance floor, Goddard and Astaire have no visible chemistry to buttress their supposed romance. Although fans of Astaire will want to see his every dance routine, and a second-rate Astaire film is better than none, "Second Chorus" is a slog at times to sit through; re-watch "Swing Time" or "Top Hat" instead.