''Garden of the Moon'' is a 1938 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Busby Berkeley Busby Berkeley (born Berkeley William Enos; November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns. Berke ...

and screenplay by

Jerry Wald Jerome Irving Wald (September 16, 1911 – July 13, 1962) was an American screenwriter and a producer of films and radio programs. Life and career Early life Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, he had a brother and sons who were act ...

and story by Richard Macaulay. The film stars

Pat O'Brien Pat O'Brien may refer to: Politicians * Pat O'Brien (Canadian politician) (born 1948), member of the Canadian House of Commons *Pat O'Brien (Irish politician) (c. 1847–1917), Irish Nationalist MP in the United Kingdom Parliament Others *Pat O'Br ...

Margaret Lindsay Margaret Lindsay (born Margaret Kies; September 19, 1910 – May 9, 1981) was an American film actress. Her time as a Warner Bros. contract player during the 1930s was particularly productive. She was noted for her supporting work in successf ...

, John Payne,

Johnnie Davis John Gustave Davis (April 11, 1910 – October 28, 1983) was an American actor, singer and trumpeter. Born in Brazil, Indiana, into a family of musicians, Davis developed an interest in music during his childhood. He learned to play the tr ...

Melville Cooper George Melville Cooper (15 October 1896 – 13 March 1973) was an English actor. His many notable screen roles include the High Sheriff of Nottingham in ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), Mr. Collins in ''Pride and Prejudice'' (1940) and ...

and

Isabel Jeans Isabel Jeans (16 September 1891 – 4 September 1985) was an English stage and film actress known for her roles in several Alfred Hitchcock films and her portrayal of Aunt Alicia in the 1958 musical film '' Gigi''. Early life and career Bo ...

. The film was released by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

on October 1, 1938.

Plot

When Rudy Vallee has an accident and cannot meet his engagement at the Garden of the Moon nightclub, Toni Blake, the club's press agent, convinces owner John Quinn to hire young bandleader Don Vincente. Don and his band fly out to California from New York for the engagement, but Don almost quits when he learns he is supposed to perform with a woman singer because, in the past, women singers have caused rifts among the musicians. Don's defiance enrages Quinn, who announces that he will end the engagement as soon as Vallee recovers from his accident. The band, which plays swing music, is very popular with the public. Nonetheless, Quinn forces Don to use the woman singer. Don surrounds her with horns so that she cannot be heard, and Quinn retaliates by turning off Don's microphone. Nonplussed, Don sings without it. Hoping to find him a sponsor, so his trip to California will not be a total waste, Toni convinces a chewing gum manufacturer to listen to Don's broadcast. When Quinn hears about her plans, he determines to destroy the broadcast and the next day fires Don. Knowing that Quinn is fascinated by royalty, Toni plants a story about Don's friendship with the Maharajah of Sund. Soon Don is back at work, where Quinn throws a big party for the Maharajah. Toni's plans have succeeded, but Maurice, the maitre-d', almost ruins them when he recognizes the Maharajah as a bad waiter who once worked for him. Despite Don and Toni's efforts, Quinn learns the truth, but Toni convinces him that he will look like a fool if he takes revenge on Don. Don has been so successful that the owners of the hotel where the Garden is located want to sign him for twenty-six weeks. Don refuses to sign the contract, however, because the gum manufacturer has offered him a radio program. Quinn begs Toni to help him meet his obligations to the owners, and she convinces Don to do the radio broadcast from Hollywood. Mistakenly, he later decides that Toni is in league with Quinn and quits. Desperately, Quinn enlists the help of gossip columnist Jimmie Fidler, who warns Quinn over the radio that gangsters are out to kill him. Quinn fakes a shooting, and on his supposed death bed, he begs Don to stay. His ruse works and soon Quinn is back to work, as ornery as ever, with Don as his bandleader.

Cast

as John Quinn *

as Toni Blake * John Payne as Don Vincente *

as Slappy Harris *

as Maurice *

as Mrs. Lornay * Mabel Todd as Mary Stanton *

Penny Singleton Penny Singleton (born Mariana Dorothy McNulty, September 15, 1908 – November 12, 2003) was an American actress, singer, dancer and labor leader. During her 60-year career on stage, screen, radio and television, Singleton appeared as the ...

as Miss Calder *

Dick Purcell Richard Gerold Purcell Jr. (August 6, 1905 – April 10, 1944) was an American actor best known for playing Marvel Comics' Captain America in the 1943 film serial, co-starring with Lorna Gray and Lionel Atwill. Purcell also appeared in fil ...

as Rick Fulton *

Curt Bois Curt Bois (born Kurt Boas; April 5, 1901 – December 25, 1991) was a German actor with a career spanning over 80 years. He is best remembered for his performances as the pickpocket in ''Casablanca'' (1942) and the poet Homer in ''Wings of Desi ...

as Maharajah of Sund *

Granville Bates Granville Bates (January 7, 1882 – July 8, 1940) was an American character actor and bit player, appearing in over ninety films. Biography Bates was born in Chicago in 1882 to Granville Bates, Sr., a developer and builder, and Adaline Bates ...

as Angus McGillicuddy *

Edward McWade Edward McWade (January 14, 1865 – May 17, 1943) was a writer, stage actor and an American film actor. Biography McWade was born in Washington, D.C., on January 14, 1865. His father was notable stage actor Robert McWade Sr. (1835-1913) and ...

as Peter McGillicuddy * Larry Williams as Trent * Ray Mayer as Musician (piano) * Jerry Colonna as Musician (trombone) *

Joe Venuti Giuseppe "Joe" Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was an American jazz musician and pioneer jazz violinist. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie La ...

as Musician (violin) *

Jimmy Fidler Jimmie Fidler (August 26, 1898 – August 9, 1988) was an American columnist, journalist and radio and television personality. He wrote a Hollywood gossip column and was sometimes billed as Jimmy Fidler. Born James Marion Fidler in St. Lo ...

as Jimmie Fidler

References

External links

* * * * {{Busby Berkeley 1938 films Warner Bros. films American comedy films 1938 comedy films Films directed by Busby Berkeley Films scored by Heinz Roemheld American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films