Radio City Revels was announced in the Hollywood trade papers in 1934 as the first star vehicle for dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, who had made such an indelible impression on moviegoers in supporting roles in Flying Down to Rio (1933). When the dance partners moved on instead to The Gay Divorcee (1944), this project went into turnaround, finally surfacing four years later, with musical numbers choreographed by Astaire and Rogers' frequent dance coach Hermes Pan. Despite the late start, RKO Radio Pictures put a lot of money behind Radio City Revels, which features impressive Art Deco set designs and extravagant musical numbers - albeit now featuring Ann Miller (fresh from Gregory La Cava's Stage Door) and crooner Kenny Baker (as an Arkansas songwriter who can only compose while sleeping). Joining in the fun are supporting players Jack Oakie and Milton Berle (as a pair of down-at-heal Tin Pan Alley types) and Helen Broderick (as Miller's hoofer roommate). Despite high hopes from the front office, RKO lost a bundle on Radio City Revels at the time of its premiere in February 1938 - reportedly as much as $300,000 - and the film was remaindered to the bottom half of a double bill with The Jury's Secret (1938), starring Fay Wray. Returning to radio, Milton Berle did not appear in another feature for several years while both Ann Miller and Kenny Baker graduated to Marx Brothers comedies - Miller to Room Service (1938) and Baker to At the Circus (1939).

By Richard Harland Smith