
Both Welles and Brito do well, with Dodo eventually landing a regular gig at Vera Vague's club, and using his rural folksy charm to promote his gig and winning over New Yorkers, who prove themselves to be just plain folks after all despite their hard-shell from city living. She wins a soap company singing contest (run by traveling talent scout Warren Douglas) and gets a gig in New York, and Dodo also goes to New York to hit the big time. Brito plays Dodo Dixon (backed by his Dixie Doodahs!), a small town phenomenon who has Virginia Welles singing for him back home. He seems to be one of those talents who could do big-band singing yet also pull of "classy" country material- if you could imagine Eddy Arnold fronting the Spade Cooley Orchestra, you'll have some idea of his style in this film. The other "star" of the film is Phil Brito, who was featured in three musical films for Monogram between 19. Strangely enough, she made a film very similar to this one a year later, also for Monogram, called CASA MANANA, also directed by Jean Yarbrough (which is also something of a letdown, despite the presence of Spade Cooley and Robert Clarke in the cast-I can review it if anyone cares enough). Welles is a charming lady who sings well (though not remotely country!) and handles both comedy and romantic banter with class. What there is of her is wonderful-she does get to do a few routines on her own, but she is mostly reacting to the antics of the star, Katy of the title, who is played by Virginia Welles. Here she plays Gypsy Jones, owner of a third-string nightclub where she herself is both manager and entertainment. She is basically a supporting character, playing the type of role she had in other musicals, sometimes with a rural theme as this one has, where she would be an acquaintance of the female star and would be fourth or fifth-billed. Why Vague, slapstick star of many great Columbia comedy shorts, is top-billed in the film, I don't know. With Vera Vague listed ABOVE the title, and with Governor Jimmie Davis prominently billed (after his two earlier fine vehicles for Monogram, MISSISSIPPI RHYTHM (see my review) and LOUISIANA), I was expecting a wonderful gem of a b-programmer with lots of Vera Vague's hilarity and lots of great music from Davis.
