Time Out for Rhythm Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Time Out for Rhythm Blu-ray Movie Review

Takes a few time outs for the Stooges.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 29, 2015

Note: 'Time Out for Rhythm' is currently only available as part of volume one of Mill Creek's Three Stooges Collection.

Danny Collins (Rudy Vallée) and Mike Armstrong (Richard Lane) meet at the Zodiac Club where Frances Lewis (Rosemary Lane) is performing. Mike's got a crush on her, and he's will do anything to see her career blossom. Danny sees potential and offers some suggestions for improvement. They don't see eye-to-eye but realize that together they have something special. They team up to build their own talent agency which quickly becomes a success. Mike is determined to make Frances their star, even if it means supplanting the established Joan Merrill. The two clash but ultimately decide to make Frances the top draw, even though it's clear to most everyone but Mike that Frances is using his blinding infatuation to her own selfish benefit. Matters are complicated when Danny happens upon Frances' multitalented maid Kitty Brown (Ann Miller) and recognizes her superior talent.

Though part of Mill Creek's "Three Stooges Collection," the famed comedy trio only appears in the film sporadically and as comic relief rather than an integral part of the plot of Columbia's charming little 1941 film. The picture is notable as the Stooges' first performance of their fan-favorite "Maharaja" routine. They earn quite a few laughs in classic Stooges fashion, helping to drift focus away from an otherwise pedestrian movie that's fun in spurts but a satisfactory distraction considering its performances and musical numbers. The film does, however, lack in the way of a deep plot. It's simple entertainment, made all the more enjoyable by the Stooges' interludes, yielding a healthy, breezy movie that holds up rather well all these years later.

Time Out for Rhythm Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Time Out for Rhythm's 1080p transfer, presented in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, is attractive and satisfying. Though it struggles with some wear in the way of errant vertical lines, it enjoys a solid, even grain structure and well accentuated details, including faces, clothes, musical instruments, and odds and ends around offices, apartments, and stages. A healthy grayscale contrast and good black levels even out a nice presentation from Mill Creek.

Time Out for Rhythm Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Time Out for Rhythm arrives on Blu-ray with a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. It's unsurprisingly flat and center-focused, with tinny details, a notable absence of heft, and a no real range. Clarity beyond basic identifiable notes is absent, but dialogue is clear and healthy in delivery, ditto for musical lyrics. A light hiss underscores portions of the track but never gets in the way.

Time Out for Rhythm Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Time Out for Rhythm contains no supplemental content.

Time Out for Rhythm Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Time Out for Rhythm is a fun little B-level entertainer that tosses in the Stooges for the purpose of adding a bit of spice into an otherwise simple film. Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of the Columbia classic, currently only available only as part of the studio's three-film collection, offers good video and serviceable audio. No extras are included. Recommended.