Too Much Harmony: Bing Crosby and a whole lot of nothing

Is it worth the watch?

If you have a soft spot for pre-code musical numbers and Bing Crosby just sort of lounging around, sure, give it a go. But if you’re looking for a tight plot or character development that makes even a lick of sense, you’re barking up the wrong tree. It’s the kind of movie that assumes you’re already charmed by the stars, so it doesn’t bother with the heavy lifting of actually writing a story.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Too Much Harmony (1933) through its definitive frames.

Who will hate it? People who need their movies to have stakes. The drama here is thinner than the stage costumes. It feels like a string of variety acts held together by spit and prayer.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Too Much Harmony (1933) through its definitive frames.

The Musical Shuffle

The whole thing is basically an excuse to have Bing sing in a tuxedo. Not that I’m complaining—the guy could sell a phone book if he put it to music—but the plot about him choosing between a 'good' girl and a 'bad' girl is so tired you can practically hear it yawning. It’s not quite as weird as the vibe you get in The Unholy Three, but it’s got its own strange, disjointed energy.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Too Much Harmony (1933) through its definitive frames.

There is a scene near the middle where the film just stops cold for a chorus number that seems to last until the next fiscal year. You can almost see the director wondering if they should have cut it. They didn't. It just sits there, taking up space.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Too Much Harmony (1933) through its definitive frames.

Odd Little Moments

• The chorus girls look like they’re having the time of their lives, even when the blocking makes them look like they’re waiting for a bus.
• Crosby’s hair is consistently more expressive than his love interest.
• The comedy relief characters feel like they wandered in from an entirely different, much worse movie.

The film hits a point about halfway through where it just stops pretending to be about the romantic triangle. It becomes a showcase for dance numbers that are, admittedly, kind of impressive if you ignore the fact that they have zero to do with anything. It’s a bit like watching a frantic version of Ladies at Ease without the charm.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Too Much Harmony (1933) through its definitive frames.

I found myself zoning out during the dialogue scenes. They’re just so... functional. Everyone talks like they’re reading off a cue card held by a guy who’s already halfway to his lunch break. It lacks the punch you’d find in something like The Pitfall, which at least knows what it wants to be.

Anyway, it’s not a disaster. It’s just very, very ’30s. If you like the era, you’ll find enough to keep you awake. If you don't, well, there's always the skip button. 🎶