April 11, 1970

Rhapsody In Rivets (1941) ****

A foreman "conducts" his workers at a construction site to the tune of Liszt's "Second Hungarian Rhapsody". Riveters and bricklayers turn into superb musicians, but their house-building efforts are more questionable (their skyscraper crashes down into a pile of rubble). The film, nominated for an Oscar, is a very successful effort, skilfully combining music and humor. Director Friz Freleng would further explore such musical concepts in his later masterpieces like "Pigs In A Polka" (1943) and "Back Alley Oproar" (1948).