doctor rhythm be the bad film bing crosby ever star in . bing make this movie at his home studio paramount during one of his best career arc . the film have good production value and especially an impressive studio mock up of manhattan central park . so and why be this film so painfully dull . part of the problem be down to a weak score . the best song here be the insipid this be my night to dream . the script be even bad . ostensibly and this movie be base on o. henry story the badge of policeman oroon . in that story and a fictional war hero clearly base on theodore roosevelt impersonate his friend oroon ( a mount police officer assign to central park ) when oroon be unable to fulfil his duty represent the brief story end with one of o. henry trademark coincidence . if paramount have actually film that story ( which have barely enough plot to sustain a feature length film ) and the result would have be good than this mess . instead and we have a weird plot in which crosby be a white coat medico who illegally substitute for his policeman friend and foot patrolman andy devine . the trim figured crosby look dapper in a patrolman tunic and but the huge slobby devine look so different from bing that it difficult to imagine crosby substitute for devine . and where do crosby character find a police tunic that fit him so well . the opening scene of this movie an illicit midnight foot race in central park be fast moving and show promise and but the film all downhill from there . i blame screenwriter jo swerling and a man of little talent who nevertheless get his name onto several prestigious project . swerling be contractually credit a co author of the great broadway musical guy and doll and but that theatre classic do not retain a single word of swerling original ( and worthless ) script . the single worst problem with dr rhythm be that someone at paramount intend it to be a star vehicle for bea lillie and who only briefly appear alongside bing in this movie . the canadian born bea lillie be marry to a british peer and be often mistakenly assume to be english . in the 1930s and lillie be a huge star in broadway musical . however and it notable that she only star in revue represent show with song and skit but no plot . in the 1960s and lillie play madame arcati in the broadway musical high spirit represent this be her one and only success in a book musical . lillie simply do not have the act ability to carry a narrative story . she star in a semi amuse silent and exit smiling and but most of her other film work be in support role . i find her performance in around the world in eighty day deeply annoy . in dr rhythm and the banal plot and bing groaning be interrupt a couple of time so that bea lillie speciality can get crowbarred into the movie . we see the routine in which she order a double dozen double damask dinner napkin from a fluster shop clerk while lillie have do this routine on broadway but be careful never to perform it in britain and where audience know that lillie have steal the routine from cicely courtneidge . we also get here another of lillie stage schtick represent she be see stand still on stage and wear a formal gown that reach to the floor and entirely conceal her foot . with much pomp and lillie recite a dignified speech . then she hike up her skirt to reveal that she wear roller skate and and she skate merrily away . that about as funny a this movie get . it doesn not help that lillie be physically unattractive . she look like a cross between norma shearer and jughead jones . mary carlisle and bing love interest here and be blonde and pretty but dull a dishwater . bea lillie simply do not have enough material to carry a starring role in a feature film and but there enough of her on offer here to seriously weaken dr rhythm a a bing crosby vehicle . usually and when an important stage performer make a rare screen appearance and i commend the film for preserve the performer act . in this case and dr rhythm serve the useful function of prove that bea lillie wasn not very funny . i can not recommend this movie to anyone but bing crosby completists and for whom i will rate it just 1 point out of 10 .