The best John Dilson’s music movies

John Dilson

John Dilson

18/02/1891- 01/06/1944
If you love cinema, you will share this ranking of the best John Dilson’s movies, although you may have ordered them differently. In any case, we hope you love it and with a little luck discovering a movie that you still don’t know about John Dilson.
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City for Conquest

City for Conquest
7.2/10
  • Genre: CrimeDramaMusic
  • Release: 21/09/1940
  • Character: Mr. Cahn - Man Buying Newspaper (uncredited)
The heartbreaking but hopeful tale of Danny Kenny and Peggy Nash, two sweethearts who meet and struggle through their impoverished lives in New York City. When Peggy, hoping for something better in life for both of them, breaks off her engagement to Danny, he sets out to be a championship boxer, while she becomes a dancer paired with a sleazy partner. Will tragedy reunite the former lovers?

Music in My Heart

Music in My Heart
6/10
  • Genre: MusicRomance
  • Release: 04/01/1940
  • Character: City Editor (uncredited)
A young woman engaged to a millionaire falls for the understudy in a Broadway musical.

Jesse James at Bay

Jesse James at Bay
5.7/10
When Jesse learns that Krager is cheating settlers, he and his gang rob trains to obtain money for them to purchase their land. Krager, finding a Jesse look alike in Burns, hires him to wreck havoc on the ranchers. When Jesse kills Burns he switches clothes and goes after the culprits.

New York Town

New York Town
6.3/10
Victor Ballard, a happy-go-lucky albeit impoverished sidewalk photographer, shares a New York City studio apartment with Polish immigrant painter Stefan Janowski. The big city doles out joy and misery indiscriminately: In the apartment below Victor and Steve, Gus Nelson learns that his wife has given birth to quintuplets, while the lonely tenant in the apartment below Gus has given up on life and committed suicide.

Around the World

Around the World
5.6/10
  • Genre: ComedyMusic
  • Release: 27/11/1943
  • Character: Colonel
Bandleader Kay Kyser takes his troupe of nutty musicians, goofball comics and pretty girl singers on a tour around the world to entertain the troops during World War II.

So's Your Uncle

So's Your Uncle
6.1/10
Circumstances arise that result in a man impersonating his uncle. As the "uncle", he finds himself pursued by his girlfriend's aunt, who does not approve of their relationship.

My Love Came Back

My Love Came Back
6.3/10
  • Genre: ComedyDramaMusic
  • Release: 13/07/1940
  • Character: Accountant (uncredited)
Amelia is a gifted violinist who is in danger of quitting the Brissac Academy of Music. Julius arranges to have a scholarship given to her through his employee Tony so that Julius can escort Amelia to every musical event in the city. The trouble begins when he cannot meet her one night and Tony goes in his place. Tony believes that Julius and Amelia are a couple and then son Paul thinks that Tony and Amelia are a couple as he is sending her the money. The worst part is that Amelia might leave classical music for swing music with classmates Dusty, Joy and the band.

For Me and My Gal

For Me and My Gal
7/10
Two vaudeville performers fall in love, but find their relationship tested by the arrival of WWI.

All by Myself

All by Myself
6.6/10
Career woman Jean. almost a partner in Mark's advertising firm, has been falling in love with Mark, who of course is unaware of it. But unknown to Jean, Mark has become engaged to singer Val. When Jean finds out she tries to save face by saying that she is also engaged, and then uses a little social blackmail to get psychiatrist Bill Perry to pretend to be her fiancé for an evening out with Mark and Val.

No, No, Nanette

No, No, Nanette
5.2/10
  • Genre: ComedyMusic
  • Release: 19/12/1940
  • Character: Desk Clerk
Perky young Nanette attempts to save the marriage of her uncle and aunt by untangling Uncle Jimmy from several innocent but ensnaring flirtations. Attempting one such unentanglement, Nanette enlists the help of theatrical producer Bill Trainor, who promptly falls in love with her. The same thing happens when artist Tom Gillespie is called on for help. But soon Uncle Jimmy's flirtations become too numerous, and Nanette's romances with Tom and Bill run into trouble. Will Uncle Jimmy's marriage survive, and will Nanette find happiness with Tom, Bill, or somebody else?

Every Night at Eight

Every Night at Eight
6.3/10
  • Genre: ComedyMusic
  • Release: 02/08/1935
  • Character: Huxley
Three young girls working in an agency have build a singing trio. They want to "lease" the Dictaphone of their boss to make a record of their singing, but they are caught and fired. When they are not able to pay their rent any longer, they decide to try it on an amateur contest at a radio station.

The Mayor of 44th Street

The Mayor of 44th Street
5.6/10
  • Genre: DramaMusicRomance
  • Release: 15/10/1942
  • Character: Carter, the General Manager (as John H. Dilson)
In this drama, an ex-vaudevillian dancer opens up a dance band agency and help street kids at the same time by hiring them to help out. Unfortunately, the local gang of hood's leader resists his attempts. More trouble ensues when the dancer helps a convict gain parole by hiring him. It later turns out that the ex-con is only interested in trying to use the agency as a front for extortion. Songs include the Oscar nominated "When There's a Breeze on Lake Louise," "Your Face Looks Familiar," "Heavenly, Isn't He?" "Let's Forget It," "You're Bad For Me," and "A Million Miles From Manhattan."

Beautiful But Broke

Beautiful But Broke
6.2/10
  • Genre: ComedyMusic
  • Release: 28/01/1944
  • Character: Putnam
Theatrical agent Waldo Main is inducted into the army, and turns his now clientless agency over to his secretary Dottie Duncan. Dottie decides to organize an all-girl orchestra to fill the void caused by so many orchestra members being called to service due to WWII, and joins struggling singers/songwriters Sally Richards and Sue Ford in this endeavor. Dottie's screwball schemes to get engagements for the group often lead to disaster.

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