Cole now entered a fallow period in his output. His 1940 Broadway show, “Panama Hattie,” ran for years but produced no memorable tunes. His 1941 show, “Let’s Face It,” ran for years but saw theater patrons leaving without humming a single bar of music. Cole actually had more luck in Hollywood during these years than he did on Broadway.
Having fulfilled his contract at MGM, Cole signed for two musicals at Columbia. Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth starred in this first musical, and to the end of her days Rita said that this was the work of which she was most proud.
This is Cole is his Latin rhumba style. Fred’s strict rehearsal habits had caused Ginger Rogers’ feet to bleed at RKO. Rita kept up with Fred, and her sensuous moves made her a wonderful partner. This clip is from the 1941 film. As you can see, we’ve lost a lot in 76 years.
