Second Chorus (1940)

Fred Astaire: Danny O'Neill

Photos 

Quotes 

• Lester Chisholm : [in a fake Russian accent]  Vas good.

  Danny O'Neill : Vas good? Vas per-fect.

• Danny O'Neill : It seems to me I smell a mouse.

  Ellen Miller : Somewhere around the house.

• Danny O'Neill : [hiding himself]  What'ya think you're doing under this bed?

  Hank Taylor : Looking for a collar button.

• Danny O'Neill : Seven years ago I must have broken a mirror; because *that* walked in and became my roommate. I was only a simple Freshman at the time...

  Ellen Miller : What are you now, a simple Sophomore?

  Danny O'Neill : Oh, now, Miss Miller, you're being a bit unkind. After all, we've worked hard to stay in College this long.

  Hank Taylor : He's right. Now, it's not easy for a couple of bright guys like us to go on flunking year after year.

• Ellen Miller : What in the world are you talking about?

  Danny O'Neill : Well, it's like this, you see, as long as we can stay in College, the band makes us a very comfortable living.

  Hank Taylor : That's right. Five, six thousand dollars a year. That's more than you can make on Wall Street!

• Danny O'Neill : Its a nice life. Cultural. Relaxing. Gay.

• Danny O'Neill : She's very business-like, isn't she. I like that in a secretary. In fact, I'd like to have a secretary like that.

• Danny O'Neill : Mellow as a cello.

• Danny O'Neill : [singing]  I never could do the conga, Could never get through the conga, But if you say do the conga, I ain't hep, to that step, But, I'll dig it...

• Ellen Miller : You really want me to work for you?

  Danny O'Neill : Sure. Would you like to?

  Hank Taylor : What's your salary?

  Ellen Miller : 18 a week.

  Hank Taylor : He'll double it.

• Danny O'Neill : Think of it, Hank. You'll go into your father's textile business. A cog in a great industry. Stamping your personality on miles and miles of tweed. Making the wheels turn, punching the clock, listening to the song of the looms.

• Danny O'Neill : [singing]  Would you like to be the love of my life, for always? And always watch over me, To square my blunders, And share my dreams, One day with caviar, Next day with chocolate bars...

• Danny O'Neill : Your father was a textile man. So was his father before him. Why, you've got wool in your blood.

• Ellen Miller : Danny, don't you think you ought to be warming up.

  Danny O'Neill : I've been warmed up a *long* time.

• Danny O'Neill : [singing in a Russian accent]  Alvays and alvays, watch over me, Oh, play a pick and a pluck on the strings of your old balalaika...

• Hank Taylor : I'm much too busy to help Artie out. I'm working like a horse.

  Danny O'Neill : Working?

  Hank Taylor : Sure.

  Danny O'Neill : Not with Dorsey?

  Hank Taylor : No, no. He wouldn't change his style to suit me.

• Danny O'Neill : I just hooked up with a terrific European outfit. I never dreamed such things could be done to music.

• Danny O'Neill : After I quit Whiteman...

  Hank Taylor : You quit Whiteman?

  Danny O'Neill : Sure. Too big a band for me. If I'd a stayed with him, I'd of lost my individuality. Same thing happened to Bix.

• Lester Chisholm : What would you suggest?

  Danny O'Neill : Well, first of all, line up a number.

  Lester Chisholm : That's a good idea; but, off hand, I can't think of...

  Danny O'Neill : Oh, sure, you remember the "Rolling Back to Mammy on the Big River Blues".

  Lester Chisholm : "Rolling Back to Mammy on the Big River Blues"?

  Hank Taylor : That's it! He's got it!

  Danny O'Neill : He's got it!

• Hank Taylor : I wonder what's going on out there?

  Danny O'Neill : It sounds as if she's giving somebody an audition.

  Hank Taylor : I never heard of Shaw with a mandolin section?

• Hank Taylor : Makes you feel good, doesn't it. You know, self sacrifice. Doing unto others.

  Danny O'Neill : That's the life.

  Hank Taylor : Yeah, but, a little self sacrifice goes a long way. We ought to think of our own careers, for a change. After all, we are the intimate friends of Shaw's backer.

• Danny O'Neill : She's being taken advantage of.

  Hank Taylor : She seems to be liking it.

• Danny O'Neill : [at the piano]  Listen to this. La-da-da-da-da. Da-da, Da-dah...

  Hank Taylor : You're gonna like this Chis. This is back to the good earth. Full of sweep! Play that, Danny.

  Lester Chisholm : I like that. What's it called?

  Danny O'Neill : "Hoedown, the Bayou." You hear that? That's New Orleans.

  Lester Chisholm : I visited there for three weeks. I don't recognize it.

  Hank Taylor : You don't?

  Danny O'Neill : Why, that's the spirit of New Orleans. I can almost smell the delta.

  Hank Taylor : I *can* smell the delta. Can't you smell the delta?

  Lester Chisholm : I have a slight cold.

  Hank Taylor : Well, nothing that your mandolin won't cure. You pick this up, Chis, pick it up, boy.

  Danny O'Neill : Hell, yeah! Come on, son. The train won't wait.

  Hank Taylor : That's it! That's it! Now, we're sailin' up that river. On to Memphis. Chattanooga. Hold on, Chis!

  Danny O'Neill : Hear them steamboat whistles blowin'? Tote that barge, pull that bale. There's a cabin in the cotton. Solid South! Solid North! Solid Jack!

  Lester Chisholm : Solid Jack?

  Hank Taylor : Right. Wagon wheels creakin' westward. Now, we're rollin' past that junction. On to Kansas! Cincinnati!

  Lester Chisholm : Cincinnati! My home town.

  Danny O'Neill : His home town! Your home town! Everybody's home town! Cincinnati!

• Danny O'Neill : [singing]  He tried to jazz up his mandolin, But never could quite control it, He always brought Bach and Handel in, When it took a lick, He always broke a pick, Poor Mr. Chisholm, You're quite a gay, old blade...

• Danny O'Neill : [singing]  I hope in your horoscope, There is room for a dope, Who adores you.

  [long kiss] 

  Ellen Miller : [in a fake Russian accent]  Vas good?

  Danny O'Neill : Vas per-fect.

  [longer kiss]