During the Great Depression, a sheet music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent schoolteacher.
Production
Depression grime meets Busby Berkeley fantasy—jarring, intentional, genius.
Acting
Martin and Peters commit completely; you'll never trust him in comedy again.
Director
Herbert Ross
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Steve Martin fought for this role against studio wishes; he wanted to prove he could act. The box office bomb nearly ended that ambition.
The film's bitter use of cheery period songs directly influenced later deconstructions like Chicago and Moulin Rouge—this was the grim prototype they polished.
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