No, No, Nanette (1940)

A perky young girl (Anna Neagle) attempts to save the marriage of her uncle (Roland Young) and aunt (Helen Broderick) by untangling several innocent but ensnaring flirtations. In doing so, she attracts a theatrical producer (Victor Mature) and an artist (Richard Carlson), who both fall in love with her. Based on the 1919 Broadway musical and directed by Herbert Wilcox (IRENE). The producer/director Wilcox has gutted the musical numbers from the popular musical and what we have left is an average screwball comedy with a smattering of songs. Actually, only three songs from the show are left: No, No, Nanette is sung over the film titles, there's a perfunctory version of I Want To Be Happy, the show's most famous song Tea For Two plus a dream dance number not from the show with Anna Neagle. There have been more egregious treatment of Broadway musicals transitioning to film (FANNY and IRMA LA DOUCE had their entire song catalog jettisoned making them non musicals) but one wonders why buy the rights to a musical if you're not going to use the songs! That aside, it's moderately entertaining but unmemorable. With Eve Arden, Zasu Pitts and Billy Gilbert.