This week’s mystery movie was the 1935 Paramount picture Rumba, with George Raft, Carole Lombard, Lynne Overman, Margo, Gail Patrick, Iris Adrian, Monroe Owsley and Jameson Thomas.
Screenplay by Howard J. Green.
Additional dialogue by Harry Ruskin and Frank Partos.
Based upon an idea by Guy Endore and Seena Owen.
(Trivia note: The AFI Catalog notes the role of Edgcumb Pinchon, author of Life Among Hollywood’s “Extra” Girls.)
Music and lyrics by Ralph Rainger.
Dances and ensembles staged by Le Roy Prinz.
Costumes designed by Travis Banton.
Specialty dance created and staged by Veloz and Yolanda.
Spanish lyrics by Francois B. de Valdes.
Photographed by Ted Tetzlaff.
Produced by William Le Baron.
Directed by Marion Gering.
Further information on Rumba is available from the AFI Catalog.
Rumba is not commercially available, but can be found on the Internet and the gray market.
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Rumba was a substitute for the movie I wanted to use, Bolero (1934), which also features George Raft and Carole Lombard (and Sally Rand!), and only exists in even worse prints than Rumba. I was mainly intrigued by George Raft as a dancer (he’s pretty good) and I always enjoy Carole Lombard.
I suspect this is in Mordaunt Hall territory and that The New York Times did not approve of such goings-on.
No, it’s F.S.N. (Frank S. Nugent) and he does not approve (Feb. 25, 1935):
There are, in Hollywood, a group of men with prematurely gray hair, furrowed brows and dyspepsia. It is their sad duty to select titles for the various pictures released annually. Sometimes they ponder for days over the one, two, three, or four words that best will describe their studio’s latest offering. Frequently, the chosen title bears no relation to the picture. But that is not the case, dear reader, with the current film at the Paramount.
Within the first five minutes of its unreeling, the picture offers George Raft and Iris Adrian in a dance. About five minutes later the camera has traveled to what is presumed to be the interior of Cuba where a rumba is in progress. There Mr. Raft discovers a new partner, Margo, and they try the rumba. Carole Lombard enters a bit later and Mr. Raft teachers her the rumba. having become proficient by this time. Mr. Raft and Margo dance the rumba in Havana. And finally Mr. Raft reaches New York and does the rumba with Miss Lombard.
For Monday, we have a mysterious couple….
Update: This is Soledad Jimenez and Paul Porcasi.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Lynne Overman.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Monday’s mysterious fellow), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guests), Sheila (Monday’s mysterious fellow), Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery gent) and Mary Mallory (Monday’s enigmatic guest).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Margot.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman and Tuesday’s mystery fellow), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Sheila (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery guest), B.J. Merholz (Tuesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mysterious guest) and Dan Nather (Monday’s mysterious man).
Mike: Anagram your answer and you’ll get the right movie.
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Gail Patrick.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mysterious woman), Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery woman) and Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery woman and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests).
For Friday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is an extremely ruffled George Raft.
We also have a mysterious woman with an enigmatic companion.
Update: This is Carole Lombard and Monroe Owsley.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mysterious woman), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mysterious woman), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery woman), L.C. (mystery movie and enigmatic cast), B.J. Merholz (Thursday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery woman – other answers lost in the ether, apparently), Funky PhD (mystery movie, Monday’s Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Benito (Thursday’s mystery woman), Incredibleinman (Thursday’s mystery woman), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Sarah (mystery movie and Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests).
ladailymirror.com 
On the right, Paul Porcasi?
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Soledad Jiménez and Paul Porcasi in RUMBA (1935).
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Paul Porcasi?
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Paul Porcasi.
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Paul Porcasi. Crime School?
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Helen Mackellar with him?
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RUMBA. Soledad Jimenez Monday, and Lynne Overman today.
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Lynne Overman.
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Lynne Overman, ‘Rumba’?
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Lynne Overman
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Lynne Overman in MOON OVER BURMA.
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That’s Paul Porcasi on Monday; don’t know who the woman is.
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Skeets Gallagher?
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Margo.
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Margo.
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Not Skeets at all but Lynne Overman in “Rumba.” On Monday, Soledad Jimenez and on Wednesday, Margo.
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Gail Patrick
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Gail Patrick.
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Future “Perry Mason” executive producer Gail Patrick
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Rumba (1935) w/Margo, Gail Patrick, George Raft, Carole Lombard, Iris Adrian, Monroe Owsley…
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Gail Patrick
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Gail Patrick. what happened to my answers from yesterday.
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Monday’s couple: Soledad Jimenez and Paul Porcasi, which makes the movie “Rumba.” I don’t recognize Tuesday’s gentleman; Wednesday is Margo, and Thursday is Gail Patrick.
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Gail Patrick, aka producer of PERRY MASON
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Gail Patrick today — I’ll take a wild guess and say this is “In Name Only.”
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Our mystery movie is Rumba with Gail Patrick, Margo, Lynne Overman, Paul Porcasi, and Soledad Jimenez.
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It’s Rumba (1935). I identified it thanks to Margo. Today it’s Gail Patrick. Tuesday is Samuel S Hinds. Monday is Soledad Jimenez and Paul Porcasi.
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George Raft, Carole Lombard, and Monroe Ownsley.
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It took all week but with the addition of a frilly George Raft and the beautiful Carole Lombard the movie must be Bolero from 1934.
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George Raft
Carole Lombard, Monroe Owsley
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Carole Lombard today. Is that George Raft, looking tutti frutti?
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George Raft, Carole Lombard and Lynne Overman.
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Finally recognized someone – whew!
“Rumba” 1935
Friday – George Raft, Carole Lombard and Monroe Owsley
Thursday – Gail Patrick, I think.
Wednesday – Margo, I think
Tuesday – Lynne Overman, I think
Monday – Soledad Jimenez and Paul Porcasi, I think
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