Sidney Lanfield’s 1939 musical Second Fiddle has not exactly stood the test of time, falling some decades ago into relative obscurity. This is despite an Irving Berlin score and winning performances from the likes of Tyrone Power, Sonja Henie, Mary Healy, and others. While it does not quite measure up to other Hollywood musicals of the time, it is still a brightly performed and remarkably self-aware production.

It is also a film very much of its time. 1939 also saw the release of Gone with the Wind, and that film’s widely publicised search for a lead actress is referenced and parodied here. In this case, the nationwide search is for a woman to star in a novel called Girl of the North and the girl found is Minnesota school teacher Trudi Hovland (Sonja Henie). Discovered by rakish publicity agent Jimmy Sutton (Tyrone Power), Trudi is propelled into the Hollywood life and a romance with co-star Roger Maxwell (Rudy Vallée).

It isn’t simply a knowing jab at Gone with the Wind, however, but also a playful riff on Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. Trudi’s romance with Maxwell is not real at all, but is instead a publicity scheme to warm audiences to the new talent. The love letters, flowers and gifts are all coming from Jimmy – who is, in Hollywood tradition, falling for Trudi himself.

The script may be uneven, and the songs are fairly forgettable, but Second Fiddle is boosted by some excellent performances. Power and Vallée are both solid in their roles, and Mary Healy is excellent as Maxwell’s real girlfriend Jean Varick. The real standout is Edna May Oliver as Aunt Phoebe, the spiky and cynical relative that accompanies Trudi to Hollywood. Blessed with the best character and the funniest lines, Oliver has a whale of a time – and the enjoyment is infectious.

Hollywood has always appreciated a novelty, which is probably what drew 20th Century studio head Darryl Zanuck to cast Sonja Henie in the lead. She was a champion ice skater out of Norway and a three-time Oympic gold medal winner, and despite her accent proved a deft hand at comedy. Second Fiddle was her sixth studio feature, and the film is carefully wrapped around her ice-skating talents. Its best musical scenes involve Henie out on the ice.

It is an enjoyable feature, but its limitations are clear. For fans of old-fashioned Hollywood pictures there is plenty to offer, but it is unlikely to ever become anybody’s favourite.