Manhattan Merry-Go-Round is a silly little trifle, but for those in an undemanding mood, it's kind of fun. Forget about the plot. It's there, and it actually is a little stronger than the plots of other movies which were really musical revues but were afraid to admit it; but Manhattan's plot is not what makes it worth watching. It's the specialties, the musical and other acts that are peppered throughout the film. For oddity, there's the sight of Joe DiMaggio warbling a little before recounting a story about his sterling baseball career. On a more engaging note, there's the unique Kay Thompson in one of her rare screen appearances, lending her special magic to "I Owe You" and "All Over Nothing at All," and the always-entertaining Cab Calloway hi-de-ho-ing through "Mama, I Want to Make Rhythm." Fans of Ted Lewis will find him in a couple of numbers, and star Phil Regan's smooth crooning is heard to good effect throughout the film -- once in conjunction with cowboy star Gene Autry. Regan also acquits himself quite nicely in the "plot" portions of the film, as does a sweet Ann Dvorak. Tamara Geva enlivens things with her diva routine, James Gleason is an interesting ladies' man/gangster and Leo Carrillo does the best he can with his one-note character. The direction is a bit iffy at times, the numbers are shot in a static manner, and the script is so much nonsense -- but you just watch it for the acts, you'll do fine.