Tempo Rubato (1933) is a pre-code romantic melodrama starring Jean Harlow and newcomer Walter Abel in his first starring role. Abel plays a music teacher who must compromise his own uptight morals in order to instruct a showgirl (Harlow) on how to play the piano during her act. Halfpenny Orpheum was able to nab Harlow for the role just before she signed an exclusivity agreement with MGM, and this would be her last film made outside of MGM before her death. Although Abel was married at the time of shooting, rumours spread that he and Harlow were carrying on an affair outside of the production, but no concrete evidence of this was ever found other than an autographed photo made out to Abel by Harlow. The film was a modest success.
