Of the several stock musical plot formulae that Hollywood has available on its shelf for immediate and frequent use, the brothers Metro, Goldwyn, and Mayer have one which they keep all for themselves. This one inevitably involves Jimmy Durante and a couple of other characters of varied talent who get into the act, of whom one quite frequently may be a girl named Kathryn Grayson, who sings. "It Happened in Brooklyn" has something to do with a shy ex-soldier with a great and unrequited love for the well-known borough, accompanied by an assortment of others (girl music teacher, boy piano-player, bashful songwriter), all with fervid musical ambitions. At frequent intervals they burst out into song, both separately and en masse.

Durante, playing his familiar self, cannot be restrained even by the necessities of traditional format, but only once does he get a chance to break loose into one of his remarkable solo performances with song and piano. The rest of the music is rather routine, though probably Hit Parade-ish, and the usual sprinkling of classical warhorses, such as the Bell Song from "Lakme" is tossed in, too. But no doubt the bobbysoxers will be wild about this one. Not only is their quondam idol, Frankie Sinatra, displayed prominently, but a newer dreamboy, a fellow named Peter Lawford with a British accent and massive triangular eyebrows, also cavorts about.

As is customary in Boston, there is another picture on the evening's program, and, strangely enough, it isn't bad at all. Called "Blind Spot" and featuring Chester Morris, it is a psychological murder mystery of unusual quality, at least for the B-picture category. Although the villain's identity is hardly much of a secret after the first reel, dialogue, direction, and photography must place "Blind Spot" far, far above the great majority of its class--better, perhaps, than a good number that pass as first-run productions in these lean times.