7/10
An Invitation From Mr. Jimmy Durante
29 January 2000
That romantic & devilishly handsome movie star, Jimmy Durante, decides to throw the HOLLYWOOD PARTY every celebrity in town will want to attend. And he does, with somewhat mixed results.

This nonsense film (no directors are credited, but several important ones were involved) was an excuse for MGM to show off, somewhat ostentatiously, its comedy talent. Enough talent, indeed, to waste. Laurel & Hardy show up for a scene with Lupe Velez and it is hilarious. The ubiquitous Polly Moran, Charles Butterworth & Arthur Treacher are generally worth watching. Ted Healey & The 3 Stooges, Jack Pearl & Eddie Quillan are hampered by inadequate material. Even Robert Young appears for a few moments, playing himself and looking a wee bit silly.

Apparently having wandered over from another studio, Mickey Mouse shows up unexpectedly, in animated form & voiced by Walt Disney. He proves he can hold his own in trading wisecracks with Durante and then introduces a fairly good Disney Technicolor cartoon, `Hot Chocolate Soldiers' and it's enjoyable.

If you get invited to this party, try hanging out with Stan & Ollie, or The Mouse. They're where all the fun is.
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