The team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby are only known through their still popular catalog of songs. A movie on their life, "Three Little Words", has kept their songs alive. In this lavish musical comedy, Wheeler and Woolsey had their first leads, and are an absolute riot. Like "Rio Rita", this is set in Mexico but deals with gypsies, not bandits. Dorothy Lee is back too, still in love with Wheeler yet in violation of her father's refusal to marry him.
The setting is a posh hotel where the gypsies sell their wares and provide entertainment, although Lee's father is a thief. Woolsey gets the admiration of wealthy American widow Jobyna Howland by identifying the man who stole her purse, resulting in humorous attempts by the boys to escape his wrath. A romantic subplot involves Howland's daughter (June Clyde) who becomes the victim of a kidnapping plot while trying to get her wacky but snobbish mother to get her to accept the man she loves. Along with Clyde, Billy Shannon sings the Kalmar and Ruby standard, "All Alone Sunday", while Wheeler and Lee sing "I Love You So Much". The other musical highlights are Wheeler and Woolsey's tribute to their college (Vassar!), "Oh How We Love Our Alma Matter".
Howland and Woolsey have their own romantic number which adds humor of having Woolsey unable to lift up the hefty Howland. Their pairing reminded me of Groucho and Margaret Dumont, though the dialog here has much more suggestive ideas behind it. Lavish dance numbers add to e entertainment value of this, making it the best of Wheeler and Woolsey's three big musicals (also including "Dixiana").
The setting is a posh hotel where the gypsies sell their wares and provide entertainment, although Lee's father is a thief. Woolsey gets the admiration of wealthy American widow Jobyna Howland by identifying the man who stole her purse, resulting in humorous attempts by the boys to escape his wrath. A romantic subplot involves Howland's daughter (June Clyde) who becomes the victim of a kidnapping plot while trying to get her wacky but snobbish mother to get her to accept the man she loves. Along with Clyde, Billy Shannon sings the Kalmar and Ruby standard, "All Alone Sunday", while Wheeler and Lee sing "I Love You So Much". The other musical highlights are Wheeler and Woolsey's tribute to their college (Vassar!), "Oh How We Love Our Alma Matter".
Howland and Woolsey have their own romantic number which adds humor of having Woolsey unable to lift up the hefty Howland. Their pairing reminded me of Groucho and Margaret Dumont, though the dialog here has much more suggestive ideas behind it. Lavish dance numbers add to e entertainment value of this, making it the best of Wheeler and Woolsey's three big musicals (also including "Dixiana").