Executive producer: Herbert J. Yates. Copyright 8 September 1937 by Republic Pictures Corporation. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 8 September 1937. Australian release through British Empire Films: December 1937. 6 reels. 61 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Two zanies back a Broadway song-and-dance show.
COMMENT: A few critics have complained that some of the gags misfire in this glorious hodge-podge of crazy vaudeville routines. Well, maybe they do, but frankly I was laughing so much, I didn't notice any dull patches at all. In fact, I spent so much time rolling out of my chair, I still didn't pick out Alan Ladd even though I was determined to catch him this time around. And such an easy catch too. Maybe he stood on a ladder in this one!
True, unlike Hellzapoppin, this early try-out does have a well- defined plot—but even that proceeds in a wriggling line that allows our comedians to share the laughs amongst the cast. It's a fact that one or two players do make rather heavy weather of their gags, but it really doesn't matter when you have wonderful clowns like Stanley Fields and Lew Kelly on hand. In fact, it's Kelly who literally runs away with the movie's acting honors, though admittedly he's given some utterly fantastic business and knockout lines ("Well, I put up a good fight ")!
I will agree that the heroine has very little to do, so if you're a Mary Howard fan, better give the film a miss. Come to think of it, Harry Stockwell is given an even more detailed introduction, and he virtually disappears with every greater rapidity. Well, at least he seems to. Maybe he's there all the time, but you just don't notice him in the midst of all the James Finlayson-Franklin Pangborn-Fred Kelsey-Eddie Kane mayhem. A pity! Harry made only five or six movies and he's just great as the Prince in Snow White ("One song! I have but one song ")
To sum up: An absolute must for Olsen and Johnson (and Lew Kelly) addicts!
AVAILABLE on DVD through Alpha. Quality rating: Eight out of ten.
SYNOPSIS: Two zanies back a Broadway song-and-dance show.
COMMENT: A few critics have complained that some of the gags misfire in this glorious hodge-podge of crazy vaudeville routines. Well, maybe they do, but frankly I was laughing so much, I didn't notice any dull patches at all. In fact, I spent so much time rolling out of my chair, I still didn't pick out Alan Ladd even though I was determined to catch him this time around. And such an easy catch too. Maybe he stood on a ladder in this one!
True, unlike Hellzapoppin, this early try-out does have a well- defined plot—but even that proceeds in a wriggling line that allows our comedians to share the laughs amongst the cast. It's a fact that one or two players do make rather heavy weather of their gags, but it really doesn't matter when you have wonderful clowns like Stanley Fields and Lew Kelly on hand. In fact, it's Kelly who literally runs away with the movie's acting honors, though admittedly he's given some utterly fantastic business and knockout lines ("Well, I put up a good fight ")!
I will agree that the heroine has very little to do, so if you're a Mary Howard fan, better give the film a miss. Come to think of it, Harry Stockwell is given an even more detailed introduction, and he virtually disappears with every greater rapidity. Well, at least he seems to. Maybe he's there all the time, but you just don't notice him in the midst of all the James Finlayson-Franklin Pangborn-Fred Kelsey-Eddie Kane mayhem. A pity! Harry made only five or six movies and he's just great as the Prince in Snow White ("One song! I have but one song ")
To sum up: An absolute must for Olsen and Johnson (and Lew Kelly) addicts!
AVAILABLE on DVD through Alpha. Quality rating: Eight out of ten.