Hellzapoppin' (1941)

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Approved
1h 24min
Action, Comedy
26 Dec 1941 (USA)
Movie

7.4 (3,493)

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Olsen and Johnson, a pair of stage comedians, try to turn their play into a movie and bring together a young couple in love, while breaking the fourth wall every step of the way.

Director:

H.C. Potter

Writers:

Stars:

Award:

Nominated for 1 Oscar.
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Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Still of Chic Johnson and Ole Olsen (II) in Hellzapoppin' (1941)

Still of Jane Frazee and Robert Paige (IV) in Hellzapoppin' (1941)

Still of Hugh Herbert (I) in Hellzapoppin' (1941)

Still of Mischa Auer and Martha Raye in Hellzapoppin' (1941)

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135 photos | 1 video

Cast

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	Ole Olsen	...	Ole Olsen
	Chic Johnson	...	Chic Johnson
	Martha Raye	...	Betty Johnson
	Hugh Herbert	...	Quimby
	Jane Frazee	...	Kitty Rand
	Robert Paige	...	Jeff Hunter
	Mischa Auer	...	Pepi
	Richard Lane	...	Director
	Lewis Howard	...	Woody Taylor
	Clarence Kolb	...	Andrew Rand
	Nella Walker	...	Mrs. Rand
	Shemp Howard	...	Louie
	Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Harry Selby
	Frank Darien	...	Man Calling for Mrs. Jones
	Catherine Johnson	...	Lena - Lady Looking for Oscar
	Gus Schilling	...	Orchestra Conductor
	The Six Hits	...	The Six Hits
	Slim Gaillard	...	Specialty (as Slim and Slam)
	Slam Stewart	...	Specialty (as Slim and Slam)
	Ann Johnson	...	Dancer (as Harlem Congeroos)
	Frankie Manning	...	Dancer (as Harlem Congeroos)
	Olive Hatch	...	Water Ballet Specialty
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Eddie Acuff	...	Drafted Devil (uncredited)
	Kathryn Adams	...	Girl (uncredited)
	John Alban	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Sig Arno	...	Orchestra Bass Player (uncredited)
	Frank Austin	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
	Marvin Bailey	...	Member of The Six Hits (uncredited)
	Edward Biby	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Lulu Mae Bohrman	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Don Brodie	...	Theatre Manager (uncredited)
	James Carlisle	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	George Chandler	...	Movie Cameraman (uncredited)
	Milton Charleston	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Dean Collins	...	Betty's Jitterbug Dancing Partner (uncredited)
	Oliver Cross	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Billy Curtis	...	Bodyguard (uncredited)
	George Davis	...	Russian Butler (uncredited)
	Hal K. Dawson	...	Photographer at Pool (uncredited)
	Vince Degen	...	Member of The Six Hits (uncredited)
	Hazel Dohlman	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	William Downe	...	William Downe - Dancer (uncredited)
	Ella Ethridge	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Harry Evans	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Bess Flowers	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	George Ford	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Karen X. Gaylord	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Jody Gilbert	...	Louie's Girlfriend (uncredited)
	Joe Gilbert	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	George Golden	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Dick Gordon	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Julia Griffith	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Ben Hall	...	Goofy Man in Betty's Way (uncredited)
	Charlie Hall	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
	Samuel S. Hinds	...	Showboat Captain (uncredited)
	Howard Hudson	...	Member of The Six Hits (uncredited)
	George Humbert	...	Chef with Bread (uncredited)
	CeePee Johnson	...	Tom-tom soloist who is then heard behind 'Congeroo' dancers (uncredited)
	Frances 'Mickey' Jones	...	Mickey Jones - Dancer (uncredited)
	Harvey Karels	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Ethelreda Leopold	...	Blonde Woman at Skeet Range (uncredited)
	Jack 'Tiny' Lipson	...	Junior (uncredited)
	Leota Lorraine	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Jimmie Lucas	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
	Mack McLean	...	Member of The Six Hits (uncredited)
	Frank McLure	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Norma Miller	...	Dancer - Cook (uncredited)
	Susan Miller	...	Mother Calling for Junior (uncredited)
	Al Minns	...	Dancer - Butler (uncredited)
	Hans Moebus	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Harry Monty	...	Midget Taxi Driver (uncredited)
	Lyle Moraine	...	Young Man (uncredited)
	Joseph North	...	Butler (uncredited)
	Barry Norton	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Wedgwood Nowell	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Dagmar Oakland	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Gil Perkins	...	Butler in Pool (uncredited)
	Foster H. Phinney	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Alexander Pollard	...	Butler (uncredited)
	Jean Porter	...	Chorine (uncredited)
	Jerry Preshaw	...	Member of The Six Hits (uncredited)
	Dorothy Raye	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Billy Ricker	...	Billy Ricker - Dancer (uncredited)
	Willa Mae Ricker	...	Willa Mae Ricker - Dancer (uncredited)
	Bert Roach	...	Robert T. MacChesney (uncredited)
	Bob Rose	...	Shorty - Butler (uncredited)
	Angelo Rossitto	...	Dwarf Devil (uncredited)
	Loretta Russell	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Fred Sanborn	...	Man Playing Tic-Tac-Toe (uncredited)
	Bill Seckler	...	Member of The Six Hits (uncredited)
	Bert Spencer	...	Dancer (uncredited)
	Rex Stewart	...	Trumpet Specialty (uncredited)
	Andrew Tombes	...	Max Kane (uncredited)
	Dale Van Sickel	...	Man Who Falls Into Pool / Frankenstein Monster (uncredited)
	Ellinor Vanderveer	...	Audience Member (uncredited)
	Terry Walker	...	Maid (uncredited)
	Billy Wayne	...	Photographer (uncredited)
	Arthur White's Lindy Hoppers and Jitterbugs	...	Dancers - Harlem Congeroos Number (uncredited)
	Dave Willock	...	Orchestra Trombone Player (uncredited)

Directed by

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H.C. Potter

Written by

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Nat Perrin	...	(screenplay) &
Warren Wilson	...	(screenplay)

Nat Perrin	...	(based on an original story by)

Alex Gottlieb	...	(writer: additional comedy and musical sequences) (uncredited)

Produced by

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Alex Gottlieb	...	associate producer
Jules Levey	...	producer (uncredited)
Glenn Tryon	...	associate producer

Music by

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Frank Skinner

Cinematography by

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Elwood Bredell

...

director of photography (as Woody Bredell)

Editing by

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Milton Carruth
Ted J. Kent	...	(uncredited)

Art Direction by

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Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by

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Russell A. Gausman

...

(as R.A. Gausman)

Costume Design by

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Vera West

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Joseph A. McDonough	...	assistant director
Edward F. Cline	...	director: additional comedy and musical sequences (uncredited)

Art Department

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Martin Obzina

...

associate art director

Sound Department

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Bernard B. Brown	...	sound director
William R. Fox	...	sound technician (as William Fox)

Visual Effects by

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John P. Fulton

...

special photographic effects

Stunts

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Gil Perkins	...	stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eugene Joseff

...

costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department

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Ted Cain	...	music supervisor
Charles Previn	...	musical director / composer: stock music (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Nick Castle	...	choreographer
Edward F. Cline	...	additional scenes
Eddie Prinz	...	choreographer (as Edward Prinz)
Frankie Manning	...	choreographer: Whitey's Lindy Hoppers number (uncredited)
Jaik Rosenstein	...	unit publicity writer (uncredited)

Production Companies

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Mayfair Productions Inc. (for)
Universal Pictures

Distributors

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Universal Pictures (1941) (United States) (theatrical) (as Universal Pictures Corporation)
Empire Universal Films (1942) (Canada) (theatrical)
General Film Distributors (GFD) (1942) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Universal Pictures Proprietary (1942) (Australia) (theatrical)
Universal Pictures Corporation of Mexico (1942) (Mexico) (theatrical)
La Universal (Cis Distribuidora de Peliculas) (1942) (Cuba) (theatrical)
Universal Pictures do Brazil (1942) (Brazil) (theatrical)
Universal Films Argentina (1942) (Argentina) (theatrical)
Realart Pictures (1949) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
Société Anonyme Universal-Film (1949) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
Société Anonyme Universal-Film (1949) (Belgium) (theatrical) (re-release)
Universal Film A/S (1949) (Denmark) (theatrical) (re-release)
National Telefilm Associates (NTA) (1956) (United States) (tv)
Filmart Distribucion (1994) (Spain) (tv) (reissue)
Second Sight Films (2007) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
Universum Film (UFA) (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
Anolis Entertainment (2024) (Germany) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary	Ole and Chick are making a movie, but the director is not satisfied. So he brings them to a young writer, who outlines them an absurd story. They have to support Jeff and Kitty in setting up a musical revue in their garden and want to bring it up on Broadway. If Jeff is successful he can marry Kitty. But there is his rich friend Woody, who also loves Kitty, Chick's sister Betty, who's in love with a false Russian count, and detective Quimby. They all make the thing very complicated for Ole and Chick. After some mistakes they think that Kitty isn't the right girl for Jeff and they start sabotaging the show, but the Broadway producer is impressed and signs the contract. That's the story the writer tells them. For this he's sued by the director. Written by Stephan Eichenberg Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	conga b-movie screwball-comedy singing pianist See All (13) »
Taglines	AT LAST IT'S ON THE SCREEN! Greater than the Stage Show! (print ad - Lubbock Morning Avalanche - Tech Theatre - Lubbock, Texas - July 7, 1944) See more »
Genres	Action Comedy Musical
Parents Guide	Add content advisory for parents »
Certification	Australia:G Finland:S France:Tous publics Italy:T Norway:A Sweden:15 United Kingdom:U United States:Approved United States:Passed (National Board of Review) West Germany:12 (nf)

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Hellzapoppin (France) Loquilandia (Spain) Le studio en folie (Belgium, French title) Hellzapoppin - In der Hölle ist der Teufel los (West Germany) Ο τρελλός παράδεισος (Greece) See more »
Runtime	84 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Color	Black and White
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Filming Locations	Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	The original Broadway production of "Hellzapoppin'" opened at the 46th Street Theater on September 22, 1938, and ran for 1404 performances--a considerable run for a Broadway show in the 1930s. The original theatrical run included moves to the Winter Garden Theater and the Majestic Theater. The comic team of Chic Johnson and Ole Olsen wrote and produced the review and served as emcees for the show. As with the movie, the Broadway show was a mix of absurdist comedy skits, comic musical numbers, walk-on comedians and audience participation. There were running gags, such as the woman who walked down the theater aisles shouting "Oscar!", and the man with the potted plant who shouted "Miss Jones!" (One gag from the Broadway show that did not make it into the movie was a woman in the audience who stood up several times and announced she was "just going to the bathroom"). The Harlem Congaroos--the Lindy Hop dance troupe that appears in the film--also appeared in the original Broadway show (although during the show's run, they were variously billed as Whitey's Steppers or Whitey's Lindy Hoppers). See more »
Goofs	Betty picks up a rifle with a bayonet attached, but in the next shot it's a double-barreled shotgun. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in This Joint Is Jumpin' (2000). See more »
Soundtracks	Hellzapoppin' See more »
Crazy Credits	"......any similarity between HELLZAPOPPIN' and a motion picture is purely coincidental." See more »
Quotes	Lena, Lady looking for Oscar: Oscar! See more »

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