It's hard to miss when you have Patsy Kelly and Bert Lahr playing off each other. But only if you appreciate Lahr's style of humor which is much more about the delivery than about the bad puns and cornball jokes. Lahr's comedy style is a weird mix of Joe. E. Brown and Joe Besser. There is one especially funny sequence where he auditions a song for a producer who is preoccupied with an actress's costume fitting. As Lahr sings and Buddy Epson accompanies him on the piano, the producer is off to the left giving instructions to the actress. Lahr mistakes these for cues and responds accordingly.
The film also features some nice performances by the King Sisters and by Alvino Rey (and his orchestra)-although the drum solos are a little weak. The best number has Epson dancing with Yvonne King (if you were a fan of "My Three Sons" you will be amazed at how much Tina Cole resembles her mother Yvonne).
The story is just a way to package the comedy and the musical numbers. Luke Brown (a funny performance by Don Barclay) has been drugged by the gangster operators of the swank Boathouse Inn; most notably Roxie (June Havoc) a sexy pickpocket. Brown came to inform Chow Brewster (Lahr) and his cousin that they have inherited $3,000,000. The gang leader (Sam Levene) intends to keep Brown under wraps until they can drive Chow to suicide. He plans to marry Chow's cousin before she finds out about her inheritance.
There are some interesting details to look for in this film. It is really a parody and is rather advanced for its time. Particularly for some self-reflexive stuff like Lahr's reference to his courage question in "The Wizard of Oz". Interesting for another reason are the countless continuity problems and editing glitches that occur throughout the film. Watch for the sequence where Lahr and Barclay keep falling off the boat dock. There is a mix of wet and dry hair and suits in these that must have driven the editor nuts; ultimately nothing could be done but patch the various takes together in a logical story sequence-despite the continuity issues.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.
The film also features some nice performances by the King Sisters and by Alvino Rey (and his orchestra)-although the drum solos are a little weak. The best number has Epson dancing with Yvonne King (if you were a fan of "My Three Sons" you will be amazed at how much Tina Cole resembles her mother Yvonne).
The story is just a way to package the comedy and the musical numbers. Luke Brown (a funny performance by Don Barclay) has been drugged by the gangster operators of the swank Boathouse Inn; most notably Roxie (June Havoc) a sexy pickpocket. Brown came to inform Chow Brewster (Lahr) and his cousin that they have inherited $3,000,000. The gang leader (Sam Levene) intends to keep Brown under wraps until they can drive Chow to suicide. He plans to marry Chow's cousin before she finds out about her inheritance.
There are some interesting details to look for in this film. It is really a parody and is rather advanced for its time. Particularly for some self-reflexive stuff like Lahr's reference to his courage question in "The Wizard of Oz". Interesting for another reason are the countless continuity problems and editing glitches that occur throughout the film. Watch for the sequence where Lahr and Barclay keep falling off the boat dock. There is a mix of wet and dry hair and suits in these that must have driven the editor nuts; ultimately nothing could be done but patch the various takes together in a logical story sequence-despite the continuity issues.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.