Humorous, but not out and out funny. This is Joe E. Brown in one of his earlier films...before he had really formed his on screen persona. Perhaps the best bit in the film is the segment where he is being medically tested...again, humorous, but you're not going to laugh out loud.
The basic plot is that two down-and-out newspaper reporters get roped into their own lies, with Brown letting people believe he is a famous pilot.
The casting is interesting. Brown was still in a formative period. Lawrence Gray as a fellow newspaper reporter was decent, and certainly much better than Jack Whiting in another of Brown's 1930 films. Ona Munson is the female lead here (her first starring role). Never heard of her? Yes you have -- Belle Watling in "Gone With The Wind"! Walter Pidgeon is rather dashing here as the opposing pilot...although he had appeared in several films when this film was produced. Frank McHugh is around again, and does somewhat nicely here, though clearly he had not develop his screen persona yet, either.
Interestingly, this was made as a musical, but all but one musical number was cut from the American release since audiences had soured on musicals. No known full prints exist with the musical numbers intact.
The finale -- an air race -- had potential, but wasn't realized. How can no one fly a plane and remain in the air that long???
This film is better for Joe E. Brown fans. His better films are yet to come.
The basic plot is that two down-and-out newspaper reporters get roped into their own lies, with Brown letting people believe he is a famous pilot.
The casting is interesting. Brown was still in a formative period. Lawrence Gray as a fellow newspaper reporter was decent, and certainly much better than Jack Whiting in another of Brown's 1930 films. Ona Munson is the female lead here (her first starring role). Never heard of her? Yes you have -- Belle Watling in "Gone With The Wind"! Walter Pidgeon is rather dashing here as the opposing pilot...although he had appeared in several films when this film was produced. Frank McHugh is around again, and does somewhat nicely here, though clearly he had not develop his screen persona yet, either.
Interestingly, this was made as a musical, but all but one musical number was cut from the American release since audiences had soured on musicals. No known full prints exist with the musical numbers intact.
The finale -- an air race -- had potential, but wasn't realized. How can no one fly a plane and remain in the air that long???
This film is better for Joe E. Brown fans. His better films are yet to come.