I didn't have high hopes for this film, but I watched it because I was just a very little kid when Uncle Miltie was all the rage. My grandparents bought their first television set because they didn't want to keep going down to the neighbors each week to watch Milton Berle's Texaco extravaganza. That's a major reason that television bloomed just shortlyl after this film was made. I personally remember Milton Berle's television programs and appearances in the late 1950s and through the 1980s (and even a bit beyond). He wasn't a favorite, nor did I dislike him; I just knew that a little Milton Berle went a long ways. Milton Berle made Red Skelton's Clem Kaddidlehopper look sophisticated.
I'd never seen him in a film other than "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World', where he had a limited role. And for this film -- "Always Leave Them Laughing", made the year I was born, I thought it would be interesting to see a film that was originally designed for Danny Kaye. I can't think of two comedians more un-alike.
Well, Berle pulled it off in this film. I'm not saying that I'd want to see him in a lot of films, but he played this part well, and for those who don't like to watch the scratchy old kinescopes of his old television shows, you can get a fair idea of who Milton Berle was in the sketches in this movie. There is evidence here of Berle's ability as a dramatic actor, which later surfaced a number of times in television dramas.
In terms of the script...well, essentially it's a vaudeville story, which is fine. Outdated now, but still good to look back on. The one place that the film sort of goofs, although they do explain it away, is the idea that Berle's character essentially killed Bert Lahr's character. After all, Lahr's character was set to return to Broadway full-time the next evening. It was his decision, not Berle's character's decision.
Ruth Roman, not usually a favorite of mine, was quite good here as the girlfriend, Virginia Mayo as Lahr's character's wife, also good...but not great. Always good to see Bert Lahr, as well as Alan Hale, Sr.
It's good to watch this film to understand a little about one of television's most important comedians. And the film is reasonably good. I won't be tempted to watch it a second time, however.
I'd never seen him in a film other than "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World', where he had a limited role. And for this film -- "Always Leave Them Laughing", made the year I was born, I thought it would be interesting to see a film that was originally designed for Danny Kaye. I can't think of two comedians more un-alike.
Well, Berle pulled it off in this film. I'm not saying that I'd want to see him in a lot of films, but he played this part well, and for those who don't like to watch the scratchy old kinescopes of his old television shows, you can get a fair idea of who Milton Berle was in the sketches in this movie. There is evidence here of Berle's ability as a dramatic actor, which later surfaced a number of times in television dramas.
In terms of the script...well, essentially it's a vaudeville story, which is fine. Outdated now, but still good to look back on. The one place that the film sort of goofs, although they do explain it away, is the idea that Berle's character essentially killed Bert Lahr's character. After all, Lahr's character was set to return to Broadway full-time the next evening. It was his decision, not Berle's character's decision.
Ruth Roman, not usually a favorite of mine, was quite good here as the girlfriend, Virginia Mayo as Lahr's character's wife, also good...but not great. Always good to see Bert Lahr, as well as Alan Hale, Sr.
It's good to watch this film to understand a little about one of television's most important comedians. And the film is reasonably good. I won't be tempted to watch it a second time, however.