This is one of those Depression era screwball comedies, with some sly show biz humor mixed in...the type of film that was popular in the 1930s. George Burns and Gracie Allen play themselves, essentially, but there is a fictional storyline if you can call it that. Gracie (age 40 in real life) plays a young society gal who is entrusted with money belonging to her rich father (George Barbier) in order to keep the family from going broke. It doesn't make sense...it's not supposed to make sense...it's supposed to be funny.
And yes, it is funny seeing what sort of outlandish things Gracie does with her dad's moolah. She has somehow gotten the impression from Barbier's assistant (Burns) that in order to protect their money she needs to spend it. The real goal, devised by Barbier's character, is that if he transfers all his funds to Gracie, then a younger daughter (Betty Furness) won't be targeted by a fortune hunter (Rafael Storm). Furness won't be able to get funds from Barbier, since he doesn't have any, because it's all been given to Gracie.
Of course, Storm finds out that Gracie is now a very wealthy woman and he is all too eager to dump Furness, hook up with Gracie and propose marriage to her, so that he can help her spend the dough. While this is going on, Georgie Porgie (as Gracie calls him) is trying to control Gracie's spending, but she's just invited a large group of starving actors to the manse, and these people run amok.
The inclusion of the actors subplot allows the film to weave in some fun vaudeville routines, and after all, that is how Burns & Allen got their start. Also, the plot builds to a special revue utilizing several of the acts, as well as a comedic performance of the balcony scene from Romeo & Juliet by Gracie. I won't give it all way, but let's just say the balcony is not very well constructed!
There are a few clever play-on-words in this film. For example, while performing on stage, Gracie stops to take a call from a butcher. She tells the audience that she instructed the butcher to call at night because she likes dark meat. Also, when people show up for the performance, a marquee outside says 'Gracie Allen's Flop.' Imagine if that was how Paramount marketed this film when it played in theaters!
Much of what happens on screen defies logic. It's the most absurd, most broadly played farce ever. It occurred to me when watching COOKIE (Georgie Porgie's pet name for Gracie) that these two were so successful with audiences, because they perfected a brand of comedy you don't find anymore...where there is no limit to how far you can exaggerate a scenario. It truly is "anything for a laugh."
And yes, it is funny seeing what sort of outlandish things Gracie does with her dad's moolah. She has somehow gotten the impression from Barbier's assistant (Burns) that in order to protect their money she needs to spend it. The real goal, devised by Barbier's character, is that if he transfers all his funds to Gracie, then a younger daughter (Betty Furness) won't be targeted by a fortune hunter (Rafael Storm). Furness won't be able to get funds from Barbier, since he doesn't have any, because it's all been given to Gracie.
Of course, Storm finds out that Gracie is now a very wealthy woman and he is all too eager to dump Furness, hook up with Gracie and propose marriage to her, so that he can help her spend the dough. While this is going on, Georgie Porgie (as Gracie calls him) is trying to control Gracie's spending, but she's just invited a large group of starving actors to the manse, and these people run amok.
The inclusion of the actors subplot allows the film to weave in some fun vaudeville routines, and after all, that is how Burns & Allen got their start. Also, the plot builds to a special revue utilizing several of the acts, as well as a comedic performance of the balcony scene from Romeo & Juliet by Gracie. I won't give it all way, but let's just say the balcony is not very well constructed!
There are a few clever play-on-words in this film. For example, while performing on stage, Gracie stops to take a call from a butcher. She tells the audience that she instructed the butcher to call at night because she likes dark meat. Also, when people show up for the performance, a marquee outside says 'Gracie Allen's Flop.' Imagine if that was how Paramount marketed this film when it played in theaters!
Much of what happens on screen defies logic. It's the most absurd, most broadly played farce ever. It occurred to me when watching COOKIE (Georgie Porgie's pet name for Gracie) that these two were so successful with audiences, because they perfected a brand of comedy you don't find anymore...where there is no limit to how far you can exaggerate a scenario. It truly is "anything for a laugh."