International House (1933)

International House
Directed by A. Edward Sutherland
Written by Francis Martin and Walter DeLeon
1933/US
Paramount Pictures
IMDb Page
Repeat viewing/Criterion Channel

[Peggy finds a litter of assorted kittens on her seat]
Peggy: I wonder what their parents were.
Professor Quail: Careless, my little dove cake, careless.

Another preposterous story allows Paramount to show off its stable of talent.

Professor Wong  is ready to show off and sell his new invention, “radioscope” – i.e., television.  People come from all over the world to the International House Hotel in Wu Hu (you can imagine the jokes), China to bid on the phenomenon.  The principal rivals are a Russian (Bela Lugosi) and young American Tommy Nash (Stuart Erwin).  Both of these have romantic troubles.  Professor Quail (W.C. Fields) drops in in his auto-gyro.  With Burns and Allen; Rudy Vallee; Sterling Holloway; Francis Pangborn; Cab Calloway; and Baby Rose Marie.

This is 68 minutes of fun.  But Cab Calloway’s “Reefer Man” number alone makes the film worth watching.  Baby Rose Marie belts out a perverse version of “My Bluebird’s Singing the Blues”.  I enjoyed myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EziqHFpFNmQ