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.
It’s been awhile since I saw it but I remember it being intermittently hilarious.
“Intermittently hilarious” fits so many comedies. I may have to borrow your turn of phrase!
The trailer is terrific! My mother used to reference Peggy Hopkins Joyce. She led quite a life!
And she plays Peggy Hopkins Joyce, the character, in this movie. Jokes about her gold digging abound. She’s Bela Lugosi’s ex-wife!