The Life of the Party

Here's a piece of fluff that is slim on plot but FILLED with talent. This small movie is all of 70 minutes. Boring? not on your life so be prepared to SWING. Check the talent..heck they were the top of the heap. The last scene has Harriet Hilliard in a stunning gown that was eons away from the Ozzie and Harriet Show..That's not a slam so check out her vocal talent.

I have not much to contribute except PLEASE be a fan of the simple 1930's and 1940's films that were evidently produced to make one smile and leave their troubles behind. Here is a goody. The fabulous TCM has a habit of showing let alone introducing people to what being memorized through cinema is all about.. The topping about this movie is the music SWINGS...

OH...I only gave it a rating because I had to...

Another of the zany mix up films by familiar cast Gene Raymond, Helen Broderick, Frank Pangborn. This one co-stars Ann Miller and Harriet Hilliard. There is a funny bit at the beginning, when they all check into the hotel, which sounds just like a Marx Brothers routine, which is even more funny, Because......Margaret Dumont the high society dame from A Day at the Races (and many of the Marx Brothers films) joins the cast as Mrs. Penner. Joe Penner is determined to join the band, against his mother's wishes. This 1937 version doesn't seem to be at all related to any of the earlier films by the same name (the 1920 one was Fatty Arbuckle, also 1930,1934,1935 versions). This fun caper was written by Joseph Santley, who also wrote Smartest Girl in Town, & Walking on Air. (And of course, those films also starred Gene Raymond and Helen Broderick!) Keep an eye out for Billy Gilbert (His Girl Friday, The Bride Walks Out, the Great Dictator, and 200 other films, half of them uncredited parts.) the music director Dr. Molnac, who sneezed and stuttered his way thru films. This movie seems to be a platform for Joe Penner to do his comedy, with some songs and dance numbers thrown in. Fun, but not Gene Raymond's best. See him in Smartest Girl in Town, Walking on Air, or The Bride Walks Out if you can catch em... they don't show them very often.

Harriet Hilliard stars as a prospective band singer. On her way to an important audition, she meets Gene Raymond. When she gets her high heel caught between two train cars, Mr. Raymond is smitten; he tries to pry her high heel loose. They find themselves playing out their cat and mouse romance at the same hotel. Joe Penner and a host of comedians become involved with the couple.

Of particular interest; Ms. Hilliard (Harriet Nelson, of course) in a musical comedy performance more reminiscent of later "Lucy" than later "Harriet"; her "Let's Have Another Cigarette" is an ironic highlight. Ann Miller brackets the film with a couple of tap dances, but has no film role; her finale is another highlight. And, Mr. Penner's infantile funnyman antics are a precursor to Jerry Lewis. The film's story is somewhat difficult to follow, weakening several situation comedy possibilities.

**** The Life of the Party (9/3/37) William A. Seiter ~ Harriet Hilliard, Gene Raymond, Joe Penner, Ann Miller

Well, I got through it with help from the fast-forward button. An excellent swing band, gorgeous costumes, and an extraordinary 14-year-old Ann Miller were the highlights. As for the rest, Harriet Hilliard (Nelson) is pretty with a passable voice; the same with Gene Raymond. The rest of the film was hobbled by a silly plot, forgettable dialogue, and two very annoying slapstick "comedians" who popped in too often and too noisily for my taste.

A parade of comedians that you'll probably recognize from being parodied in old Warner Bros. cartoons. The whole film is real fluff. It's not unbearable but sort of fun. The pace keeps it moving, so if you want a place to see "forgotten" talent from the thirties, you couldn't go too wrong here.

This film is mostly notable for the performance of Joe Penner. It's very clear from whom Jerry Lewis got his inspiration. Penner utilizes a lot of the little boy mannerisms that Lewis later made famous. The difference here is that Penner is on his own. He doesn't have a sidekick to bounce off of, although Lewis eventually didn't either. Lewis has a more spastic visual comedy comedy style but much of his act is here in Penner. Just for the historical info this is a good movie for the classical film buff.

A very young Ann Miller does a tap dance towards the end.

Film history fun, not great but enjoyable.