Veteran film actor Frank Morgan was a generally beloved comical character actor in most of the silent era and the first 2 decades of talkies. Probably, he mostly played supporting roles, as in the 1940 block-buster "Boom Town". But the previous year, of course, he played the title character in the immortal "The Wizard of Oz". Here, again, in 1940, he gets to ham it up, as the star, in this programmer-length musical variety comedy.
As the father of a clan of children, he's trying to restart his entertainment career by switching to radio. In his first performance, he mimics Orson Welles's infamous 1938 radio broadcast, in which he is narrating the invasion of earth by Martians. This scares the nation, thus he is fired. But, he doesn't give up. Next, he organizes a program supposedly featuring various top movie stars, as well as some of his children. He cons well-recognized character actor Donald Meek into believing that these stars will actually show up. Instead, he supposedly mimics a few phrases by each.
Tall, handsome, personable, young Dan Dailey is the second male lead, in a largely romance role. In a year or 2, he would join the armed services, and not restart his film career until 1947, as costar with Betty Grable, in one of her most popular musicals, utilizing his vaudevillian talents in singing, dancing and comedy. He would be featured in more musicals to come, a few with Betty, who regarded him as her favorite leading man during that period. Here, others get to sing.
Zombie-faced and voiced Virginia O'Brien gets her start in films with 2 songs. Somehow, this novelty managed to keep her in films, at MGM, for some years. But, in most cases, including this one, I can't stand her! .........Then, there's mid-teen Leni Lynn, who sings several times, like she's trying to replace former MGM starlet Deanna Durbin's operatic voice, Deanna having since become a star at Universal. Alas, Leni was not destined to repeat Deanna's success..............But, surely, the most impressive young singing talent was African American Charles Holland: 'The Singing Bellhop', made to perform in his 'monkey suit', befitting an African American of the times. I couldn't believe that his very Caruso-like operatic singing wasn't dubbed by some famous Italian opera singer! I didn't see any indication that he was dubbed. Like many talented African American performers, he soon relocated in Europe, which was less racially biased, and became a success..............The distinctive-looking mid-teen Larry Nunn plays one of Morgan's kids. You may remember him from "Strike up the Band" or "Men of Boy's Town". His movie career would last only a couple of years.
Overall, not the greatest entertainment you will ever see or hear, but a reasonably pleasant way to pass the time, if you like Frank Morgan, and I imagine there are some who don't. You will probably have to wait for this to come around on TCM.
