Mr. Dodd Takes the Air

Popular radio singer Kenny Baker stars in Mr. Dodd Takes The Air about a singing electrician who invents gadget that cuts down on static with those old big cabinet radios. This was obviously an attempt by Warner Brothers to keep Dick Powell in line because this was just the kind of film Powell was trying desperately to get out of doing over there. Even though it has an Academy Award nominated song in the score by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, Mr. Dodd Takes The Air is not much more than your average film from Warner Brothers at the time.

Baker is a small town kid who is discovered and reaches fame and fortune as a radio crooner. He also has money in the bank with that invention, but hasn't gotten around to patenting it yet. All of which makes him the object of interest for three women, mercenary Gertrude Michael, good girl Jane Wyman, and diva Alice Brady. Guess who Baker winds up with?

I have to say that Alice Brady really made the most of her part as an opera star with temperament to match. She really went to town with the part.

The biggest problem of the film is Baker's character. Nobody could be that naive. And I'm sure Powell must have seen this script and ran with horror from Jack Warner's office.

Warren and Dubin did a good score for the film which includes Remember Me which got for Mr. Dodd Takes The Air an Oscar nomination for Best Song. Am I In Love also stands out in the musical numbers also.

Baker on screen was best known for playing Nanki-Poo in The Mikado and later on Broadway co-starred with Mary Martin in One Touch Of Venus where they introduced Speak Low. He also introduced George and Ira Gershwin's last collaboration, Love Walked In in The Goldwyn Follies. Good thing for Baker he got a hit song out of the score.

Nice film, the kind Dick Powell was looking to get out of doing.