The Cuckoos

In their follow-up to their hit film debut, Rio Rita (1929), with Bebe Daniels and John Boles, W&W star in another stage musical--this time with less success. The plot is stupid and some of the scenes seem to have no connection to whatever storyline is being played out. But W&W are fun, there are a couple good songs ("I Love You So Much"), and the comedy bits are dated but funny. Following the formula of the day, there are young lovers, Hugh Trevor and June Clyde, and a comedy foil--here the wonderful Jobyna Howland. At 6 feet tall and in heels, Howland towers over W&W and works especially well with Robert Woolsey. Some of the jokes are surprisingly risqué, Howland's character is named Fannie Furst (wrong in the IMDb listing as Hurst). As usual, pretty Dorothy Lee is on hand as Wheeler's girl friend. Two technicolor sequences, one featuring Lee in an elaborate production number in hell. Lee and Howland joined W&W in other films; Tall Hugh Trevor (not bad considering the cluck role he has) died a few years after this film following surgery. If you like W&W, you'll like The Cuckoos.