So You Want to Be in Pictures

Fully deserving its prestigious Hollywood award nomination, this is an entertaining little gem with lots of pizazz and some delightful surprises. Outstandingly funny scenes include an hilarious shoot (and re-shoot) of a WW1 trench scene with Australian comedian Clyde Cook as an optimistic non-com and the hapless McDoakes as a Boyer/Colman messenger — all under the beady eye of Ralph Sanford's delightfully irascible Anguish; a lost McDoakes guided and re-guided by equally perplexed Jack Carson; assistant director Chandler rejoicing in a McDoakes-sent opportunity: "I'm going to be a director!"

Ace comic O'Hanlon has a dual role, playing both McDoakes and himself playing McDoakes! Oddly, Richard L. Bare who does play himself in one or more other entries in the series, has turned down that opportunity here. In real life, Bare's a youngish, six-foot Rock Hudson lookalike, but here he's impersonated by veteran actor (over 500 movies!), Jack Mower.

I usually like the Joe McDoakes comedy series "So You Want To...", etc., but this one takes the cake for carrying absurdity to the extreme.

It's one thing to spoof show business and the workings of Hollywood's movie factories, but to present McDoakes as a wanna be actor who makes life hellish for director Anthony Anguish (does every director have to be an impersonation of Michael Curtiz???), and have him do it in such absurd ways is more than a little exasperating.

His chance to play a messenger role is ruined when he insists on sounding like either Charles Boyer or Ronald Colman.

Making the whole mess worthwhile are a few glimpses of real stars--Ronald Reagan, Jack Carson, Alexis Smith, Wayne Morris, Robert Hutton, Martha Vickers and Janis Paige. But the comedy is insufferably broad and repetitious. Thumbs down on this one.

I couldn't find it genuinely amusing, not even the pie in the face ending. But don't mind me. It was nominated for a Best Short Subject Oscar but didn't win.

Joe MacDoakes wants to be an actor -- at this point in many of my reviews say "in the worst way" and then something about how bad he is -- but when he gets his chance in a tiny speaking part, he does it as Ronald Colman, Charles Boyer..... causing the director no end of anguish.

It's more elaborate than most of the Joe MacDoakes series of short comedies, in that it makes use of non-regulars, former and current stars, in an effort at publicity; Jack Carson has a very funny bit, and George O'Hanlon appears not only as Joe, but as himself.

"So You Want to Be in Pictures" is one of the very best Joe McDoakes shorts...perhaps the best. It begins with Joe working hard to be an actor via a recorded correspondence course. It teaches him the important lessons of trying to sound like Charles Boyer or Ronald Colman--something all good actors need to do! While working on this lesson, he gets a phone call....it's the studio and he's got a part in a picture!

The next day, Joe appears at the studio...and the laughs started in earnest. You see a variety of Warner Brothers actors playing themselves, such as Jack Carson, Ronald Reagan and Alexis Smith. But my favorite is when George O'Hanlon (the guy who plays McDoakes) sees Joe and comments about him! In other words, you see O'Hanlon playing Joe AND at the same time another O'Hanlon playing himself! You also later see the same thing when the pair are working on a Joe McDoakes short together! This is a silly and fun film...with much to recommend it.

This particular Joe McDoakes short subject was obviously inspired by the all star Warner Brothers spectacular Thank Your Lucky Stars, one of those all star wartime morale boosters of the period. In that one Eddie Cantor played both himself and a would be comedian who'd like to break into films except for his resemblance to Cantor.

George O'Hanlon who starred in the McDoakes shorts is both himself and McDoakes who's just trying to get a break in film. Like Thank Your Lucky Stars a few Warner Brothers contract players with a free moment strolled through this film.

O'Hanlon's been sent by central casting for a small one line role in a World War I film, but lookalike McDoakes gets the message. The poor guy is so nervous about his big moment, he starts thinking of ways to deliver his one line. Maybe sounding like a real movie star would help.

86 takes later to the exasperation of director Ralph Sanford and the patient Clyde Cook who plays a British cockney soldier they do find a niche in the film business for poor McDoakes. It's worth seeing this very funny short subject which was nominated for an Oscar to find out what happens to O'Hanlon/McDoakes.

Both of them.