Caras Novas de 1937

Thirty years before Max Bialystock over sold his show Springtime For Hitler in The Producers, Jerome Cowan was in that same racket in New Faces Of 1937. It wouldn't surprise me that Mel Brooks got his inspiration for his zany film from this zany film.

Unlike Zero Mostel who took some direct action when catastrophe struck, Jerome Cowan who sold 85% of the show that Harriet Hilliard brought him from boyfriend William Brady takes a powder and hands it over to his assistant Milton Berle. It's going to take the divine hand of Providence to get Berle out of the pickle he was in.

New Faces Of 1937 is a second banana comics convention. At the time of this film Berle wasn't the comic legend he became through television. He was among many in this film which also included Joe Penner, Bert 'the Mad Russian' Gordon, and Harry 'Parkyakarkus' Einstein. Against this quartet any player worth anything would have to be on as big a constant alert as the Strategic Air Command. The nominal male lead in the film is a rather colorless William Brady. But I suspect more well known singers wouldn't want to get into a film like this with so many crazy comedians.

Gordon, Dewey Robinson, and Richard Lane are the backer who will have to sort things out if the show New Faces Of 1937 becomes a hit like Springtime For Hitler. Also in the cast is a young and twinkle-toed Ann Miller. Hilliard and Brady sing a couple of forgettable songs to make this classified a musical.

But if zany unorthodox comedians is what you like you will think you died and went to heaven watching this film. Come to think of it, the cast is all there now.