Joan Blondell only has a small part in this - it's virtually a pure Joe E Brown film but despite that it's actually a really good fun little movie. Had I realised that this was solely a Joe E Brown vehicle I'd probably have skipped it but I'm so glad I didn't.
Despite the utter silliness of this story (which I loved), unusually for a film of this era, there's a very strong pacifist theme running through it. Although tens of thousands of people would have been watching this desperately trying to believe that their husbands and sons didn't die in vain, this, through Brown's pacifist character asks the obvious question: why is America fighting Germany and Austria? Even though there were unfortunately valid reasons why Europe went to war, it's difficult to see any logical reasoning or justification to explain why Germany provoked Wilson to get involved. Especially in America, by the mid-thirties, when this was made, the whole exercise was being thought of as a big stupid mistake and this silly bit of fun with its pacifist anti-war hero and idiot commanders captures that particular zeitgeist. This film isn't however a savage satire on geopolitics, it's just a silly comedy... it does make you think though.
Apart from having the best line in SOME LIKE IT HOT, I'm not too familiar with Joe E Brown but I enjoyed his performance in this. He had a very engaging presence and knew what it took to be entertaining without being annoying. Al Jolson was originally signed up to play 'Jimmy' which might have been interesting but I don't think this film suffers at all from the switch to Brown - especially with his Jeeves-like sidekick, Eric Blore. Some, well to be honest, most comedies from the mid-thirties are decidedly unfunny when watched today but this one still holds up remarkably well. It's directed professionally and economically by reliable Lloyd Bacon and the script - adapted from a very successful stage play works perfectly on the screen.
I admit the only reason I watched this was because of Joan Blondell and there's no greater reason on earth than that. Her flirty French barmaid with that crazy accent could have been the inspiration for Yvette in TV's 'Allo 'Allo - she's fantastic in this and nice to see her doing something a little bit different. Although she's only on screen for about fifteen minutes, if you're a Joan Blondell fan, those fifteen minutes might just be the greatest fifteen minutes of your whole life. Whatever other ambitions or goals you have, forget them because you have got to watch this - it's the pinnacle of your life, if not the pinnacle of the existence of mankind. Do whatever it takes to see this - sell your house, sell your children into slavery, rob a bank in order to buy Warner Brothers so you can get yourself a copy - it'll be worth it. She is utterly, utterly, utterly gorgeous in this.
