New Faces of 1937

1937
Approved
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

218

YOUR RATING

Milton Berle, Harry Einstein, and Joe Penner in New Faces of 1937 (1937)

Comedy Musical Romance

A crooked producer tries to link his backers by producing a flop and disappearing with the money. Patricia, one of the chorus girls, has given her money too, and after the producer disappear... Read allA crooked producer tries to link his backers by producing a flop and disappearing with the money. Patricia, one of the chorus girls, has given her money too, and after the producer disappears, one of the backers is in charge of production, trying the same trick. But Patricia trie... Read allA crooked producer tries to link his backers by producing a flop and disappearing with the money. Patricia, one of the chorus girls, has given her money too, and after the producer disappears, one of the backers is in charge of production, trying the same trick. But Patricia tries to convince him to give the show a chance.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.3/10

218

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos14

+ 7

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The basic story, that of a crooked producer who makes money by producing flop shows, was reused by Mel Brooks in The Producers (1967).

Crazy credits
Joe Penner, Milton Berle, Parkyakarkus, Harriet Hilliard, William Brady, Jerome Cowan, Thelma Leeds and a hundred new faces! (Title lobby card).

Connections
Featured in Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023)

Soundtracks
New Faces
(1937)
Music and Lyrics by Charles Henderson
Played during the opening credits
Sung and danced by showgirls (including The Brian Sisters (uncredited)) and showboys to open the final show
Danced by Ann Miller (uncredited)
Sung by Harriet Nelson (uncredited) and showgirls

User reviews6

Review

Featured review

6/10

Zany film

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.