User reviews

WHOOPEE (United Artists, 1930), directed by Thornton Freeland, subtitled "A musical comedy of the great wide west," produced in collaboration with Florenz Ziegfeld and Samuel Goldwyn, is another one of those reworking Broadway shows to come out of Hollywood during the early days of talkies. Headed by Broadway's own Eddie Cantor, with co-stars, many of whom recreating their stage roles, WHOOPEE ranks one of the better stage-to-screen musicals released during the 1929-30 season. It's also the film responsible in elevating Cantor into major box office attraction. Not only was this his first for Samuel Goldwyn, but the introduction of choreographer Busby Berkeley to the motion picture screen. While Berkeley's now famous dance direction trademarks are evident here, they're far from the best to what he later created at the Warner Brothers studios in the 1930s.

Set in an Arizona dude ranch, Sally Morgan (Eleanor Hunt) is about to marry Sheriff Bob Wells (John Rutherford), though she really loves Wanenis (Paul Gregory), a young Indian living on an Indian reservation near her father's ranch. Because Wanenis is of Indian blood, it is not permissible for a white girl to marry a "red skin." Also staying on the ranch is Henry Williams (played by Eddie Cantor with horn rim glasses), a hypochrondiac pill popper from the east, there for a rest cure, accompanied by his nurse, Mary Custer (Ethel Shutta), who not only feeds him medicine, but happens to be in love with him. Unable to go on with the wedding, Sally arranges for Henry to drive her away in his ran-shackle Ford, leaving Wells and guests at the altar. Since Wells refuses to take "No" for an answer, he goes in hot pursuit of them, as does Miss Custer, leading them all to another ranch, leading to complications, songs and dance numbers.

The musical program includes: "The Cowboy Number" (sung by Betty Grable); "I'll Still Belong to You" (sung by Paul Gregory); "Makin' Whoopee" (sung by Eddie Cantor); "The Mission Number" (sung by chorus); "A Girl Friend of a Boy Friend of Mine" and "My Baby Just Cares for Me" (both sung by Cantor); "Stetson" (sung by Ethel Shutta); "I'll Still Belong to You" (reprise by Paul Gregory); "The Song of the Setting Sun" (sung by Chief Caupolian) and "My Baby Just Cares for Me" (reprise by Cantor).

Of the song tunes, only three show off the Berkeley style: First "The Cowboy Number," featuring two overhead camera shots of dancing cowboys and girls doing circular formations shots climaxed by snake-like effects; "Stetson" having cowgirls dancing while passing their hats to one another, followed by individual close-ups and camera panning through a leg tunnel; and "The Setting Sun," highlighted with one overhead camera shot of Indian doing formations with their feather hats. Among those in the supporting cast are Albert Hackett as Chester Underwood; Marian Marsh as Harriet Underwood; the George Olson Band, and the 1930 Goldwyn Girls (the most famous one here being Betty Grable).

WHOOPEE, the only Cantor musical reproduced from stage to screen, is a prestigious production. Done in early two-strip Technicolor, considering how many early Technicolor musicals are lost, it's fortunate this one has survived. Unlike the subsequent Cantor/Goldwyn musicals, WHOOPEE never played on commercial television in the 1960s and '70s. It was by 1980 did it finally turn up on cable television before turning up on home video in 1986. While the video transfer to this film is excellent, the color on the TV prints are not as good. It's reflection of the times by ways of making reference to popular hit names as Lawrence Tibbett and Amos and Andy are definitely names that would be of a loss today. Cantor's nervous wreck characterization would be carbon copies by future film comedians, especially Danny Kaye, who's Samuel Goldwyn debut, UP IN ARMS (1944), was a partial reworking to WHOOPEE, though not its remake.

As with other Cantor comedies of the day, some gags are humorous (such as Cantor and character actor Spencer Charters comparing their operations, a gimmick they briefly reprized in Cantor's second Goldwyn musical, PALMY DAYS in 1931), others don't come off as well. One low point occurs when Henry (Cantor), disguised in black-face, calls out to Sally Morgan,. Failing to recognize him, she responds very bluntly, "How dare YOU speak to me!" Quite an uneasy feeling for its viewers that could have been handled differently, with her politely replying, "Do we know each other?" Ethel Shutta, repeating her Miss Custer role from the stage version, is a fine comedienne reminiscent to Warner Brothers' own Winnie Lightner. Unlike Lightner, who appeared in numerous films of the early 1930s, Shutta made this her only screen role during the "golden age of Hollywood."

When WHOOPEE became one of a handful of Eddie Cantor musicals to play on cable channel's American Movie Classics in the 1990s, at one point, host Bob Dorian, before the presentation of the film, asked his viewers to watch the film as it was originally intended and not be offended by some racial slurs, jokes, and Cantor disguised in black-face to keep from being arrested. In spite of how viewers might have felt towards this film then and now, WHOOPEE, played longer and more frequently on AMC (1992 to 1998) than any other Cantor musical. WHOOPEE is one of those Broadway transfers to give contemporary audiences a basic idea of the kind of entertainment endured many generations ago. WHOOPEE, as it stands, remains an interesting antique. (***)

Eddie Cantor's a legend name of showbiz, but he's been lost to time, unlike, say, Laurel and Hardy or Jack Benny. Mainly, we've just heard his name. Whoopee! is a chance to finally see his act and--well, uh--he was quite energetic. The film's really just an excuse for Cantor to strut his stuff, so your loving of the film will depend mostly of your love of Eddie.

However, there are several things for a film buff to enjoy. The early two-strip Technicolor is quite nice and the print I've seen on TV is really quite gorgeous. (It seems strange that this, of all early talkies, would have been so well preserved.) Outside of Cantor's vaudeville style, Whoopee! feel nearly it's age. The camerawork can be quite clunky at times, like the jiggly attempt at an overhead shot during a dance number, but generally its acceptable for a simple musical. Additionally, the dances were the work of a young Busbey Berkley and you can tell it's his handiwork. Oddly, the dancers seem to have a problem dancing in-sync with one another, which seems to be a hallmark of every early musical I've ever seen.

If for no other reason, this is an amazing film because it was shot in Technicolor - in 1930! It's primitive color, but very interesting at times and intriguing to view. Although the story and humor are very dated, Eddie Cantor is very funny at times playing the super hypochondriac.

There are lots of gags, and like the Marx Brothers films, so many that you can't catch them all. Also like the MB, some of the humor is topical, so audiences of today aren't going to get what people would laugh at in 1930.

Through all the jokes - many stupid and many clever - Cantor is a likable guy and also a good singer. As I wrote with another review (Roman Scandals) I am just sorry this talented man doesn't have his films out on DVD. The songs in here are decent, too, some of them very catchy. They also have the added attraction of having the Busby Berkeley joining in.

Make no mistake: this is a "sappy" film, so dated it's extremely stupid in spots....but definitely something for the film collector.

I just watched Whoopee! on an excellent laserdisc print, and my nostalgia conceit was fed yet again. The world seemed happier and lazier, the chorus girls sweeter and prettier, the tunes bouncier and brighter. Viewers' comments about Eddie Cantor prancing in blackface miss the point: it is not racism that is projected, but a society in which racism is meaningless. My conceit, of course, is absurd; there are no "good old days", and it was no bed of roses to be an average Joe or Jane in 1930 when Whoopee! was made. But movies like these are my escape to Happyland, and while a steady diet of the same would be cloying, a dip into an old musical guarantees me a dreamy uplift.

In terms of cast the film Whoopee is a considerably cut down version of the Broadway show. That could be said of the Donaldson-Kahn score as well. But in terms of the film it was a valiant attempt, a trial run at making the musical not just a photographed stage play. For that effort Whoopee got an Academy Award nomination for Best Art Direction.

Before Eddie Cantor starred in the musical version of Whoopee on Broadway which ran for 407 performances in the 1928-29 season, it had been a straight comedy play The Nervous Wreck which ran for 279 shows in the 1923-24 season. I have to confess I was a little shocked when I saw that Otto Kruger had played Cantor's role of Henry Williams, the nervous hypochondriac who went west seeking a cure for his multitude of ailments. I sure didn't see that coming.

In any event Whoopee has Cantor at a dude ranch with his private nurse Ethel Shutta who was also repeating her role from Broadway. His good friend an Indian played by Paul Williams has an unrequited love for Eleanor Hunt and she him. But the racial differences make this romance impossible at least on the stage and screen of the Twenties. She's engaged to marry the sheriff John Rutherford, but rather than do that she tricks poor Cantor the schnook into running off with her. That leads all on a merry chase throughout the film.

Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn wrote the score for Whoopee on stage and screen and of course Eddie Cantor's big number was his classic Making Whoopee. Even today this salute to the phrase 'cheaper to keep her' carries a lot of laughs. Donaldson and Kahn wrote some new songs including another that Cantor introduced on screen that also became associated with him throughout his career, My Baby Just Cares For Me.

Ethel Shutta was quite a performer herself and this is the only time we can see her in her prime as she competes with Cantor for laughs and does some nice dancing in the Stetson number. She was married to orchestra leader George Olsen who led the pit orchestra on Broadway for Whoopee and accompanies on the soundtrack in this film.

This film also introduced Busby Berkeley to the silver screen and according to Herbert Goldman's biography of Cantor, it was Cantor who persuaded Sam Goldwyn to hire Berkeley. His numbers are nicely staged though he wasn't anywhere near his peak creative years with Warner Brothers.

On Broadway Ruth Etting had a specialty part and introduced what became her theme song in Love Or Leave Me. Sadly Ruth and the song got eliminated from the film and that is a pity. If you remember the part that Patrice Wymore played in the Gus Kahn biographical film I'll See You In My Dreams her role was based on a combination of Etting and Clara Bow.

Sadly Whoopee does bow to the racial and racist mores of its time. A solution to the marital problems is found that would not fly today.

Despite that Whoopee is worth seeing in order to see one the great performers of the 20th Century in a role that Eddie Cantor made his own.

Indian half-breed Paul Gregory (Wanenis) is in love with Eleanor Hunt (Sally) but she lives in a Hicksville town and is getting married to Jack Rutherford (Sheriff Bob). This is against her wishes as she reciprocates the love for Mr half-breed. The laws, however, forbid such a union. So, what should she do? Well, she takes off with a poorly Eddie Cantor (Henry) who is at death's door and suffering from every ailment possible. Only he isn't really suffering from anything at all. He's one of those people that just love to be ill all the time. Anyway, she tricks him into taking her away for a secret marriage to her loved one. But, she leaves a note saying she is eloping with Cantor and so everyone comes looking for them both. And that includes Cantor's nurse Ethel Shutta (Mary) who is in love with Cantor.

Surprisingly, this film is in colour - it's the pastel technicolour effect, so pinks and pale blues, that sort of thing. The music numbers are the main reason for watching and you can spend the whole film trying to work out which one of the girls is either Paulette Goddard or Betty Grable. They get lots of numbers to perform, courtesy of Busby Berkeley routines and I can guarantee you won't spot them despite facial close-ups - they're there, though. Think I saw Goddard on one occasion. Outside of that particular avenue of entertainment, Cantor provides some funny moments as does nurse Shutta. She's a pretty good dancer as well and gets the standout routine to perform.

The story is simple nonsense but Gregory and Rutherford are pretty awful when it comes to acting ability. It doesn't matter. Watch for the comedy and music numbers. A mention has to be made of a shocking moment in the film when Cantor is in blackface and says something to Hunt to attract her attention as they pass one another. She doesn't immediately recognize him and aggressively responds with "How dare you talk to me". This is because he is black and shouldn't be starting up a conversation with a white person. It really is extraordinary that this was the norm and not so long ago. We had to react with "Oh my God!" spoken out loud whilst watching. Unbelievable!

Quite a surprise for such a lesser known, starless film. Whoopee! is a delightfully funny and entertaining musical comedy. Credit the comic actor, Eddie Cantor, for pretty much making the film everything it is. This nasally, spectacled, Jewish wisecracker is like a cross between Woody Allen and Groucho Marx. Plus he sings! Cantor is simply fun to watch. His comic timing is excellent and his musical numbers are as catchy as they are risqué for the time. The movie only suffers whenever Cantor is not on screen. Like many comedies of the time, there had to be a love story and a separate romantic lead. This does nothing but detract from the film, especially since the rest of the cast is completely horrible. Some of the dance sequences also drag on too long, but other than that, the film is well worth seeing.

This hilarious and racy staged musical is correctly commented upon here as probably as close to a genuine Ziegfeld Broadway show of the 20s as any of us will ever see. In glorious two strip Technicolor too! A fore runner to GIRL CRAZY, HATS OFF, some ELVIS bumpkin re treads like STAY AWAY JOE or TICKLE ME and WHEN THEY BOYS MEET THE GIRLS (in itself a 60s remake of Girl Crazy)...WHOOPEE is by turns hilarious, gorgeous and utterly fascinating for a study of early talkie musicals. It also shows how Woody Allen mannerisms of the 60s with his nervous romantic stchik is not all new given Cantor's romance-tics here. I can watch the musical numbers over and over and find the STETSON HAT number with its excellent clunky tap dancing sound quite compelling. The SUNRISE FINALE is just jaw dropping with the most astonishing costumes draped over almost nude skinny showgirls. 200 eagles must have died in the feather department to create some of those outfits. Overall, the dance numbers have indicated just how modern this film truly is, not just for its time but even today, it just looks new: clothes, hairstyles and those fresh lovely faces. The haircuts on the boys are very much apparent today. One young cowboy in the early scenes of the STETSON number looks exactly like 80s actor Treat Williams (Noah Beery Jnr?), and the white jeans with the red berry patterns were revived as modern 90s. It is the pinnacle of the state of the art for the time and thoroughly hilarious in its risqué racist free pre code way.

Yes I was thrilled to see this for the first time as the historical and filmic artifact it is. (I thought I'd laugh more but this 1920s Broadway style humor has not aged well.) And I can get it that at the time black face was a thing. But BOY was I upset when Eddie, In Black face because of a stove accident, says hello to his leading lady, and she (not recognizing him of course -Ha ha, ho ho) rebuffs his greeting with "how dare you talk to me." What? Even In Context...Gee whiz that bugs me. Beyond that , the astute and insightful reviewers posting before me have some interesting and astute things to say about it. So I'll not go on. But dang... our "leading lady" saying to someone whom she thinks is a black man "how dare you talk to me." Really ...ouch.

This is one of the oldest surviving all-color talking films. The only other one I can think of from 1930 that is still with us is Universal's "King of Jazz" and "Under a Texas Moon". It will probably seem odd to you at first that the sheriff and his deputies - I assume they are deputies - are all dressed in rather cartoonish over-sized cowboy hats and pink scarves, but you have to remember two things. First this is, at heart, a musical farce and the costumes are part of that farce. Secondly, remember that two-strip Technicolor was all they had in 1930, that it was still considered a treat by the public, and that pink and blue were the colors this process rendered best.

The tale that acts as a vehicle for all of Eddie Cantor's antics is a simple one, and one that is repeated in several films over the years - that of forbidden love between races. Sally, a white girl, falls in love with Wanenis, an Indian. Since such marriages were forbidden, Wanenis goes away into the wilderness to deal with the fact they cannot be together. In the meantime, Sally's father arranges for her to marry Sheriff Bob Wells. Wanenis returns on Sally's wedding day, not knowing it is her wedding day. When Sally sees Wanenis, she knows she cannot go through with the sham wedding and runs away. The fun comes in with how she runs away. She tells sickly Henry Williams (Eddie Cantor) that she and Bob are planning to elope, and that she needs him to drive her into the next town. However, she leaves a note for everyone else saying she has eloped with Henry. Not only is the vengeful sheriff, his men, and Sally's father soon hot on their trail, but Henry's aggressively love-sick nurse is after them too. Only Wanenis finds this whole thing an odd turn of events and takes a short cut to go looking for them, separate from the rest of the pack. Complications and opportunities for Cantor's always enjoyable remarks, eye movements, and musical interludes ensue.

This film survives intact in splendid shape, and the Technicolor truly yields a spectacular painted desert. Although best remembered songs from this film will always be title song "Makin' Whoopee" and "My Baby Just Cares For Me", both performed by Eddie Cantor, I also really liked the love ballad sung by the star-crossed lovers Sally and Wanenis -"I'll Still Belong to You". It has an operatic quality that is typical of love songs from that era, and oddly enough was written by Nacio Herb Brown of MGM songwriting fame.

Finally, let me mention the fact that some of the racial aspects of this film might leave the modern viewer squeamish such as the stereotypes of native peoples and the fact that Eddie Cantor usually appeared in black-face as part of his act and does here too. Try to remember that none of this is out of character for a film made 80 years ago and no mean-spiritedness was intended at the time.

Highly recommended for a chance to see Eddie Cantor in one of his best.

Now this is a film very much of it's time, so anyone with sensitivities to black-facing etc. Might wish to avoid. What the film is actually about centres on the story of a sheriff "Bob" (John Rutherford) who is loved up with "Sally" (Eleanor Hunt). They are to be married, but she's got eyes for "Wanenis" (Paul Gregory) and needless to say nobody is too keen on any form of inter-racial horseplay! Anyway, she does a bunk with the scene-stealing hypochondriac "Henry" (Eddie Cantor) and we proceed to see them pursued by her fiancé and his infatuated nurse "Mary" (Ethel Shutta). Cantor is on decent enough form here as the man who has enough imaginary illnesses and phobias to keep an infirmary busy for a year, and his dynamic with the dewey-eyed "Mary" is quite fun at times. He also delivers solid renditions of Gus Kahn and Walter Donaldson's "Making Whoopee" and "My Baby Just Cares for Me" that really do help this otherwise predictable ninety minutes along memorably. Nope, there's not really much jeopardy with the romantically comedic plot, and the presentation is a bit episodic and certainly theatrical at times, but there's just about enough humour to keep it going for ninety minutes and it's a telling reminder of just what kept our grandparents entertained - and of just what was acceptable back then, too!

An eccentric hypochondriac staying at an Arizona dude ranch finds the time - when not popping pills - to make a little WHOOPEE!

The emergence of two diverse talents make watching this film special. Banjo-eyed Eddie Cantor, already the darling of the Ziegfeld Follies, became a fully fledged movie star in this tale of utter lunacy, his own special brand of innocent insanity completely at home in these surroundings. Never still for long, legs & hands constantly flittering about, he punctuates every double entendre with eyes rolled up as if in mild shock at his own dialogue. His handful of songs, including his signature tune ‘Making Whoopee,' only further showcase his abundant talent.

This was also the first significant assignment for choreographer Busby Berkeley. He displays his genius in embryo with his precision movements (greatly influenced by his exposure to military drills) and initial examples of his trademark overhead shots. The film's production entirely in early Technicolor gave Berkeley a rich palette with which to work and he acquits himself well, even if his Indian maiden costumes near the end of the picture exhibit rather dubious taste.

Cantor dominates the cast, but Ethel Shutta has a few good moments as Eddie's stern nurse and elderly Spencer Charters, playing the ranch's owner, has a hilariously bizarre sequence in which he & Cantor examine each other's surgical scars. Movie mavens will recognize a young, uncredited Betty Grable as the chorus girl with the lasso in the first song.

A glance down the credits shows a couple of names of note: Nacio Herb Brown was among the foremost movie songwriters of the era; Greg Toland would later be hailed as one of Hollywood's finest cinematographers.

The film makes a point of dealing with bias against Native Americans. Cantor's blackface comedy sequence will then perhaps be a bit of a surprise to some, but it should be remembered that this sort of racial insensitivity was not unusual in the movie industry of 1930.

This film seems ahead of its time in regard to technical advances, such as color and visual effects. The acting is hilarious, though a little slow in a couple of scenes. A great one for late-night relaxing... comedy, music, singing, and choreography that appeal to lovers of early films AND modern progress shown by many film makers of the 1930 era.

Loved it! What a treat this was. Great color, costumes and sets and of course Eddie Cantor, who now ranks as one of my favorites.

Surreal plot if full of schtick and is VERY non-PC (another reason to love it) as Blacks, Indians, Jews, Gays, and Goys get lampooned by Cantor and company.

Several terrific songs by Cantor, "Making Whoopee" and "My Baby Just Cares for Me," and a couple of excellent production numbers by Busby Berkley. Ethel Shutta (pronounced shoo-tay) was smashing in her "Stetson" number. I wish it had been longer.

Among the show girls and dancers are Betty Grable, Ann Sothern, Virginia Bruce, Claire Dodd, and possibly Jane Wyman, and Dean Jagger (of all people) plays a deputy.

The typical 20s romantic subplot between white Eleanor Hunt and Indian Paul Gregory is a drag and is the same things we've seen in the early Marx Brothers and Wheeler and Woolsey comedies.

Spencer Charters plays Underwood, Marian Marsh is his daughter, Jack Rutherford is the sheriff, etc.

The colors are great, the costumes fun. Flo Ziegfeld was involved show there are plenty of show girls in outrageous costumes.

Shutta is a find, but it's Eddie Cantor's show all the way and he's very very funny.

This has always been a favourite of mine, nice and primitive, jolly and inconsequential, a window on a vanished world - and race. It's been screened in the UK without warnings up till now, that world might have gone by now too. Un-masochistic people today who are offended by Jewish Cantor's jokes and temporary black-face are presumably intelligent enough to realise that they're forcing themselves to watch a rather old film and should either make the necessary allowances or switch it off.

The whole film is based on the racial premise that oil and water don't mix - the main love interest is between a white woman and a (pardon me - it's the 2-strip Technicolour!) Red Indian (who by the way appeared uncannily similar to Woody out of Hellzapoppin, and both actors died young). A fallacious hypothesis and nonsense too of course, but a concept always upheld in Hollywood's Golden Age - nowadays we're at the other extreme and are constantly instructed that oil and water are identical. Apart from all that it's a breezy authentic view of a 1920's Ziegfeld show, complete with bouncy cherubic cowboys in chaps and huge stetsons, pretty rosy faced chorus girls and some lovely witty songs by Donaldson & Kahn, especially Whoopee and My baby just cares for me. Busby Berkeley came up trumps with some of his best dance routines including a perfectly performed Mexican Wave and some magical from the ceiling shots. Eddie as usual never shuts up, he must have brought the House down with his vivacious performance in this.

With all its moral faults Whoopee is still a treasure and deserves preservation with a billion dollar remaster, even if complete with a Government Health Warning before the credits.

"Whooppee!" was made at a perfect time, 1930. It has experimentation with the new two-strip Technicolor process (which gives an unreal, pleasing pastel quality). The Hays Office (the censorship arm of movies from 1934 to 1956) hadn't come in, allowing for some funny off-color jokes, and some wild costuming of shapely dancing girls. The star, Eddie Cantor was in his prime. Eddie plays a hypochondriac on a cross country auto trip. He winds up at an Indian reservation, wrongfully hunted by the Sheriff. The film moves from being a comic gift from long ago, to a scary reminder of poor race relations only 70 years ago. Eddie hides in coal stove that explodes, and he emerges in black face, allowing him to walk past his pursuers in disquise. He approaches the leading lady of the film. She sees him and yells "How dare YOU speak to ME?!" Looking past the social-incorrectness of the film, the dance numbers have some amazing choreography by Busby Berkeley, who was just beginning to discover new and exciting ways to film dancers.

I had my reservations about this movie before I watched it. But, when the movie ended, I was very surprised by how entertained I was.

The storyline to this movie is very simple. Henry Williams (Eddie Cantor) elopes with Sally Morgan (Eleanor Hunt), who is already engaged to Sheriff Bob Wells (Jack Rutherford). After Bob Wells finds out that Sally and Henry eloped, him and his buddies head out to find Henry and Sally, and they plan to hang Henry as punishment for running off with the Sheriff's fiancé, and the comedy goes on from there.

Like I said, it is a very entertaining film. Eddie Cantor shows his true comedic talent (as always) in this film. I would highly suggest this film. It is very humorous and entertaining. And it's got some great routines.

Busby Berkeley was making his name known on Broadway with his ingenious and creative choreographed numbers he had his dancers perform on the stage. His work with actor/singer/comedian Eddie Cantor in Florenz Ziegfeld's latest play impressed its backers, the critics and the audiences. When movie producer Samuel Goldwyn bought the rights to the Broadway musical, Cantor insisted Berkeley be brought on to design the dance numbers. Berkeley never had been on a movie set before, never mind was aware of how film production worked. Nonetheless, Goldwyn hired him-and was glad he did when he previewed September 1930's "Whoopee!"

The number one box office sensation of 1930, "Whoopee!" produced a series of firsts, notwithstanding the cinematic debut of Berkeley. His handling of the musical dance numbers was unique in Hollywood. The pattern formations he designed for his dancers were jaw-dropping, some captured with the camera hovering overhead. Although director Joseph Santley filmed a high kaleidoscope shot of performers first seen in cinema in the 1929 Marx Brothers' "The Cocoanuts," Busby blueprinted his dancers to position themselves with greater movement, including using props. He also introduced the "parade of faces," focusing on each dancer as they all lined up single file in front of the camera before leaving the frame. As a newbie in handling a camera, Berkeley took the unique step in positioning the camera on the ground, filming the dancers straddling above it. His intricacies in wave patterns, where his lined-up dancers held objects and lifted and lowered them in staggered fashion to create a flowing formation, was a Busby trademark first seen in "Whoopee!"

Film producers and directors allowed the choreographer an independence pratically unheard of on Hollywood sets. His routines were ofttimes seen as separate from the film's narrative; they were inserted as interludes to please the viewers' eyes. Occasionally, such as in back stage musicals, his dance numbers played a loose role in moving the storyline along. Clifford Rothman of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Berkeley intuitively understood how to shoot musical numbers in film terms: Get closer to the action. Make it move, make it dimensional."

"Whoopee!" was also Alfred Newman's first musical composing assignment in Hollywood, contrary to accounts listing his debut in December 1930's 'Reaching for the Moon.' In his lifetime, Newman won nine Academy Awards and was nominated 45 times for scores that included 'How The West Was Won,' 'The Greatest Story Ever Told,' and 'Airport.' Ten years earlier, at 19, Newman first conducted on Broadway before making his Hollywood debut. His incidental score complemented the musical standards sung by Cantor and his co-stars.

Cameraman Gregg Toland, recognized for his work in 1941's "Citizen Kane," shared cinematography duties in "Whoopee!" Many dancers that were to be labeled the 'Goldwyn Girls,' named after the producer, were first introduced in the Eddie Cantor film. Actresses Paulette Goddard, 14-year-old Betty Grable and Ann Sothern, all appeared in film for the first time as uncredited dancers. Many of the actors in the 1928 Broadway musical were hired by Goldwyn to reenact their stage characters, including Eleanor Hunt, Paul Gregory and Jack Rutherford. When the Stock Market Crash of October 1929 wiped a good portion of Ziegfeld's wealth, Goldwyn stepped in to buy the movie rights to "Whoopee!" In the purchase agreement, the producer insisted Ziegfeld close the musical despite playing to sold out houses at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City.

Cantor previously appeared in several films shorts before "Whoopee!" The enormous success of the musical/comedy solidified his screen credentials for years to come. The complete two-strip Technicolor film was nominated for the Academy Award's Best Art Direction under Richard Day and was one of 500 nominees in the American Film Institute's Top 100 Funniest American Movies.

My attention was drawn to this movie sometime over Christmas and it recently arrived from the US. Wondering if I really wanted to watch a 1930s musical featuring someone I'd never seen before, it wasn't until last night that I popped it in the player. Immediately I was surprised to see that it was in colour, primitive two strip colour but a beautiful, barely real representation giving the lovely ladies an unearthly look. Early sketch and dance routine only okay but before my eyes had a chance to begin to glaze over the film took off and blossomed into a splendid, surreal treat with a fantastic performance from Eddie Cantor (I'm now a fan and have ordered more!). The dance routines are sensational if slightly ragged but I guess the new boy Busby Berkeley was finding his feet. The girls certainly find theirs and by the time the final and most amazing set up with a whole parade of ladies in the most incredible near nude costumes and on horseback(!) we are panting for more rather than the end. For a film this early to retain its magic AND effective humour is amazing. I should also mention that I couldn't help but notice numerous similarities between the way Cantor, moved, spoke and gesticulated to the surprisingly similar actions of Woody Allen in his films. All in all a very pleasant surprise and highly recommended.