Everybody Does It

One of the all time sleeper... I cant tell you how super this little movie is. But it is a super LITTLE movie. What was called a B movie. What a laugh. The problem is its out of print and its not shown on TV any more... Paul Douglas is a man with a rich wife. He runs a wrecking company in NY and his wife wants to sing on stage. So he has to rent a hall and force all his friend to buy tickets. And she cant sang. At a party at the rich in-laws, he sings and breaks the mirror. Wonderful. But the wife is fit to be tied because she didn't know he has an opera quality voice. So she goes home first and gets a golf club out and stands on a chair in the dark to club him as he comes in. One of the ladies at the party is an opera singer and wants to get it own with him and talks him into taking lessons to refine his voice so she can take him on the road with her. But he is reluctant but does it lying to his wife about what city he is in and that he is looking for wrecking business. And then the big chance at the Met. He is a little sick and everyone gives him "their" best medicine to fix him up but it only cause him to become drunk.. and then he goes on stage..drunk..but it is what the wife needed to see, him in trouble in front of the world...The production is first rate as is the script and acting. Just a wonderful little movie. I have my TIVO set on Paul Douglas to see if I can catch this little movie and for the last 15 months no luck...but I will keep trying.

OK, I'm a great Paul Douglas fan so consider me prejudiced, but this is just a plain terrific film. I understand from a video dealer that some legal problems has its rights tied up so if you get a chance to it, by all means do so. Perhaps some day it will be shown again on TV or maybe even a DVD will be for sale.

The short plot is silly beyond belief. Douglas is again a rough character thrown in among society types - this time with an opera background. Through an unlikely talent, this time he gets to be a performer, but as you will guess, things don't go as planned. If you don't laugh out loud at this film, you are dead and should consult with a mortician for immediate burial. Too bad this one is one of the lost ones. Maybe someday....we'll again hear why the monkeys have no tails

I grew up watching this movie! My father owns a 16mm film print. I can recite all of the lines in perfect time! I think for new timers to this movie, it requires two screenings. The first one gives you all of the story ideas and then the second one allows you to concentrate on how hilarious some of the lines and reactions really are. Ms. Holm did not have to learn to sing for this job - she was already an accomplished singer on stage. However, Linda Darnel and Paul Douglas had to have their singing voices dubbed, as neither of them had vocal abilities. My favorite lines are:

Len: Doris, would you just stop and listen? Doris: Stop starting everything you say with "listen". Len: Well alright then - but listen.

Cecil: We saw quite a bit of each other. But we could hardly help that since we were singing together. Mrs. Blair: You were doing what? Len: Singing! You understand English, don't you? Mrs. Blair: Well, perhaps he'll sing something for us now. Len: Sure. I'll sing for ya. I'll sing you bold legged, mother!

And lastly, the line that will make me laugh so hard I nearly wet my pants happens when Lenard Borland is pushing his mother-in-law out of his apartment...

Len: It's time that you should be going now. You're getting to old to be banging around time at this time of night!

(Just typing that line made me laugh out loud!!!)

I highly recommend everyone to see this movie. It's ashame that it isn't regularly shown on one of the classic movie channels or available (to the best of my knowledge) on DVD or Video tape. I wish 20th Century Fox would open up their vault to more hidden classics like this one.

If anyone is seriously interested in seeing this movie and can't find it, you can contact me. I have made a video transfer from my father's original 16mm film print. While the sound and picture are clean, you have to adjust to the fact that the flicker shows (moving from 16mm film to 30 frames per second causes flicker unless you have it transferred by pros! I just wanted it for my own personal collection, but would be willing to share!!!)

Although I am a fan of movies from the 1940's and 1950's I somehow had never seen this film before. This is one of those delightful comedy sleepers like "Champagne for Caesar". I happened to see it listed on the DIRECTV TCM channel view-on-demand list and downloaded it to my DVR via the internet for viewing.

The cast performance is excellent from the major players down to the minor characters.

My favorite scene is when Mrs. Blair titters and flits about as she informs the party guests that her son-in-law is going to give a singing performance.

This is one of the best post war comedies. The performance of Paul Douglas is perfect against Linda Darnell. It has been said that Celeste Holm had to learn how not to sing, in order that she carry out this role.