Hi, Nellie

Paul Muni has to get used to hearing "Hi, Nellie!" when he's demoted to the Heartthrobs column in this 1934 film also starring Glenda Farrell and Ned Sparks.

When bank official Canfield disappears at the same time as $500,000 and the bank has to close, all the other papers print that Canfield took the money. Managing editor Brad Bradshaw refuses to tie the two incidences together without proof - thus, the demotion. The current Heartthrobs (Farrell) gets a news beat.

This is one of those fast-talking '30s films, probably in response to the MacArthur-Hecht "The Front Page" from 1931.

It's all pretty routine except that it stars Paul Muni who, as Brad/Nellie, is a wisecracking, sarcastic editor now mercilessly teased by his cronies.

Muni, well known for his dramatic work, shows his expertise at comedy here. Also it's a rare chance to see how handsome he was as he wore so much character makeup and so many costumes throughout his career. He is very good as the determined managing editor turned lonelyhearts columnist. Farrell is her usual sharp-mouthed self; this isn't much of a departure from other roles for her.

Recommended if you want to see Muni in something approaching a comedy.

Bette Davis is quoted as once saying that the great character actor Paul Muni tried to hide himself under all kinds of makeup, so that no one would ever know who he was or what he looked like. Well, in many of his early films, the real Muni is quite visible. Here, Warner's one time "resident thespian" does a slick turn as the managing editor of a big city newspaper. He gets demoted to writing an advice to the lovelorn column and spends the rest of the film trying to get the goods on a gang of hoods, hoping it will get him his old managing editor's job back. Glenda Farrell plays his female antagonist while sour face Ned Sparks is along for the ride as a city beat reporter. A solid role for Muni, with lots of comedy, which he pulls off well. I suppose the comedy was a welcome change from his usual heavy drama, falling somewhere between "I Was a Fugitive From a Chain Gang", "Scarface" and "Louis Pasteur." Watch and enjoy Muni's talents. His 5 Oscar nominations should speak for themselves, but it seems, over 30 years after his death, he's not as well remembered as several of his contemporaries, which is a shame.

In that stretch of years between his performance in I'm A Fugitive From A Chain Gang and The Story Of Louis Pasteur, Paul Muni hit a dry patch with his home studio of Warner Brothers. They put him in a series of films way beneath his talent when you consider what he subsequently did and I'm told he particularly despised this film. From his point of view I can see why.

Still Hi, Nellie! is not all that bad, though I think Muni was definitely a second choice. James Cagney must have been doing something else at the time. The film has the feel of a project meant for Cagney.

Knowing that and knowing how much he wanted to do much more serious parts Muni pulls out all the stops and hams it up to beat the Philharmonic. I guess he had to have some fun.

Muni is your hardboiled editor of a city newspaper, a very typical part for the Thirties. But when he uncharacteristically soft pedals a story about a bank folding and a prominent civic leader disappearing, he gets himself demoted. Publisher Berton Churchill can't fire him because of a contract, but instead demotes him to the writer of the advice to the lovelorn column. That's a source of great amusement to all those who were under him before, especially Glenda Farrell who was writing that column and wanted a chance for some hard hitting journalism.

But Paul is nothing else if not resourceful and when a chance sob sister letter comes to his attention that might give him a lead on that story that he got in a sling over, he runs with it.

Warner Brothers and director Mervyn LeRoy gave Paul a really good cast to support him with Donald Meek playing the world's oldest office boy, Douglass Dumbrille as the editor who succeeds Muni, and Robert Barrat as the political boss of the city and ultimate villain of the piece.

It's not Zola, or Pasteur, but Hi, Nellie is not half bad as entertainment. Just not up to Paul Muni's exacting standards.

There's a reason why Paul Muni was nominated for Best Actor at the 1934 Hot Toasty Rag Awards. In Hi, Nellie!, he played a fast-talking newspaper man completely unlike any other character he ever played. There was no makeup, no aging process, no historical figure to mimic; Paul had to play a regular fellow, someone he rarely played. And while It Happened One Night was busy sweeping the Oscars, Paul snagged a nomination at the Rags because he ran circles around Clark Gable. Paul could have played Peter Warren, but then again, so could any number of actors, including those who famously turned the role down.

In this funny, fast-paced hidden gem, Paul is forced to take over the heartthrobs column in his newspaper after a disagreement with the editor, Berton Churchill. He gets made fun of by his fellow reporters, including his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Farrell, until he gets embroiled in a murder case. Then, Paul and Glenda pull together to crack the case! Seriously, folks, rent this cute flick. Paul is incredibly handsome, has unexpectedly great comic timing, and shows a side he doesn't usually show the audience: a normal fellow!

Forced to write the Heartthrobs column, the former managing editor of a big city paper finds himself exposing a story of murder & political corruption.

Fast-moving & fun, HI, NELLIE! is another example of the comedy crime picture that Warner Brothers was so expert at producing. Casts & plots could be shuffled endlessly, with very predictable results. While this assembly line approach created few classics, audience enjoyment could usually be assured. Here, the look & feel of the paper's busy newsroom is smack on the mark and the performances, even with a script that's too plot heavy, never fail to entertain.

Consummate actor Paul Muni gets a rare chance at comedy here and pulls it off brilliantly, adding just the right amount of drama from time to time. Whether he's trashing his office in a fury, fighting with his boss or going nonchalantly into the headquarters of the enemy to collect information, Muni is never less than fascinating. He is teamed with the equally watchable Glenda Farrell, playing another one of her hard-boiled dames with a heart of gold. It is obvious from the script that their two characters were once lovers, but refreshingly no time is wasted with rekindling the flames - they are just chums, wary & respectful. Their unromantic chemistry adds much to the fun of the film.

A fine cast of character actors helps move the story along. Ned Sparks plays his usual acerbic self as an investigative reporter loyal to Muni. Little Donald Meek is equally good as an aged office clerk who provides assistance on the hectic news floor for Muni & Farrell. Berton Churchill as the paper's publisher & Douglass Dumbrille as Muni's rival both score in their roles.

Robert Barrat, Harold Huber & Edward Ellis all play dangerous bad guys who must be dealt with. Frank Reicher, fresh from his double stint as the captain in the KONG movies, here plays a none-to-savvy lawyer.

Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited John Qualen as a tenement custodian.