Going Highbrow

Not as bad as some here say. A tremendous showcase for Edward Everett Horton. His talking/singing duets with Ross Alexander are marvels of comic timing. Horton was in many better films than this, but few that showcased his talent as vividly. Ross Alexander has several scenes where he carries himself with great poise and comic sophistication. There is evidence here he could have been a stylish leading man had he not killed himself. Little known June Martel is surprisingly fetching as diner waitress, though she fades a little when masquerading as a debutant. The story construction is awful in this film but there is some snappy dialogue. In the end a must-see for Horton's and Alexander's musical numbers.

ZaSu Pitts and Guy Kibee are Kansans with money. We meet them as they've gotten off a ship in New York. Pitts wants publicity for their wealth. She wants a place in New York society, too.

Enter Edward Everett Horton. He has a plan to get them recognized. He will have a female acquaintance sponsor them -- for a price.

This is a comedy with few surprises, but I won't give any of them away.

Suffice it to say you haven't heard anything till you've heard Horton sing a love duet from "rigoletto" with Ross Alexander! Alexander plays the rich woman's freewheeling son.

The script is filled with gay double-entendres. These are both spoken (or sung!) and visual: At one point, Alexander is lifted in the air and appears in a very position position -- legs in the air. (Watch it and see for yourself.) The great Judy Canova is in it too. And can you believe it? She doesn't sing a note!

Guy Kibbee made a lot of money in the stock market in 1929 when his broker sold when Kibbee told him to buy. Now he spends some of that money granting his wife's wishes. Her latest is to break into New York society. Matron Nella Walker is down to her residences and the furnishings, but she still has prestige. So Edward Everett Horton suggests they can enter society by marrying Miss Walker's son, Ross Alexander, to their daughter.

They don't have a daughter, but Kibbee has taken a shine to June Martell, the waitress in the diner he likes to eat at. They fit her up as their daughter and throw a party to introduce her to Alexander, not knowing they've already met, and Alexander is smitten.

It's a Cinderella story, with Kibbee's checkbook serving as a magic wand. Although it occasionally gets a bit tiresome by its reliance on Horton's nitwittery, there's enough of the old-style Warner Brothers' rapid-fire editing to keep this moving along amusingly.

This film is a wonderful example of a rotten plot yet wonderful characters. It appeared as if the film were actually written by two people--one for the plot and one who strictly designed the characters and wrote the dialog. As for the plot itself, it's easy to sum up with one word--"stupid". Instead of trying to describe it, just let it go with that! But as for the characters, I have always been a sucker for colorful character actors and this one has Edward Everett Horton, Guy Kibbee and Zasu Pitts (in a rather restrained performance, thank goodness). And the writers infused these characters with wonderful personalities that were very much in line with their normal screen personas. Kibbee was a not overly bright but decent "normal guy", Zasu played a bumpkin of sorts who wanted "class" and Horton played a rich but decent schemer. Together, they helped to infuse the film with enough warmth and humanity that I was able to overlook the films MANY deficiencies and just enjoy it. While this is certainly NOT a film you should rush to see, it's a very amiable time-passer and a good example of a quality B-movie.

I was really full of anticipation before i viewed this film.What a great cast,full of great comedy actors from the 30s.I was about to uncover a forgotten masterpiece.How wrong i was.This was an extremely lame comedy,of the sort spawned by production requirements that one film a week be shipped out to the theatres.It just goes to show that you can have great talents but if you do not have a good script there is no likelihood that you will have a good film.Guy Kibee as usual plays a business man flirting with a younger woman,Zasu Pitts as so often plays the fretful wife and Edward Everett Horton plays Edward Everett Horton.Ross Alexander sings,if that is his own voice,a rather pleasant song.So the best that you can say about this film is that at 66 minutes it doesn't linger around too long.