Walking on Air

Walking On Air (1936) Ann Sothern, Gene Raymond, Jessie Ralph and Henry Stephenson. Formula B musical about a rich girl who wants to marry one guy and hires another to pretend to be a rich obnoxious count so her father will reconsider his unfavorable view of the one she thinks she loves. In the meantime, her father hires a bodyguard to keep her at home and she is locked in her room. She throws her meals, that are served on a tray of fine china and silver, out the window. Her pretend suitor is really trying to be hired by a radio show and we get to hear his audition and first broadcast. The 3 songs are forgettable and the script is predictable. Ann is okay and Gene is his usual smarmy sophomoric self. The two character actors steal the show. Which is a dud. 5/10

Walking on Air is a fortunate Musical Comedy of the 1930's. It is fortunate to have the lovely and talented Ann Sothern at her radiant best, Gene Raymond (real-life husband of musical great, Jeanette MacDonald) at his popularity peak, plus veteran character actors, Jessie Ralph and Henry Stephenson, having considerable fun with their roles. Fortunate also for the lilting tunes by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Students of vintage dance music will recognize the musical director, Nathaniel Shilkret, from many recordings of the era. His work here adds a richness to the score that is often lacking in similar musical pictures. What this all adds up to is a fun way to spend 70 minutes. This viewer likes it well enough to keep a 16mm print on the shelf and has never tired of repeated screenings over the years. Walking on Air is not only a uniformly likable musical - never ponderous - always pleasing, it also looks good. The entire cast seems to be having fun working together. Certainly a cut above the average musical comedy of its period.

Henry Stephenson and Jessie Ralph are parents at their wits end trying to keep heiress daughter Ann Sothern from marrying divorcee Alan Curtis who is a real drip. But Sothern has a plan.

She hires crooner Gene Raymond to impersonate an arrogant French count who is so obnoxious that the parents will cheer with relief when Sothern and Curtis tie the knot.

Only the usual happens in this gazilionth movie about heiresses in the 30s, Raymond and Sothern fall in love.

Raymond has a pleasant though he was no threat to Crosby, Columbo, and Vallee. And he sure couldn't compete with his own wife Jeanette MacDonald. Songs in this film are pretty forgettable.

Walking On Air is pleasant enough entertainment.

Gene Raymond & Ann Sothern in another of the "boy meets girl, silly identity mixups, arguments, boy tries to win back girl " stories. Raymond and Sothern made a whole bunch together. Raymond's occupation as on-air singer in Walking on Air allows him to sing the songs highlighted in the movie, which he does quite well. (among his other "occupations" in this movie.) Jessie Ralph (made David Copperfield and Bank Dick with W.C. Fields) is Auntie to Kit Bennett (Sothern), and plays referee between Kit, Horace, (Henry Stephenson) and Kits' boyfriends. Kit hires Pete Quinlan (Raymond) to hang around and annoy her father so her own boyfriend looks better and better. That boyfriend Fred (Alan Curtis) has his own tricks up his sleeve. George Meeker (plays Tom Quinlan) has a pretty impressive history himself, frequently playing cowboys & soldiers. Meeker also had parts in Gone with the Wind and Casablanca. Directed by Joseph Santley, who directed Raymond in five films in the 1930s. Fun flick. Some clever bits as we watch Pete (Raymond) try to insult the family, but has the tables turned on him. Does not seem to be at all related to the later movies made in 1946 & 1986 by the same name.

It's spring… and kindly but stern old gentleman Henry Stephenson has his daughter upstairs locked in her room. He sends up the butler with a tray of food; she throws it out the window.

Ann Sothern is the spirited young woman engaged to a cad her father refuses to accept. Her backup plan involves a help wanted ad: She hires a young man to pose as her replacement fiancé and assigns him to behave so rudely toward her father that he will change his mind about the original cad. Gene Raymond has some uproarious moments as the fake suitor—a French count complete with phony mustache—who digs right in to the job of insulting the girl's father and aunt.

It's a very lightweight comedy of impostors, wrong impressions and late revelations. A pretty typical plot—but lots of fun nevertheless.

Of course, Raymond and Sothern are meant to get together eventually, but only if they can get past the usual set of misunderstandings. Both stars are energetic and appealing. Raymond—whose character is also an aspiring crooner—gets to sing a couple of fine songs, as well.

Jessie Ralph is excellent as always as the witty aunt who offers advice, support and wisecracks. Ralph and Stephenson make a good pair as the older generation who may be misled by the youngsters' schemes but soon catch on.

Sothern and Raymond make a neat match and look like they are having a good time. The story moves along briskly and while the picture doesn't leave a deep impression, it's sure easy to watch!

Great moment: "You're losing your mustache!"