Sing and Like It

I've seen this a few times and it always makes me laugh. Great cast playing for all it's worth, and very pre-code: When told she is to be Annie's chaperone, Ruby replies "She'd be safe on a battleship"; the gum scene; Ruby: "I belong to the world", Fenny: "You probably did before you took up with me." The end has a couple of neat twists too. It drags a bit in the middle, but all in all it's quite sarcastic and funny. And let's not forget Annie Snodgrass, who must sacrifice all because she is an "artist". The "Mother Song" is a neat take-off on a musical genre of the late 20s: "Who taught you wrong from right, while holding you so tight, who misses you tonight... Your Mother". Listen to the words, if you can take the delivery: it's one of the sappiest songs ever written. If you like old movies, pre-code humor and sarcasm, and plenty of 30s slang, this is to be seen.

Can't beat THAT cast! Zasu Pitts. Ned Sparks. Ed Horton. A gangster's girlfriend Ruby (Perl Kelton) wants to star in a show, so when the gangster "Fenny" (Nat Pendleton) hears "Annie" singing (Zasu Pitts), he puts together a show for her, not the girlfriend. The singing and acting are terrible, but Fenny likes her, so they proceed. And of course, the girlfriend wants the lead role for herself, so Annie better watch out! This one gets a little rough around the edges... the film code wasn't being enforced yet. Honestly, if this had a different cast, I probably wouldn't have liked it as much.. I DO love Sparks and Horton. Also interesting to note that in the first couple scenes, Pendleton calls Ed Horton and one of the other guys "Honey" and "Dearie". Directed by Bill Seiter. Another interesting thang -- when Ben Mank introduced this film on Turner Classics, he stated that Walter Brennan appears in the film, but the trivia section states that Phil Tead is often mistaken for Brennan. Pretty good film, but probably because those key actors are so awesome.

Amazing what a good script will do for a movie, especially a comedy. I had never heard of "Sing And Like It" before, but this picture is funny! Lots of wisecracks and asides in this one and it doesn't contain slapstick or lots of pratfalls, as many comedies made just after the silent era did. This one plays like a Billy Wilder picture which relies on clever dialogue. The best lines belonged to Ned Sparks, delivered in his patented deadpan style, and then to Pert Kelton as a jealous girlfriend.

The stars of the picture are Nat Pendleton and Zasu Pitts. He is a gangster boss who hears Pitts sing a song called "Your Mother" for a community group while he and his gang are robbing a bank next door. He is enraptured and saddened by its maudlin tune, and decides to put her in a Broadway show. He strongarms producer Edward Everett Horton to feature her in his show, and Horton himself has some funny one-liners of his own.

This picture was a pleasant surprise, the kind which you hope would never end, and to keep the one-liners coming. Hadn't seen Pendleton in a starring role before and felt he was a little overpowering, and Zasu Pitts played her normal, woebegone character and stayed within herself. Good movie and a very funny comedy, of the type not often made or seen.

Sorta like "Bullets Over Broadway" -- A gangster forces a stage producer to use a star who can't sing for a damn. The gangster (Nat Pendleton, as a kidnapping-for-ransom specialist) gets weepy whenever he hears ZaSu Pitts warble "Mother". Everyone else cringes but whatever he says goes. So producer Edward Everett Horton is stuck putting together a show around the spectacularly off-key Pitts. But how can the gang make sure it's a hit? Sour-faced Ned Sparks will twist as many arms as necessary....

The plot's nothing special, but it's got a roll call of great character actors, like Sparks, Horton, Pendleton, John Qualen, and at the top of the cast, ZaSu Pitts. Pleasant escapism.

I couldn't agree less with the negative comments about this delicious little film! It's not about talent squandered -- it's about talent SHOWCASED! Many of the best character actors from the RKO lot appear in this film and their work is stupendous! The film is, in many ways, a parody of the gangster genre -- it's got a very Runyonesque take on the underworld, where kingpins are sentimental and their molls are sharp as a tack. The surface humor is broad -- but the wit is sharp and incisive: If the screenplay were any more tightly written I'd swear it was Mamet or Sorkin who created the dialogue.

The handling of theatre critics and their work is particularly vicious -- and never fails to make me guffaw! For anyone who understands allusion and parody -- and who appreciates good comedic writing -- this is the film to see!