Sing and Like It

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.

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.

This down at the heels production provides a lot more laughs than a lot of star filled comedies of its day with leads brought up from the supporting ranks. Zasu Pitts, Nat Pendleton, Edward Everett Horton, Pert Kelton and Ned Sparks more or less apply the same type they excel at in other films without stars stepping in front of their shot or impeding the flow of humor with a half baked romance and for the most part carry it off nicely.

T. Fenny Sylvestor ( Pendleton) makes a good living at cracking safes and kidnapping. During a job he hear's Annie Snodgrass (Pitts) warbling a tune about mom at a rehearsal. stopping the heist dead in its tracks. He then devotes himself to putting Annie on the Broadway stage by way of intimidation.

Sing and Like It is populated with Runyonesque characters playing it broad and sober. The cast of scene stealers have the patter down right and the script by Marian Dix and Laird Doyle runs from high sarcasm (after all Ned Sparks is in the room) to subtle wit (" Look at all the diamonds I've given ya' and not a mark on ya." ) It's unfortunate both writers had brief careers given the promise displayed here.

William Seiter's direction allows for dead moments (How many times must we listen to Ms. Pitts murder the same tune?) as well as a fair share of brutal slapstick in places but overall the team of second stringers he fields all have a good game making Sing and Like It a winner.

Very funny and endearing comedy about a gangster (Nat Pendleton) determined to make a terrible singer (Zasu Pitts) a success on the stage after hearing her sing a song about mothers. This is a fun little movie with a cast of colorful characters and some great dialogue. Nat Pendleton was one of the all-time great character actors of the 1930s and 40s. He usually played supporting parts but here he proves he can handle being the male lead quite well. Zasu Pitts, an actress whose comedy stylings are hit or miss with me, gives a terrific performance in this movie. A part like this could have easily led to overacting but she walks the line just right. The running gag about her thinking Pendleton is only helping her for sexual favors is hilarious.

What a fantastic supporting cast. There are some greats here and they really shine. Edward Everett Horton as the poor Broadway producer forced to star Zasu in his show. Ned Sparks and his trademark deanpan delivery almost steal the whole movie as Pendleton's right hand man. Pert Kelton is fun as Pendleton's sassy moll who wants to be an actress herself. The great John Qualen plays Zasu's husband and his role in the end of the film is especially funny. Special mention to Roy D'Arcy, who played Zasu's costar on the stage. Not a big name actor and his part is small but he has one of the funniest scenes in the film.

For anyone who's a fan of classic films you know how much of a treat it is to discover a hidden gem like this. About the only way you're likely to see this is on TCM whenever they show it (which isn't likely to be often). So please be on the look out for it because it's worth it believe me.

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!