Histoire de fous

This 1941 Hal Roach production was a big hit with movie goers because the public were innocent and hard working people who enjoyed all the great humor that Hal Roach introduced from the 1920's, 30's and 40's. In todays standards this film would be horrible and a complete corny boring film. John Hubbard, (Drogo Gaines) plays the role as a playboy and gets out of a marriage by claiming he was crazy, because his bride was only a gold-digger and Drogo is placed in a mental institution. While Drogo is in the nut house he meets up with Col. Carleton Carroway, (Adolphe Menjou) who after a few weeks decides to escape with Drogo and they meet up with Penguin Moore, (Carole Landis), "I Wake Up Screaming", who owns a carnival and they decide to work and stay with Penguin and Drogo even gets involved with being a lion trainer. This is a nutty film, but a great look back at a film that was produced and directed when America was at war during WW II and the people needed a break from the horrible concerns and worry for the fighting men and woman in this horrible war.

The opening scene in "Road Show" is one of the funniest scenes I can recall from all the movies I've ever watched. This is another of those crazy comedies produced in Hollywood during the tough economic times of the decade plus before World War II. I remember watching some of these gems when TV first began running them as afternoon and late night movies. Some, I don't recall ever having seen, including this hilarious romp, until I bought it on DVD. Movies such as this don't really need much for a plot – they just need to present scenes for the players to do their zany antics and dialog.

What's interesting about these old black and white films is that their humor isn't dated. Sure, some of the situations – in this case, a traveling carnival – are dated. But that can be a little educational for a modern audience, as well as it is entertaining. Although few people have rated this film as of the time of my review, most of the reviewers saw it for the zany and fun humor vehicle it is.

"Road Show" moves from one zany scene and incident to another. Adolphe Menjou was a master in delivery of off-hand wit in his comedies. But here, he also shows physical aptitude in some slapstick scenes as Col. Carroway. He and Drogo Gaines, played by John Hubbard, make a great comedy duo. Carole Landis plays just about the only straight part in the movie as Penguin Moore, owner of the carnival. Several other roles are hilarious and add to the fun.

In a scene toward the end, Col. Carroway has upped the prices on the signs of the carnival booths. Penguin asks, "Don't you think you've raised the prices too much?" Carroway replies, "Too much? Why these people couldn't have a good time unless they paid too much." A few songs add to the enjoyment, with an appropriate tune, "Calliope Jane," sung by the Charioteers.

Incidentally, this film was based on a novel of the same title by Eric Hatch. Hatch also wrote a novel and the screenplay based on it by the same name – "My Man Godfrey" (1936). He wrote more than 20 novels and worked for The New Yorker Magazine.

I highly recommend this comical farce for movie fans who like zany humor and real laughter.

Some old hollywood pros: menjou, landis, charles butterworth. Patsy kelly. The awesome flo bates, best known for rebecca. Even shemp howard. This was released in may of 1941, just prior to the u.s. Getting into world war two. In the plot, rich guy drogo gaines escapes marriage by pretending to be off his rocker. But the plan backfires when he ends up in a sanitarium... where he meets colonel carroway. They help each other out, and suddenly, we're in the middle of a traveling carnival. They are always behind on the rent and trying to stay one step ahead of the sheriff. Lots of old vaudeville bits. A couple songs beautifully done by the charioteers. It's fun. A circus adventure, complete with lions chasing people, and a fire! It's crazy but fun. Plot? What plot. We dropped that off at the bus station. Directed by the one and only hal roach, the king of early comedy. He was a young, smart guy, in the right place, just as hollywood was getting going. Worked his way up the ladder fast. He had worked with laurel and hardy, harold lloyd, and of course, the little rascals gang. Good, zany, fun.

I have to agree with the two previous reviewers. I can't believe this film hasn't got more of a reputation than it does. It's a non-stop laugh from start to finish.

The players in Road Show look like they're having a marvelous time in this film. Hal Roach must have kept a really loose and happy set for these people to have put in the work they did.

Millionaire playboy John Hubbard gets cold feet at the altar and his gold digging bride gets him committed to an asylum. While there he meets Adolphe Menjou who's another millionaire there for a rest cure from his grabby family.

The two make an escape and wind up in a carnival owned by Carole Landis and from then on it's one mad plot situation after another.

Adolphe Menjou was a player of extraordinary range. In silent films with that waxed mustache he was usually villains, but in sound he played a good range of serious characters. Yet he had a funny side to him that when it was displayed could be hilarious. We saw more than hints of it in films like Broadway Gondolier and Gold Diggers of 1935. But here as the center of the film, he really explodes on the screen. I've never seen him funnier.

Possibly because it did not star any of the great comic actors, just a whole lot of good players doing their shtick, Road Show does not stand out in the Hal Roach list of comedy masterpieces. That's a pity because this shows what Roach could do without people like Laurel and Hardy to star in a film for him.

Don't ever miss this if it's broadcast again.

With the help of the eccentric Captain Calloway, a millionaire escapes from the asylum to which he was committed by his jilted bride-to-be and falls in with a travelling circus. A modest but enjoyable Hal Roach comedy in which anonymous leading man John Hubbard largely plays second fiddle to lead support, Adolphe Menjou. Hubbard's reaction when coming face-to-face with a lion is priceless, however...