L'as du cinéma

Kansas theater usher (and dramatic acting school graduate!) thwarts a robbery and is brought out to Hollywood by train in the Silent Era strictly for quick publicity; he winds up living on a park bench waiting for an acting job, and finally gets one filling in for his idol, an irresponsible star who's been hitting the bottle. Third film-version of a play by Marc Connelly and George S. Kaufman, based on Harry Leon Wilson's book, now revamped as a comedic vehicle for Red Skelton. Earliest scenes are best, with our dimply, aw-shucks hero politely scheming his way onto movie sets, with amusing results. Slapstick sequence at a high-toned Men's Club seems to belong to a different picture, although the pay-off there is also funny. Runs out of steam towards the end, however Skelton and Virginia O'Brien are a good match. Direction by former-choreographer Robert Alton is quick on its feet, and there are some big laughs in the first hour. **1/2 from ****

Today as part of a Red Skelton tribute on his birthday TCM showed this among many of his other movies, and I'd like to say that even though I only tuned in in time to see only half of this movie, Merton was no disappointment! You're not exactly splitting your sides, but you are entertained and amused as long as you are watching it. Skelton makes it look so easy, but achieving what he was able to while keeping his comedy clean as a whistle is pure genius and well worth watching!

If "slapstick" is your genre here is one of the best. I saw it in 1947 or -48 shortly after its release.

I have been on the lookout for it on tape but to no avail. Hopefully it will be preserved as one of the outstanding examples of "slapstick".

Red Skelton plays a small town movie fan with dreams of being a star. He gets his opportunity, albeit not as he would have hoped. He wanted to be a romantic leading man and instead he becomes a (unintentional) comedy sensation. Along the way he's helped by a stuntwoman who falls for him. Rare leading lady role for Virginia O'Brien, a wonderful comic actress known for singing songs in a deadpan style. No singing here, but she does get lots of Eve Arden-esque lines opposite Skelton's clueless hero. This was basically and sadly the end of her movie career. She was done with MGM and essentially the business shortly after. Gloria Grahame is great in a fun part as the vampy Hollywood star Skelton's character is in love with. This story had been filmed at least twice before, the best of which was the 1932 version with Stuart Erwin and Joan Blondell. Skelton puts his own touch on things, for better or worse. I think he was fairly dialed back here, maybe too much so. Still, I enjoyed the picture.

This is a pleasant little movie starring Red Skelton and Virginia O'Brien as actors in the infancy of the silent era. I enjoyed the film, but I didn't find it as entertaining as the three previous film reviewers.

Both Red Skelton and Virginia O'Brien turned in nice performances; I kept waiting for her to sing at least one song, but it never happened. Gloria Grahame and Leon Ames also were believable in their roles.

The movie was rather predictable and reminds one of Singin' in the Rain in spots.

It is a movie worth checking out, but I won't be watching it again.