Cavalcade d'avril

"April Showers" is a film that supposedly is based on the life of Buster Keaton and his family during Vaudeville. However, despite the studio paying Keaton for rights to the story, the story is, essentially INSPIRED (kinda) by the Keatons. It is NOT a biographical film and is pretty sanitized. I don't know the full extent of it, but the REAL Keatons used Buster from a very, very young age (not 12 like in the movie) and the act was filled with violent slapstick (such as tossing the young Buster about the stage)! I think the sensitization, in part, was because 1940s audiences probably would have been horrified with how Buster's family treated (and mistreated) him. As for the family, they repeatedly told authorities Buster was a midget (which is mentioned once in the film)...hence no need to send him to school or protect his safety!

Joe and June Tyme are down and nearly out Vaudevillians. Their son is off somewhere in a boarding school while his parents work...but Buster wants to join them and runs away from school. He happens to arrive at the right time...as his parents are out of work. But Buster is so talented he immediately helps them get jobs. And, from then on, the act gains popularity and prestige. Unfortunately, Joe becomes a drunk and ruins the act...and June and Buster are forced to go on without him. This part of the film is rather unpleasant to say the least.

The odd thing about this film is that it is trying to get you to root for the Tymes to fool the authorities in New York into thinking Buster is a midget. It really is an example of horrible parenting!

This movie is entertaining because of young Robert Ellis (as Buster) is an amazingly talented young man--with great athleticism. His dancing scenes are pretty incredible to watch and it's a real shame the actor died when he was only 40. As for the rest of it, it's a bit too maudlin and downbeat to me anything more than a time-passer..that is until the rousing fist fight ending! Overall, it's not a bad film...just not a particularly enjoyable one during much of the time.

Jack Carson and Ann Sothern are such capable professionals that even when they are cast in something like APRIL SHOWERS they are worth watching. Carson rarely got leading roles, except in the "B" film or programmer such as this one and Ann Sotheran was just winding up all of her "Maisie" roles at MGM to do this unpretentious little musical at Warner Bros.

Together they're fun to watch as a married couple, a pair of show biz hoofers who give out with a song and dance patter when they're not having domestic troubles over the legitimacy of using an underage boy (their son) in their vaudeville act.

It's all done in a formula way with no big surprises, no characters that are more than conventional and without the kind of production numbers that studios like Fox and MGM gave their musicals. And yet, with a nice balance between some serious drama and mostly lightweight singing and dancing, it's the kind of musical that's easy to take.

The usual supporting players under contract at Warner Bros. are used to fill out the supporting roles, including Robert Alda and S.Z. Sakall.

Carson and Sothern are both capable enough to make us believe this sort of thing could easily have happened and both of them have a nice way with a song and dance. Little Robert Ellis is very adept as their talented youngster.

Summing up: A nice, unpretentious little film to watch on a rainy day.

The Happy Tymes are flopping as a vaudeville act until they add their 12-year old son to the musical act. But then the family runs into trouble causing a brief split.

As long as the three principals are on stage singing and shaking legs, the movie shines, and that's despite the rather dour b&w. The melodramatic side, however, is overdone for a musical, especially the acrobatic fistfight that reminded me of a cowboy matinée. Then there's that really ill-advised impersonation of a midget, that, as another reviewer aptly put it, comes across as tasteless. Still, little Bobby Ellis is remarkable as the third Happy Tyme. His utter fluidity as a teen dancer made me think I have a deficient gene. As the two adult Tymes, Sothern and Carson are real troupers, their chemistry unforced and lively. Carson was really an underrated actor, adept at drama, comedy, and musicals, as he shows here. I'm not sure, however, that Alan would be proud of dad Robert Alda's role here as a sneaky opportunist. And, of course, no musical of the period would be complete without that giggling marshmallow, Cuddles Sakall. No, the musical may not be anything special, but it does have its musical moments.

(In passing—I caught several episodes of the old TV series Meet Corliss Archer (1954-55) that also featured Bobby Ellis, then about age 20. There he shows what an excellent comedic actor he was, in addition to his musical talents. In short, he made that show work, short-lived though the series was. I suspect his short stature and average looks prevented his eventually reaching stardom. Nonetheless, he certainly had the talent.)

This is a charming little musical filled with great old songs. However, the great find of this film, and the real reason to watch it, is the young actor Robert Ellis. He plays a 12 year son of the main characters. He dances and entertains and displays a delightful interaction with Jack Carson. His singing is less than ideal but the whole film is a wonderful example of the carefree style of musicals typical of its day. It is unfortunate that Mr. Ellis never lived up to his potential - for whatever reason - and died at such a young age. I intend to watch this film each time that Turner Classic Movies shows the good sense of airing it.

When I think of April Showers, I think of my aunt. It was one of the songs she sang to me. I also think of this movie. It's too bad that so many actors in this movie have passed on, even the kid that played Small Tyme. And recently, Ann Sothern. I saw Jack Carson as second banana in other movies, especially as a sidekick, that it is good that Jack could be the leading man for a change (in "April Showers"). It's too bad he had to play such a drunk, but I guess that's real life. I always love to watch The Tymes dance in this movie. I could watch them forever. I hate the part where Billy Shay beats up Small Tyme, although the part about Shay with the glamourous women is nice. I love old time tap dancing, but in today's tap classes I take at university the emphasis is on modern rhythm tap, with a lot of hip-hop added in. Females wear flat oxfords, and emphasis is not on "Broadway tap". That's a shame. I am of the old school, from the days of vaudeville and old movie musicals.