Faisons les fous

Actuary Donald O'Connor misplaces a decimal point and doesn't get the promotion at the insurance firm. He wanders the parks of Hartford. Lew Parker waylays him and impressed by his ability to predict when slot machines will pay off and how to dance -- all done by mathematics, of course -- he takes him back to Walter Catlett's carnival, where he becomes a hit.

Parker was in the Broadway show, but nothing else. They even used all-new musical numbers, despite some sprightly Harry Revel tunes. The loose and simple plot is an opportunity stage dance numbers choreographed by Louis Da Pron (who plays a dancing bartender in the first number). The movie version's songs aren't much to write home about, but O'Connor's confident hoofing, Parker's fast-talking patter, and the charms of Olga San Juan, Martha Stewart -- not that one! -- and Patricia Dane help to make this a very pleasant musical.

This is one of the few of Donald O'Connor's Universal movies I managed to watch on YouTube. Never mind the plot of this one since it's mainly his dances that I was most interested in seeing. He dances well with Lew Parker and Louis Da Pron in a bar sequence. Olga San Juan and Martha Stewart (no, not THAT one) also do well in their singing and dancing numbers. Many lines were pretty amusing but there wasn't anything I'd consider hilarious. The carnival atmosphere was nice to look at though I half-wondered why this wasn't shot in Technicolor especially when Donald also danced with a couple of fine-looking ladies in a number that may have been inspired by Arabian Nights. So on that note, Are You with It? is worth a look for any fan of Donald O'Connor.

In the days when travelling carnivals and circuses were common in America, these shows would often pick up temporary employees along their tour routes. The temporaries might be performers, or might be day labourers (roustabouts), or might be entrepreneurs (not always honest ones) selling candy or cheap toys, or running some sort of game (usually a con, such as three-card monte) and hoping to make some money for their own pitches from the rake-off of customers who came to see the circus or carnival. Because people who travelled with the circus or carnival were constantly encountering new people, and couldn't always be certain if the newcomers were carny folk or 'civilians', they developed the habit of asking 'Are you with it?' ... meaning, 'are you part of this travelling show?'. Veteran circus people and carny folk knew what this question meant, but civilians were more likely to reply: 'Am I with WHAT?'. This is why someone who is knowledgeable or avant-garde is described as being 'with it'.

'Are You with It?' is a pleasant low-budget musical with a carnival background and no impressive songs. Donald O'Connor plays a rather stiff young nerd named Milton who has a high I.Q. and is very good at maths (he uses a slide rule while he talks), but who is out of touch with his emotions. He loses his job and falls in with some troupers from a passing carnival, including flashy Vivian (Olga San Juan, cheap and vulgar) and fast-talking carny pitchman Goldie (Lew Parker, giving a deft performance of such skill that I'm amazed he didn't go on to a greater career as a character comedian).

The script forces O'Connor to play a character that's a very poor choice for the protagonist in a musical comedy. About twenty minutes into the movie, some music starts playing and Milton taps one foot idly. Then he breaks into a spirited tap dance, casually explaining that tap dancing is merely a physical application of elementary scientific principles. I didn't like this, me. Donald O'Connor is a brilliant dancer, one of the best who ever performed in films ... so it's utterly implausible that a wonk like Milton (who shows no interest in having a good time) could attain such a level of dancing skill simply by applying his intellect.

'Are You with It?' is enjoyable but hardly memorable. O'Connor's dancing is excellent (as always), and he's in better singing voice here than he was in several of his other (better) musicals. But the songs which he's singing and dancing aren't especially good. George Balzer, who worked on the script, wrote some of Jack Benny's funniest radio and tv material ... but you'd never know it from what's on offer here. Veteran comedian Walter Catlett has almost nothing to do in this movie, and he's easily upstaged by Lew Parker. I'll rate 'Are You with It?' 3 points out of 10: that's one point for Lew Parker's performance, and one point for each of Donald O'Connor's tap-dancing feet.

I wasn't born yet, but in November of 1947, my mother won "Queen for a Day". One of many prizes she won was an all expense paid trip to Hollywood, CA for her and my father. While in California, they got to spend some time on the set where Donald O'Connor was filming "Are You With It". (released in 1948). My father passed away in 1987, I had to fly from Sacramento, CA back to Philadelphia, PA. for the funeral. On the plane, sitting next to his lovely wife was unmistakeably Donald O'Connor! They were in first Class, I wasn't. We exchanged pleasantries for a brief moment, but before I could tell him about my mother, i.e., the "Queen for a Day" thing...the flight attendant jabbed and pushed me into the back of the plane as though I had some kind of communicable disease. Now, I have no doubt that Donald O'Connor had personally met millions of his fans, but even an actor on that level would have to had remembered a visit to his sound stage from the winner of "Queen for a Day". I never did get to see the movie, but one day I will. I rated it a 10 because while watching it, I'll be totally aware that while some of those scenes were being shot, just out of frame was my mother and father, like a couple of wide-eyed kids in their absolute glory, watching all of the magic of Hollywood.

I am a huge Donald O'Connor fan, and own about 33 of the 54 films he made. People tend to critize this film, however, in reality, this movie lived up to all it was supposed to be. This is one of the many 1940s B-musicals Donald did in his career, and I think that these films showcase some of Donald's best work. The story isn't much, and there are few song and dance numbers, but Donald O'Connor's talent and charm can make you forget all about that. Even in a character as different as this one is for him, he manages to still shine on screen. My favorite sequence, is the bar scene where Donald explains dancing using mathematics. It shows his incredible versitility as a dancer as he leaps and taps on every object imaginable. It shows the loveable hoofer doing what he did best. If you are looking for a big splashy MGM size musical this is not for you. However, if you love old musicals that are charming and fun, without big extravagent numbers, this is a great movie to see.