Colleen

Many, if not most, of the commentaries about 'Colleen' here on iMDB are.... pretty withering... and if we compare it to earlier Warner Bro. Musicals, or to the fabulous cycle of Rogers/Astaire films coming out of RKO, then sure it doesn't compare. But it's still a good show, given the talent level of the cast and the film's obvious imitation of those musical giants Ginger and Fred. Possibly the worst of all is the music itself.

At several points, both Powell and Blondell are obviously laughing out of character at the screenplay, and they are immeasurably better than the film and their roles and the cast they are saddled with. Keeler and Oakie ! Hugh Herbert! Pretty ghastly roster. But they were both contract stars, professionals, and they turned in high quality performances of the material they were given. Powell was very glad this was the last with Keeler.

Powell was becoming increasingly vocal about the fact that he didn't even like to sing (!!?), and Blondell was writing letters to the executives begging to be given scripts that varied even slightly from the last dozen movies she had made, but the simple truth was, Warner Bros. Didn't have anybody else that could perform these roles, and they didn't have much in the way of scripts or screenplays either. So both stars abandoned Warner Bros altogether when their contracts ran out, and moved on to the best performances of their careers.

It's a shame they couldn't have made those kinds of films in the early and mid-30s, when they were at their physical peaks, particularly Blondell. Happily though, neither of them considered their film careers to be anything more than a great paycheck.

COLLEEN (Warner Brothers, 1936), directed by Alfred E. Green, reunites the musical team of Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler for the seventh and final time. Powell plays Donald T. Ames, the nephew Cedric Ames (Hugh Herbert), an eccentric millionaire whose wife, Alicia (Louise Fazenda), suspects him of philandering around with other women. He encounters Minnie Hawkins (Joan Blondell), a chocolate dipper working at the Itsey-Ditsey Nut Chewsie, becomes impressed with her, buys a dress shop where she gets to be in charge of the establishment. While investigating the books of the dress shop, Donald meets and becomes infatuated with Colleen Reilly (Ruby Keeler), the bookkeeper. Instead of closing up the shop, Donald agrees to keep it open for as long as Minnie behaves herself, but Minnie, the fortune hunter as she is, pretends to be interested in Cedric (who plans on adopting her as his daughter), and two-times him with Joe Cork (Jack Oakie), Colleen's steady boyfriend. Romance blossoms between Donald and Colleen, but further complications follow before things get under way on board an ocean liner.

A silly comedy that somehow works,COLLEEN brings back Powell and Keeler to familiar surroundings made famous from their earlier collaborations (GOLD DIGGERS OF '33 and DAMES), as a romantic couple surrounded by gold digger(s), an eccentric millionaire with scatterbrained wife, along with plenty of song and dance. It's not the usual backstage story. The production numbers this time just happen on screen with a bright score composed by the then popular Harry Warren and Al Dubin, which happened to be one of those rare cases where they failed to produce a single song hit. The score includes: "I Don't Have to Dream Again" (sung by Dick Powell, followed by singing and dancing models in a musical fashion show hosted by Keeler, highlighted with a tap dancing story by Paul Draper and Keeler); "The Boulvardier From the Bronx" (sung and performed amusingly by Jack Oakie and Joan Blondell as they dine in a Chop-Suey joint); "An Evening With You" (sung by Powell to Keeler as they take a stroll through the park); "You Gotta Know How to Dance" (sung by Keeler/danced by Keeler and Draper, and sung briefly by Powell), followed by a short reprise of "An Evening With You" sung by Powell to Keeler on deck of the ship.

Watching the ten minute finale of "You Gotta Know How to Dance," choreographed by Bobby Connolly, this number at times has the feel to the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers production number of "The Continental" from their 1934 hit, "The Gay Divorcée" (RKO), which finds the camera following a group of dancers in long shot range and average shot towards its main focus of Keeler and Draper. Paul Draper, in his movie debut, is an unusual dancer (and bad actor whose participation in the plot is thankfully limited), with a much different style to Astaire's. However, he doesn't have that grace and elegance that made Astaire so popular and likable, which probably explains why Draper's film career was so short-lived. Draper's tapping at times drowns out the Vitaphone Orchestra underscoring in the two production numbers opposite Keeler.

Also seen briefly in a large cast of Warners stock players are Marie Wilson as Mabel (sharing one short scene near the film's opening opposite Herbert); J.M. Kerrigan as Colleen's father; Berton Churchill as Cedric's lawyer; and Luis Alberni as Carlo, the dress designer. As for Joan Blondell, who spends much of the time going about Bink-eyed and speaking in a dead-pan manner, it's Hugh Herbert who nearly walks away with the story since the main focus is on him instead of Colleen.

COLLEEN, an overlooked musical, is quite amusing and entertaining, offering Keeler an opportunity to sing and dance more than she ever did on screen in the past. However, her dancing opposite Draper has become no threat to the song and dance team of Astaire and Rogers. COLLEEN is worth viewing through once whenever presented on Turner Classic Movies.

One final note: Let's hope that someday COLLEEN goes through a restoration process since the audio can be slightly distorted and picture covered with acid spots that's quite noticeable near the conclusion. (***)

The happy-go- lucky years between the two big wars. A musical, starring 32 year old crooner dick powell, and 27 ish ruby keeler. Industry and intrigue when eccentric uncle cedric starts to meddle in the family businesses. Some of his actions are successful, but most are total disasters! Hugh herbert and jack oakie are in here for laughs. And don't forget the awesome joan blondell (from desk set, millionaire, and so many early oldies!) she's in here as a candy factory worker. All hell breaks loose when cedric buys a dress shop for her to run. Don is a big shot in the family business, and tries to figure out the books, along with colleen (keeler). The fashion show is just an excuse for a song by powell, and of course, a huge synchronized dance bit, which looks like a busby berkeley bit, but I don't see him anywhere in the credits. The tap dancing goes on WAY TOO long! The trivia section tells us they actually cut eleven minutes, but yeegods, they sure didn't take any time from the tap dancing, or the dance in the chop suey joint. The sound and picture are in such great condition, it seems to have been restored. It's mostly really good! Sadly, powell died young at 58. Some fun connections... ruby keeler was married to al jolson for years. Powell married joan blondell, after working with her on this very film! Directed by al green. Story by robert lord. And probably one of the earliest uses of the term "arrested development".

I was surprised to see how many IMDb contributors gave this movie a thumbs down. The story isn't any more substantial than a few dozen other romantic comedies of the time. But it moves along at a merry pace, especially when the cast takes over an ocean liner. And there are enough plot twists to keep it rolling. Dick Powell is his usual easygoing self. Ruby Keeler is surprisingly good --for an actress who had more than her share of detractors. Hugh Herbert dithers amusingly. And even Joan Blondell scores as a woman on the loose. Add some stylish production numbers-- with the usual bevy of toe-tapping chorus girls led by Keeler and Paul Draper -- and you've got a pleasant 90 minutes or so.

A fine cast outperforms the material that was given. Two of the dance numbers are worth the price of admission. The major number with Ruby Keeler and Paul Draper leads me to reevaluate Keeler's ability. I have seen a Dick Powell interview in which he stated that Ruby was only an average dancer. She certainly was not an Eleanor Powell or Ann Miller, but "The Stomper" was better than I had thought.

The Joan Blondell/Jack Oakie ballroom type segment was truly enjoyable. In fact, I'll call it delightful. Watched it four times before proceeding with the remainder of the movie.

Two of the reviewers of this movie have each made an incorrect statement. 1.)Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler were not married at the time this movie was made. They never were married to each other. Keeler was married at the time to Al Jolson. The reviewer might have been thinking thinking of Dick's marriage to co-star Joan Blondell. They were wed from September 19,1936 to July 14,1944. 2.)Cast member Hugh Herbert did not co-write the script for "Colleen". F. Hugh Herbert was the co-writer. These were two different persons.