Wake Up and Live

Three decades after first seeing a poster of this movie in the encyclopedic book about movie comedians-"The Funsters"-in the bio of Patsy Kelly, and a few years ago after I found out this particular film was on YouTube, I finally got to watch Wake Up and Live. The main reason I just watched this was because since this is Black History Month and one of the players in this picture was Eddie Anderson, who by the time this was released had just been cast on radio in "The Jack Benny Program" as Rochester, well, since I usually go chronological in reviewing African-Americans in film during this month, this was next on my 1937 list. Anyway, Anderson appears in two scenes, both on an elevator since he works at one. In his second scene, Eddie tells leading man Jack Haley about an important radio star who wants to see him, first mentioning Fred Allen before segueing to "Jack Bernie" and then to Ben Bernie who's the one looking for Jack. The story itself concerns Haley's mic fright (illustrated by a cartoonish effect of that gadget becoming a demon in front of his eyes) and his attempts to overcome it while practicing in front of a "phony" one for Alice Faye. I'll just now say there are plenty of good songs, a couple of good tap routines by some brothers, some witty lines, a funny dance from Joan Davis, and good supporting turns by Ms. Kelly, Ned Sparks, William Demarest, Walter Catlett, fine numbers by bandleader Ben Bernie, and a good performance by newspaper columnist Walter Winchell as he and Bernie play up their off-screen "feud"! So on that note, I recommend Wake Up and Live.

Usually Jack Haley was placed as second leads or comic reliefs in lousy movies, and while Wake Up and Live isn't a classic, he is given the inarguable lead and almost every song to sing. This mistaken identity comedy is set amidst a faux rivalry between bandleader Ben Barnes and reporter Walter Winchell, who play themselves! While they try to insult and one-up each other, Jack Haley tries to make it as a singer, only he panics whenever he sees a microphone. Alice Faye, a singer, tries to help him get over his "mic fright" but turning the microphone without his knowledge. His voice floods into an entire radio station, and everyone loves him! The only trouble is no one knows who the "Phantom Troubadour" is and Jack doesn't know he's famous.

It's a pretty cute setup, and Jack Haley is given the cute and catchy songs "Never in a Million Years" and "It's Swell of You" to show off his voice. Alice is given one song, and Ben and Walter are given plenty of good-natured banter. Among the supporting players, you'll find Patsy Kelly, Ned Sparks, Miles Mander, and a couple of jaw-dropping numbers by the Condos Brothers. If you liked Pigskin Parade, with Jack and Patsy, you'll probably like this one.

Walter Winchell started in vaudeville as a performer in Gus Edwards's 'School Days' act. (A fictionalised version of this remarkable troupe became Bing Crosby's movie 'The Star Maker'.) Between engagements, Winchell wrote and published a vaudeville newsletter, filled with showbiz gossip. He eventually became a newspaper/radio columnist, utterly ruthless in his power, quick to destroy an enemy's career and (less frequently) to aid a friend. (The Broadway revue 'Hellzapoppin' was trashed by all the critics, yet ran for more than 3 years because Winchell plugged it in his column every single day.) Although many actors and entertainers desperately coveted a mention in Winchell's column, nearly everyone in show business despised him. (Ed Sullivan once threatened to shove Winchell's head into a toilet.) Winchell wisely avoided feuding with his many enemies, aware that such action would only give them free publicity. One of Winchell's few real friends was popular radio bandleader Ben Bernie, and the two concocted a public 'feud' that was a long-running publicity stunt for them both. Several movies - most notably 'Sweet Smell of Success' and 'Blessed Event' - feature fictional journalists who are blatantly based upon Winchell.

'Wake Up and Live', an above-average Fox musical, features Winchell and Bernie playing themselves ... or, rather, fictionalised versions of themselves, designed to make Winchell look good and their phony feud look genuine. In a staged scene, Winchell rattles off his extensive knowledge of obscure nightclub acts while identifying a masked singer after hearing only a few notes. In another scene - equally staged, but funny - a shifty promoter played by Walter Catlett tries to offer Winchell a bribe. Winchell takes the money but immediately drops it into a charity poorbox. Catlett attempts to retrieve the cash, only to attract the interest of a passing policeman. This scene pays tribute to one of Winchell's few genuine redeeming traits: he was active for many charitable causes. (Winchell founded the Damon Runyon Cancer Fund.) It's fascinating to see Winchell onscreen, even though he's clearing playing a sanitised version of himself. To see him here, you'd never guess he bullied his daughter unmercifully and drove his son to suicide.

Although Winchell and Bernie are prominently featured, the frothy plotline centres on Jack Haley as a would-be radio vocalist and Alice Faye as the singer who encourages him. The sexy and vivacious Faye sings the bouncy title tune. There's a very funny scene in which Haley arrives at the radio station, hoping to audition, when he runs afoul of a sour-tempered studio usher. The usher is played by none other than William Demarest, in his usual mode. It's astonishing to realise that, as late as 1937, Demarest was still playing bit parts like this one ... still, he's very welcome here in his brief scene. Demarest assures Haley that his audition will go well, providing he doesn't get mike fright ... a phenomenon which he then describes to Haley. So, of course, as soon as Haley tries to sing he develops mike fright. There's a delightfully surrealistic sequence in which we see the microphone from Haley's viewpoint, as it morphs into a snarling demon!

There are some lively but irrelevant speciality acts, including a couple of dance routines that would never perform on an actual radio show. Lots of familiar faces in the cast list, and Patsy Kelly is less annoying than usual. The title song is the only good one here. One interesting trivia note: the opening credits of this movie feature two guys from the art department named Mark-Lee Kirk and Haldane Douglas, and their names are stacked onscreen so that 'Kirk' is directly above 'Douglas'. I wonder if a certain dimple-chinned actor, just aspiring to a film career at this point, took his screen name from the credits of this movie? I'll rate 'Wake Up and Live' 9 points out of 10.

Fox musicals are often weighed down by leaden screenplays, dull camera-work, irrelevant specialty acts, and personalities with not that much personality. Some of those traits are evident in this musical-comedy piffle about the Walter Winchell-Ben Bernie feud, but there are compensating pleasures. High among them is Alice Faye warbling good Gordon-Revel songs such as "There's a Lull in My Life" (a surprisingly boring arrangement of it, though, and she's unflatteringly gowned); also, a genuinely funny second couple in Patsy Kelly and Ned Sparks; also, a specialty dance by Joan Davis. Jack Haley's an adequate leading man, though not a particularly charismatic one, and, since the plot turns on his golden voice, his songs are dubbed by Buddy Clark. (Haley could sing, but not well enough to be a "phantom troubadour.") It's brisk and reasonably comical, the musical numbers are fine, and the production bloat that hobbled so many Fox musicals over the next decade is nowhere evident.

Another classic motion picture that has never been available on video and another shame for eager classic movie fans. This 90 minute musical has everything you could ever hope for from a film. Great songs, dancing, comedy, drama, suspense and Alice Faye! The "feud' between Ben Bernie and Walter Winchell (as real as the "feud" of Jack Benny and Fred Allen) inspired this film which takes place during the great days of live radio.

Bernie and Winchell are the main attractions here but Jack Haley, Alice Faye, Patsy Kelly and Ned Sparks are the real stars of this picture. With the fine backing of Fox, this film was one in the long series of musicals featuring Faye and a stellar supporting cast. It is in this film that she introduces the standard classic song, "There's A Lull In My Life".

Jack Haley is featured as a singer who suffers from mike fright. Actually, Haley's wonderful singing voice is dubbed in this film by Buddy Clark! For trivia fans, Haley refers to this role in his next picture, "Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm", when he lets a young girl who is afraid of microphones know that he was once afraid of them too.

The film is a timepiece of an era long gone. If you ever get the chance to see this great film with all of its wonderful songs, "It's Swell Of You","Wake Up And Live" and, "Never In A Million Years", you won't be mislead.