Hellzapoppin'

It seems a lot of reviewers have branded this movie as "dated but good"...when in fact it's incredibly ahead of its time.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the surrealists cried tears of jealousy when it premiered; the neverending, irreverent gags and complete disregard for time and space leaves avant-garde films like Un Chien Andalou in the dust.

The humour of Hellzapoppin' is not dumb or childish but incredibly smart.

A beautiful, fun, hilarious movie and arguably a proto-postmodern classic

that deserves a reevaluation and wider circulation.

This movie was one of my childhood favorites. I had not seen this movie during the last 20 years. I attempted to contact the production studio and even the motion picture academy. The academy infomed me that there was a long-standing legal dispute about the writing credits. Because of the legal dispute the film has not been shown in the US (TV & Video) for over 20 years.

Good news, I was able to purchase a VHS tape from a video distributor in Ireland. The tape was in PAL format and not viewable in VCRs made in the US. I had the tape transferred to US format. Now I can enjoy this wonderful movie anytime I want.

I've wanted to see this movie for a long time, after reading about it in a book on "movie comedy teams."

I finally got the chance after purchasing it on eBay in vhs format. All I can say is...It was worth the wait!

Jokes, mayhem and madness run rampant throughout this movie! It's like an old version of AIRPLANE! It almost seems like an abridged version of a Marx Brothers movie. Even when the "love story" slows things down...jokes "pop up" when you least expect them.

I'm really surprised that nobody has mentioned the scene where Olsen, Johnson and the Director of the film are sitting down (with the backs of their heads to us) watching a film on a small screen and commenting on it. This scene screamed, "MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000!"

If you get the chance to see this, do! And then watch it again to catch all of the jokes you missed the first time.

Okay, first let's dispatch this old nag - HELLZAPOPPIN' is NOT the stage play transferred to film. The 1938 show was a revue. A series of sketches, blackouts and musical numbers. Richard Lane, as the director, was right - "This is Hollywood, we change everything!" And, in my humble opinion, I think they did a darn fine job. The "love story" was merely a vehicle for a couple of very nice songs (the entire score is first-rate) and a goofy performance by the long-forgotten Lewis Howard. Jane Frazee and Robert Paige were both top drawer light players at Universal with excellent singing voices. So believe me, in making the necessary "changes", Universal gave it their best shot. As for the fun stuff, it's simply non-stop, from Shemp Howard and Jody Gilbert in the projection booth, to former Stooge Fred Sanborn playing tic-tac-toe on a horse's backside, to the singing and dancing devils (with chicks on a spit!) to Mischa Auer doing his very best "schnorrer" routine, to the other-worldly Hugh Herbert ("hello ma, I'll be home for dinner - have meat!"), to the myriad gags that break the fourth wall, to the eye-popping and breathless turn by Martha Raye, to the greatest Lindy Hop number committed to film, and on and on. If you roll your eyeballs at corny gags, this picture ain't for you! But if you revel at the shear audacity of pulling off such corn with absolutely no shame whatsoever, then you want to experience HELLZAPOPPIN'. If at all possible, see it with an audience. No comedy can be fully appreciated by solo viewing. But as laughter is infectious, the kinetic energy generated by this picture really cries out for a communal experience. One aspect of this picture is seldom mentioned and that is the musical direction. Universal was really tops in the early 40's of putting pop sounds in their B musicals. Well, this is definitely an 'A' picture, and Charlie Previn's orchestra is in fine form, especially in the "Congaroo" number. By the way - it has long been my contention that HELLZAPOPPIN' was not, at least completely, directed by the credited H. C. Potter. The style of the film is unlike anything else Potter did and is completely akin to the work of Eddie Cline, who was Universal's ace comedy director at the time and who directed the next three Olsen & Johnson features. Just a theory of mine and one for which I have absolutely no documentation or other type of support. HELLZAPOPPIN' has been buried in the US since 1966 when the rights reverted to the Nederlander Organization. But fortunately a UK DVD from Universal's 35mmm fine grain has been released and is a superb video version of the film. It is also shown occasionally on TV in Canada. Now - will someone PLEASE stop that woman from yelling "Oscar"!!

A really crazy, fun ride through a Broadway show, there are moving sets, one liners and all around comic mayhem. The irrepressible Martha Raye is all over this film, being a bit obnoxious, overbearing and, eventually, kind of humiliated. But she is just one person in a seemingly endless array of actors who walk in and out of scenes. I loved the film'special effects, they were actually fairly impressive for a film from the early 1940's. There is lots of music, lots of dancing, slapstick, drama and..well, you get the idea. The film whizzes along quickly, and its this pace that makes it never boring. As a matter of fact, blink your eyes and you'll miss something. Enjoy this, it really was a lot of fun.