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There's a reason why Paul Muni was nominated for Best Actor at the 1934 Hot Toasty Rag Awards. In Hi, Nellie!, he played a fast-talking newspaper man completely unlike any other character he ever played. There was no makeup, no aging process, no historical figure to mimic; Paul had to play a regular fellow, someone he rarely played. And while It Happened One Night was busy sweeping the Oscars, Paul snagged a nomination at the Rags because he ran circles around Clark Gable. Paul could have played Peter Warren, but then again, so could any number of actors, including those who famously turned the role down.

In this funny, fast-paced hidden gem, Paul is forced to take over the heartthrobs column in his newspaper after a disagreement with the editor, Berton Churchill. He gets made fun of by his fellow reporters, including his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Farrell, until he gets embroiled in a murder case. Then, Paul and Glenda pull together to crack the case! Seriously, folks, rent this cute flick. Paul is incredibly handsome, has unexpectedly great comic timing, and shows a side he doesn't usually show the audience: a normal fellow!

HI, NELLIE! (Warner Brothers, 1934), directed by Mervyn LeRoy, is an interesting newspaper story starring Paul Muni in his third film for the studio. Having achieved great popularity in the title role of I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG (Warners, 1932), also directed by Mervyn LeRoy, HI, NELLIE not only has the distinction of being one of Paul Muni's lighter films of the period, but also the movie that reunites him with his CHAIN GANG co-stars as Glenda Farrell, Berton Churchill, Douglass Dumbrille and Edward Ellis. While CHAIN GANG has remained a classic thanks to frequent television broadcasts throughout the years, HI, NELLIE! is rarely shown and discussed among Paul Muni's resume of movie credits. Often classified as a comedy, it's far from a laugh-out-loud one in the screwball sense, but more of a grand mix verbal humor with melodrama and mystery combined.

Plot Summary: Samuel M. Bradshaw, better known as "Brad" (Paul Muni), is the pipe-smoking managing editor of the Time Star whose working desk is usually filled with paper note clutter. Also at the newspaper establishment are Harvey Dawes (Douglass Dumbrille), the city editor; "Shammy" McClaw (Ned Sparks), Brad's associate; Mr. Durkin (Donald Meek), the oldest copy boy of forty years; Fullerton (Hobart Cavanaugh), a reporter who's always asking Gerry Krale (Glenda Farrell) out for a date, but never gets anywhere. Gerry happens to be the "advise to the lovelorn" columnist known to all as "Nellie," a job title she hates. With the latest news of a bank closing due to a half a million dollar shortage, and Frank J. Canfield, head of the government investigating committee mysteriously disappearing, Brad, who finds no evidence against Canfield, writes nothing about the story as a front page spread as rival newspapers have done. For this, the Star's publisher, John L. Graham (Berton Churchill) has Brad fired. Because Brad has a contract with the Time Star where he cannot quit or get fired, the only thing that can be done is demote Brad to Gerry's old job on the "Hi, Nellie!" columns, with Gerry promoted to a better job. Having his pal, Shammy (Ned Sparks) continue to investigate the Canfield story, Shammy comes up with enough evidence to have Brad join forces with him on further investigations to prove Brad's intuitions are correct, followed by unsuspecting results. Also in the cast are: Robert Barrat (Beau Brownell, gang leader); Dorothy LeBaire (Rosa Martinello); Marjorie Gateson (Mrs. Canfield); George Meeker, Frank Reicher, Sidney Miller, Harold Huber and Allan Vincent.

HI, NELLIE! must have been successful enough for Warners to remake this more than once, as LOVE IS ON THE AIR (1937) with Ronald Reagan; YOU CAN'T ESCAPE FOREVER (1942) with George Brent, and THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET (1949) starring Wayne Morris. Yet it's the 1934 original that succeeds most due to LeRoy's fast-paced direction set in the newspaper world. While Glenda Farrell, who specialized in newspaper material playing the categorized term of "sob sister" as in MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933) followed by subsequent "Torchy Blane" movie series (1937-1939), her role as "Nellie" offers some amusements, but not enough action in the manner of the dominating Paul Muni character, who's the sole attraction here.

For anyone familiar with Paul Muni's acting style as a prestigious actor in such landmark films as THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR (1936), THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937) and JUAREZ (1939), HI, NELLIE is a little movie (75 minutes) that offers more of Paul Muni's character than the character behind the heavy make-up of historical figures. Aside from never playing the same type of character twice, Muni would go on for developing his craft in challenging roles as his two 1935 releases of accented speaking characters as the Mexican lawyer in BORDERTOWN or Swedish bo-hunk in BLACK FURY before finding his mark for which he very much prefered rather than those that suit him best.

Though not the best movie title depicted, HI, NELLIE!, which could have starred the likes of a James Cagney or Lee Tracy in the cast, ranks one of the finer, yet most underrated newspaper stories of the 1930s that can be seen and rediscovered occasionally on Turner Classic Movies. (***) -30-

Muni takes a break from all the heavy-breathing dramas he was turning out at Warners for this lively newspaper yarn, which takes an odd turn about halfway through. At first it's a "Front Page"-style comedy, complete with bustling newsroom, huffy editor, and speedy copy boys. Muni's demoted from managing editor for mishandling a story and relegated to taking over Glenda Farrell's lonely-hearts column (see also Montgomery Clift in "Lonelyhearts," a couple decades later). Oddly, these two bickering reporters don't romance each other. After being miserable in his new position and getting self-pitying drunk, he braces up and becomes the world's greatest lonely hearts reporter (thus all the "hi, Nellie!" mirth, which comes off today as homophobic and unkind). But then we transition into a convoluted newspaper drama, with Muni and the newsroom-a fine Warners bunch, with Donald Meek, Ned Sparks, Douglas Dumbrille-chasing down a missing executive and pursuing an unlikely course through Houston Street, Little Italy, and Greenwood Cemetery. It becomes less interesting, but Mervyn LeRoy, working at a furious Warners pace, keeps it brisk, there's a swell deco supper club set with a full-size carousel, and even the main-credits theme is memorable. Not top-drawer Warner Brothers, then, but enjoyable middle-drawer.

Having seen Paul Muni in so many dramas, I wondered if he could pull off comedy as well. I needn't have worried. Since he's teamed with Glenda Farrell, a master of the wisecrack, he gets solid support and the looks they exchange throughout the movie are priceless. One scene that I loved was when Glenda is pretending to be Nellie Nelson so that a woman will confide in her and she's bossing Muni around like he's her office boy.

The plot isn't that original. In fact, there are several versions on the same theme (star reporter demoted), but this one has the star material to give it an extra life. Ned Sparkes also adds to the fun.

Forced to write the Heartthrobs column, the former managing editor of a big city paper finds himself exposing a story of murder & political corruption.

Fast-moving & fun, HI, NELLIE! is another example of the comedy crime picture that Warner Brothers was so expert at producing. Casts & plots could be shuffled endlessly, with very predictable results. While this assembly line approach created few classics, audience enjoyment could usually be assured. Here, the look & feel of the paper's busy newsroom is smack on the mark and the performances, even with a script that's too plot heavy, never fail to entertain.

Consummate actor Paul Muni gets a rare chance at comedy here and pulls it off brilliantly, adding just the right amount of drama from time to time. Whether he's trashing his office in a fury, fighting with his boss or going nonchalantly into the headquarters of the enemy to collect information, Muni is never less than fascinating. He is teamed with the equally watchable Glenda Farrell, playing another one of her hard-boiled dames with a heart of gold. It is obvious from the script that their two characters were once lovers, but refreshingly no time is wasted with rekindling the flames - they are just chums, wary & respectful. Their unromantic chemistry adds much to the fun of the film.

A fine cast of character actors helps move the story along. Ned Sparks plays his usual acerbic self as an investigative reporter loyal to Muni. Little Donald Meek is equally good as an aged office clerk who provides assistance on the hectic news floor for Muni & Farrell. Berton Churchill as the paper's publisher & Douglass Dumbrille as Muni's rival both score in their roles.

Robert Barrat, Harold Huber & Edward Ellis all play dangerous bad guys who must be dealt with. Frank Reicher, fresh from his double stint as the captain in the KONG movies, here plays a none-to-savvy lawyer.

Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited John Qualen as a tenement custodian.