The Cuckoos

Made during the early talkie era, this was only Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey's second movie after Rio Rita. Along with them is usual leading lady Dorothy Lee and Jobyna Howland who is hilariously mismatched with Woolsey as she towers over him! Many fine musical numbers and comedy routines abound including one about a keg of beer which W & W try to take from U.S. customs to Mexico during this Prohibition period. There's also a funny sequence of Wheeler in drag. And there are three two-strip Technicolor musical numbers that must have been awe-inspiring when first presented to 1930 audiences. So on that note, I recommend The Cuckoos

After their success in supporting comic roles in RIO RITA, Wheeler and Woolsey were given the leads in this stage musical, which comes to the screen pretty much as if it were a filmed stage show (most of these early adaptations look like this - witness RIO RITA, WHOOPEE! etc.).

Not much plot and what there is follows the musical comedy formula. The romantic leads are dull, but we're not watching this for them. W & W are as usual marvelous together, with one gag word play after another. It's a most enjoyable 97 minutes.

One smash hit song from the Bolton/Kalmar/Ruby score (which by the way is universally tuneful and quality)is I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. Ten songs were retained from the stage show for the film.

There are three two-strip Technicolor inserts (reds, greens, browns) : a. the first act finale to the song GOODBYE, occurring from the 53 minute mark to 57:30 (4:30 minutes); b. the second act DANCE THE DEVIL AWAY number, occurring from 1 hour 21 minutes, 20 seconds to 1 hour, 23, minutes, 40 seconds (2:20 minutes); c. the Finale, occurring from 1 hour 34 minutes, 20 seconds to 1 hour, 36 minutes, 55 seconds (2:35).

Technicolor totals: 9:25 minutes.

A kidnapped heiress & a daring pilot. A wicked baron & an evil gypsy king. A wealthy matron & a cute young Romany. Not to mention a couple of fake psychics who are as crazy as THE CUCKOOS in any clock.

This ancient musical was Wheeler & Woolsey's 2nd film (Bert Wheeler is the little curly-haired guy; Robert Woolsey is the skinny bespectacled one). The Boys are always fun to watch, and they've got some good songs, but when they're off screen the film groans badly. However, it must be said that the massive Jobyna Howland is a great Dumont-esque foil for them & more than holds her own.

The Boys' frequent kewpie-doll co-star, Dorothy Lee, is on hand - and in Wheeler's arms. Ivan Lebedeff is OK as the villain. The romance between June Clyde & Hugh Trevor is dull stuff.

Three early Technicolor scenes are included and they are easy on the eyes. Some of the musical numbers seem to exist solely for the purpose of exhibiting the RKO chorus girls in various stages of undress.

Wondering what a band of Eastern European gypsies are doing in Northern Mexico? In films like this you don't ask questions like that...

Wheeler and Woolsey had made one previous movie together, RIO RITA. RIO RITA was a musical extravaganza and in this film the standout performances were by Bebe Daniels and Wheeler and Woolsey. In fact, the audience response was so positive to the boys that RKO immediately signed them to star in THE CUCKOOS--another musical with comedy interludes. While similar to RIO RITA, it's very different from their later films because there is so much singing--and many of their later films had none. Now some singing might not have been a bad thing. The songs Wheeler and Woolsey sang were pretty cute and they were amazingly good dancers--showing their vaudeville heritage as song and dance men. Even Bert Wheeler's sweet "I Love You So Much" number was quite pleasant--even if it was without Woolsey and was a love song. Unfortunately, there were 2983 songs in the film (I counted them--trust me on this) and after a while it just became a distraction from the comedy--a MAJOR distraction. HUGE song and dance numbers like "Tap the Devil Away" were big, colorful (with two-color Technicolor for several dance numbers, such as this one) were particularly annoying and pointless. You really can't blame the boys for all this--this is what RKO wanted and musicals were hugely popular in 1930.

As for the comedy, Wheeler and Woolsey were better than normal--far less annoying than in some of their later outings and it's just a shame they didn't have more chance to do their stuff. I particularly liked the bedroom scene where EVERYONE seemed to keep interrupting their sleep. It was a bit reminiscent of the later stateroom scene in the Marx Brothers' A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. Also, although it's a big icky, the scene where Wheeler dresses in drag and seduces the gypsy men is funny as well.

The boys star as phony psychics who get into trouble just south of the border (in Mexico). They hang out in the world's weirdest casino, as it has huge Busby Berkeley-style song and dance numbers and the gambling seems almost unimportant! They bumble into a kidnapping plot and Wheeler also gets on the bad side of an evil Gypsy (a popular group to hate back in 1930). Why Gypsies were in Mexico and living right next to the casino is anyone's guess.

W & W are a couple of fortune-tellers with, of course, no talent in this particular area other than an understanding of Pig-Latin. This comes in handy when the purse of wealthy Jobyna Howland (Fannie) is stolen by gypsy leader Mitchell Lewis (Julius). He's a baddie that wants to kill Bert Wheeler (Sparrow) because Bert is in love with the same girl as him - adopted gypsy Dorothy Lee (Anita). He's also involved in a plot to kidnap June Clyde (Ruth) on behalf of Ivan Lebedeff (The Baron). It's a nonsense plot set in Mexico but this is irrelevant. We watch for the comedy routines and musical numbers.

There are 3 musical sections that are filmed in two-strip technicolour with greens and reds prominent. There are quite a few songs and some entertaining dances throughout the film. It seems like everyone has a go. If you enjoy this film, I'd recommend Whoopee! from the same year starring Eddie Cantor. Very similar stuff also in technicolour. A couple of good songs that stand out in this are "All Alone Monday" and "I Love You So Much".