Going Highbrow

Every once in awhile I discover an actor that is a revelation. I've seen him or her in other roles but wasn't impressed enough to notice. Watching Ross Alexander I saw a likable, energetic, impressive singer. He puts Dick Powell to shame. After reading his bio I see why he never became a star. What a pity. When he and Edward Everett Horton do their patter songs it's impossible not to smile, stop the DVD and replay them. It was also nice to see Sazu Pitts in a glamor role. At 41 she could play frumps and spinsters 'til the cows come home. This one let her look her best. (If you've never seen her in a Von Stroheim film you don't know how good she could look when properly photographed.) The story is nothing. But the interaction of the characters is extremely well done. If you love 1930s character actors as I do, be sure to catch this film the next time it's on TCM.

From Warner Brothers B picture unit Going Highbrow finds the newly rich Guy Kibbee and Zasu Pitts trying to break into that beautiful high society Louis Armstrong sang about. In fact they've just bought a Tintoretto and then a castle for it to hang in.

For reasons historians of the 30s can't really explain people went to the movies to see rich people portrayed on the screen. In this case Kibbee is a down to earth sort and Pitts is nice, but with a few airs. I do love the way Kibbee describes how he made his money. He accidentally sold short before the Crash of 1929 something many in the movie theater audience wish they had.

Edward Everett Horton is manager of society denizen Nella Walker's fortune and he hasn't been doing so good lately for her or her son Ross Alexander. But he resolves to make the acquaintance of Kibbee and Pitts because if they like paintings she has plenty.

She also has a bachelor son and if Guy and Zasu only could get a daughter on short notice. That could be solved with the appearance of June Martel a waitress from the cafe across the street.

I think you can tell where this will end up. All the players fill out roles in which they are nicely typecast. You could also add Judy Canova playing Martel's fellow hashslinger.

Two tragedies emerged from this film. Gordon Westcott who is Martel's 'husband' and former vaudeville partner died in a polo match accident. And Ross Alexander's career was cut short by suicide.

Going Highbrow is pleasant viewing for an hour plus especially if you are a fan of one or more of these players.

If you like the silly comedies of the 30s then check this movie out.

Everybody is good in this movie but Edward Everett Horton steals the show. He is excellent.

ZaSu Pitts is also top notch. But as I say all the actors show their stuff in this funny uptown romp.

Guy Kibbee made a lot of money in the stock market in 1929 when his broker sold when Kibbee told him to buy. Now he spends some of that money granting his wife's wishes. Her latest is to break into New York society. Matron Nella Walker is down to her residences and the furnishings, but she still has prestige. So Edward Everett Horton suggests they can enter society by marrying Miss Walker's son, Ross Alexander, to their daughter.

They don't have a daughter, but Kibbee has taken a shine to June Martell, the waitress in the diner he likes to eat at. They fit her up as their daughter and throw a party to introduce her to Alexander, not knowing they've already met, and Alexander is smitten.

It's a Cinderella story, with Kibbee's checkbook serving as a magic wand. Although it occasionally gets a bit tiresome by its reliance on Horton's nitwittery, there's enough of the old-style Warner Brothers' rapid-fire editing to keep this moving along amusingly.

I was really full of anticipation before i viewed this film.What a great cast,full of great comedy actors from the 30s.I was about to uncover a forgotten masterpiece.How wrong i was.This was an extremely lame comedy,of the sort spawned by production requirements that one film a week be shipped out to the theatres.It just goes to show that you can have great talents but if you do not have a good script there is no likelihood that you will have a good film.Guy Kibee as usual plays a business man flirting with a younger woman,Zasu Pitts as so often plays the fretful wife and Edward Everett Horton plays Edward Everett Horton.Ross Alexander sings,if that is his own voice,a rather pleasant song.So the best that you can say about this film is that at 66 minutes it doesn't linger around too long.