Não, Não, Nanette!

This almost-musicless but highly enjoyable musical, though released in 1940, contains all the conventions of the thirties comedies: A perky heroine who meddles in everyone's lives with sociopathic "pranks", and exotic gold-diggers whom she's combatting; a ludicrously lecherous uncle, and a knowing, wisecracking wife; anti-cultural attitudes, yet hilariously pseudo-cultural touches in numbers; sublimely silly plot complications and coincidences with surrealistically unlikely outcomes; and an environment where airplanes have sleeping-bunks, all women own enormous wardrobes of real fabric and real fur, and homes and hotels are all done in snowy white. Plus it's great fun to see some of Hollywood's then-abundant great "character" players working together, and to catch later stars before their images were forever fixed. Just imagine the innocence and aspirations of a world where an airline stewardess is clothed in an expensive military-style uniform, all of white!

Okay, so there is a front view of a Checker taxi, probably late 1930s model. It has the great triangular shaped headlights. There also is a DeSoto cab in this black and white, character driven, almost a musical love gone wrong story.

The real pleasure here is the look at 1940s room interiors and fashions and hotel elevators. The hair styles, male and female are gorgeous. If Dolly Parton had Victor Mature's hair she could have made it big. There is an artist loft that would be the envy of every Andy Warhol wannabe.

If you watch this expecting a great Casablanca storyline or Sound of Music oom-pah-pah, you will be disappointed. There is a nice little story beneath the runway model approach in this film.

My copy on DVD with another movie for $1 was very viewable. The title sequence was cute but not up there with Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World or The Pink Panther. This was an RKO movie but it did not have the nice airplane logo that RKO used to use.

I liked Victor Mature in One Million, B.C., and Sampson and Delilah and especially in Violent Saturday. See if you can find that one. He was wonderful in the comedy with Peter Sellers called Caccia Alla Volpe or After The Fox.

Richard Carlson went on to do I Led Three Lives on TV in the early 1950s.

Vic Mature was offered the part of Sampson's father in the remake of Sampson and Delilah. He supposedly was asked if he would have any problems playing the part of the father since he was so well known as Sampson. Victor replied, "If the money is right, I'll play Sampson's mother."

Tom Willett

This sad little film bears little similarity to the 1971 Broadway revival that was such a 'nostalgic' hit. Keep in mind that when Burt Shevelove directed that revival, he rewrote the book extensively. I have a feeling that this screenwriter wrought as much of a change from the original 1925 version as well. I played the 'innocent philanderer' Jimmy Smith on-stage in 1974, and thought this $1 DVD would bring back memories. Not a chance. Even the anticipated delight of seeing "Topper" Roland Young play 'my' part was a major disappointment. Three songs from the play remain, and are done very poorly. Even the classic duet, "Tea For Two", is done as a virtual solo. The many familiar faces in this 1940 fiasco do not do themselves proud at all, and the star, Anna Neagle, just embarrasses herself. When I feel gypped by spending a dollar, I know the film must be bad. Another commentator mentioned the Doris Day version, which is actually called "Tea For Two" and is about doing the stage play (the original, of course), so those who are seeking the true "No No Nanette" might find a more recognizable version there.

One of the greatest of stars of the British cinema was Anna Neagle and her marriage with her producer Herbert Wilcox has a just claim of one of the greatest star/impresario partnerships in history. Right up there with David Belaco/Mrs. Leslie Carter and Phineas T. Barnum/Jenny Lind.

Wilcox made a three picture deal with RKO Pictures and brought Anna over to this side of the pond to star in three film versions of famous musical comedies, Irene, Sunny, and this film No No Nanette. Though her charm and singing and dancing talent come through, the two that I've seen so far seem to suffer from a lack of decent production values.

The Vincent Youmans score is almost completely eliminated as the only numbers retained are the title song and the standards I Want To Be Happy and Tea For Two. Still Anna does them charmingly with both her co-star Richard Carlson and her uncle Roland Young.

The plot is on two tracks, there's débutante Nanette who is courted by artist Richard Carlson and Broadway director Victor Mature. And her uncle Roland Young is an incurable romantic, forever pursuing young ladies to the displeasure of her aunt Helen Broderick. Trundling through it all is the family maid Zasu Pitts who has the difficult task of keeping everybody's secrets.

The version I saw was only 87 minutes and it says here that the USA version was 96 and the UK version of No No Nanette was 116. It was thought for a long time the film was lost altogether so I'm guessing it was pieced together as best it could be. Because of the unavoidable bad editing I can't give it more than I have.

Still for fans of Anna Neagle, something to see.

Perhaps some nostalgia shielded me from the grainy picture and outrageous sound in this picture which came out a year into the European World War II, probably intended as escapist fare for the Allied side of the combattants. It is a funny story, but probably the plot is as old as history. Anna Neagle, a very versatile (still) young actress,who could do Queen Victoria, Nell Gwynn and many other roles,shows herself mistress of fluid dialogue and continuity,vivacious,charming and witty, and knocks our more modern imports like the "propah, Oh so British Sounding" Julie Andrews and Elizabeth Taylor (the poor man's Vivian Leigh) into a cocked hat. There is a nice dance sequence while she dreams while being painted,and her voice is quite pleasant. There are sufficient conflicts and the film is not devoid of a moral issue: to paint for art's sake,or put out meretricious subjects in order to advertise smoking. Helen Broderick,Zasu Pitts,Eve Arden, who rather hams her part,are in nice supporting roles,with Richard Carlson (who has a passable voice) and Victor Mature as the male juvenile leads.