La femme en cage

Original title: Hitting a New High

1937
Approved
1h 25m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, John Howard, Jack Oakie, and Lily Pons in La femme en cage (1937)

Lili Pons and Jack Oakie star as a nightclub singer with aspires to be an opera diva and the met star whom she chases all the way to a safari in Africa to make her dreams come true in this w... Read allLili Pons and Jack Oakie star as a nightclub singer with aspires to be an opera diva and the met star whom she chases all the way to a safari in Africa to make her dreams come true in this wacky musical comedy.Lili Pons and Jack Oakie star as a nightclub singer with aspires to be an opera diva and the met star whom she chases all the way to a safari in Africa to make her dreams come true in this wacky musical comedy.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

4.9/10

362

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 2 wins & 1 nomination total

Photos47

+ 39

Top cast28

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Lily Pons

Suzette, aka Oogahunga, the Bird-Girl

Jack Oakie

Corny Davis

John Howard

Jimmy James

Eric Blore

Cedric Cosmo, aka Captain Braceridge Hemingway

Edward Everett Horton

Lucius B. Blynn

Eduardo Ciannelli

Andreas Mazzini

Luis Alberni

Luis Marlo

Vinton Hayworth

Carter Haig
(as Jack Arnold)

Leonard Carey

Jervons, Blynn's Butler

Joe Bacon

African Native
(uncredited)

Jack Clisby

African Native
(uncredited)

James Conaty

Guest
(uncredited)

Nathan Curry

African Native
(uncredited)

LeRoy Edwards

African Native
(uncredited)

Kathleen Ellis

Woman
(uncredited)

Elias English

African Native
(uncredited)

Elmer Fain

African Native
(uncredited)

Harold Farley

African Native
(uncredited)

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The film lost considerable money at the box office - $431,000 according to studio records. It was Lily Pons's last film at RKO and she never made another non-concert film.

Goofs
A Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo is seen in the African jungle when Oogahunga is found. Later on, Mazzini refers to Oogahunga as an "Egyptian Cockatoo". Cockatoos are native to Australia and some islands to its north, and are not found in Africa. A cockatoo is also seen later in Blynn's house as a pet, but this is not unusual, as cockatoos have been imported to the USA and kept as pets for many years.

Connections
Referenced in The True Adventures of Raoul Walsh (2014)

Soundtracks
I Hit a New High
(1937)
Music by Jimmy McHugh (as James McHugh)
Lyrics by Harold Adamson
Played during the opening credits
Sung by Lily Pons and sung and danced by the chorus at the Chez Suzette

User reviews9

Featured review

5/10

more birds

Press agent Corny Davis (Jack Oakie) has an issue with a lion shoot. He's taking media mogul Lucius B. Blynn on an African big game hunt. Jazz singer Suzette (Lily Pons) is trying to be an opera singer. Corny has a crazy idea to make her Oogahunga, the legendary Bird-Lady from the African jungle.

The overall premise is bonkers. Lily Pons is an European opera singer with passable acting skills. This starts with the crazy lion scene. That's a real lion. The premise is a mess, but it's a fun mess for the most part. I really wanted her to go full out with all the birds in the world. The fun start and the crazy premise eventually runs out of steam. It needs more jokes and better comedy.