Le joyeux reporter

Claremont, Wisconsin newspaperman and aviator Joe E. Brown (as Elmer Lane) wins the $5,000 first prize in a radio contest and is subsequently taken advantage of by sneaky Guy Kibbee (as J. Rutherford "Doc" Waddington). Then, the "Radio Beam Airplane Co." they form with the funds attracts a criminal element. Pretty girlfriend Florence Rice (as Betty Harrison) worries Mr. Brown may be in over his head. Taking his bath in this one, the popular comedian would have benefited from a wiser budget and some fresher material.

**** Riding on Air (6/18/37) Edward Sedgwick ~ Joe E. Brown, Guy Kibbee, Florence Rice, Vinton Hayworth

Joe E. Brown is a small-town newspaperman with an assortment of hobbies, like ham radio and flying. He gets himself accepted as the local correspondent of a Chicago newspaper and is hoodwinked by Guy Kibbee as a successful investor, whom he brings back to town to organize a company for a local radio-controlled plane. Brown also has a girl -- Florence Rice -- and a theory he is pursuing for the paper about a man who was shot seven times and his bones broken.

It's an elaborately plotted comedy, done during the period when Brown left Warner Brothers for independent producer David Loew. While the story is nicely complicated, the gag structure, supervised by Eddie Sedgwick, is pretty tired. There's a thrill comedy sequence, but it's clearly shot on a set with a wing-walker doubling for a brief few seconds. Instead, the comedy depends on Brown's screen persona and big-mouth shtick. It is not, alas, enough to make this movie very funny.

I would agree that the movie is not well written or well directed. However, Joe E. Brown is still a great comedian. He offers a lot of clever twists and turns in the plot and makes the whole thing passable entertainment.

Brown belongs on the short list of great 1930's comedians with Laurel and hardy, W.C. Fields and Mae West. He is a wonderful combination of rube and conman. He has a wide mouth not matched in size till Jim Carrey in the 90's.

Even here, not generally his best material, there are many chuckles to be had. The short scene of him taking a bath is a little gem. He has all kinds of weird contraptions to make the bath process easier. Perhaps only Keaton could have done it better. Daredevil antics in an airplane remind one of Harold Lloyd. Except for Lloyd, nobody could have done it better.

There is a curious lack of music throughout this film. I am wondering if the music track was lost at some point. Anybody know about this?