The Sap from Syracuse

Jack Oakie stars as a guy named, believe it or not, 'Littleton Looney'!! Looney is a working man who suddenly learns he's inherited $18,000 (a tidy slum back in 1930) and with it, he's taking a cruise to Paris. His friends want to give him a nice sendoff, so they send all sorts of telegrams trying to make Looney look like a real big shot. It works very well, as soon folks on the boat think he's a man of high finance...not just a lucky working stiff! Along the way, he meets up with a lovely lady who is in dire straits...she owns a mine and the manager of the mine is doing everything he can to ruin her! In desperation and trusting no one, she asks Looney for assistance. What's next?

In many ways, this movie actually reminds me of the 1980 film "Being There". This is because no matter what the leading man does, those around him assume he's brilliant and talking metaphorically. But he's basically a simple guy with simple pretensions.

One reason to watch this one is not whether the film is any good or not. Instead, it's a chance to see Ginger Rogers in a very early role before she got a HUGE makeover. Instead of her usual blonde hair and polish, she's dark haired and her voice isn't quite what you'd expect. It really is amazing how different she is...almost as dramatic a makeover as Ida Lupino's just a few years later.

So is the story any good? Yes. It's a nice little slice of life movie and the characters are likable and the story holds up well. My only complaint is not the fault of the filmmakers...and that the sound quality of the YouTube print I found was very poor.