Sis Hopkins

I'd never heard of her before watching this movie, but Judy Canova was a pretty famous comedienne in the 1930s and 1940s. If you're curious about her, or if you have heard of her and happen to like her, Sis Hopkins shows off her talents like no other. She plays the same character as her decades-famous shtick: a hillbilly from the sticks with hidden talents. She comes to live with her wealthy, high-society relatives and is made fun of and looked down upon because of her uncouth manners and funny accent. Will she eventually find acceptance in her new surroundings, or will Sis Hopkins turn into a tearful drama?

I'm sure you can guess the answer after watching the first ten minutes. Most of the movie is incredibly silly, and the rest of it is predictable and trite. Judy sings everything from country tunes to opera to yodeling, but if you find her annoying, you probably won't like this movie. She's on the screen almost the entire time, so you'll be able to quickly find out if you'll like the movie or hate it.

In Sis Hopkins Judy Canova plays the proverbial country cousin who comes to live with her rich relations in the big city. Her blood uncle Charles Butterworth is all right, he's the twin brother of her father and Uncle Butterworth became rich by inventing a new kind of faucet valve. He was a plumber when he started and not one to put on airs. The same can't be said for his wife Katharine Alexander and daughter Susan Hayward. They've taken to the manor born and they've even got a snooty butler played by Charles Coleman.

The missus won't have Canova around, so Butterworth sends her off to college with Hayward. Of course Susan isn't crazy about the prospect of rooming in the dormitory with her country cousin, especially when the rich society kid Bob Crosby starts checking her out.

Sis Hopkins is the quintessential Judy Canova film where Judy may come off like a hayseed, but she's got good instincts and a good heart that people eventually warm up to. Even her rich relatives eventually come around.

I can't leave Sis Hopkins without mentioning Jerry Colonna who plays a wacky music professor who house mother Elvira Allman has a bit of a thing going for. Allman plays Margaret Dumont to Colonna's Groucho Marx and the results are pretty funny.

Sis Hopkins has a nice cast of colorful supporting players who nicely frame Judy Canova in her quintessential part. One of those is Susan Hayward as her snooty cousin. Hayward is fifth billed in Sis Hopkins and probably no one but Susan Hayward saw Oscar in her future. It took 17 years to get there, but Susan Hayward knew her worth and had that kind of determination.

Sis Hopkins was produced by Republic and the production values aren't the greatest. Still the cast puts this one over very well.

Once again, Ms. Canova is a hick-from-the-stix thrust into modern living, in this case going to live with her uncle Charles Butterworth, who's a decent sort, but whose wife and daughter, Katharine Alexander and Susan Hayward, no less, are conniving snobs. Judy and Susan wind up as roomies at college, and from there it more or less writes itself, with misunderstandings, a side trip to burlesque, and some less-than-scintillating specialty acts. Jerry Colonna does what he can with subpar material, and Bob Crosby, singing and conducting pleasantly, has the personality of a lox. Judy gets to sing some pretty good songs by an up-and-coming Frank Loesser and Jule Styne, as well as yodel, jitterbug, and even attempt "Sempre Libre," which unfortunately is rather beyond her. She's an amiable presence who deserved better than Republic could give her, and while this showcase for her talents is a slog when she isn't around, it gives her a nice workout.

How much you'll enjoy this movie will be impacted bywhat you think of Judy Canova. She was pretty popular back in the day, though her shtick can be polarizing. Her yodeling and VERY over-the-top hillbilly persona are something I personally dislike and I'd compare her appeal to the likes of Pauly Shore. So, at the outset I was not thrilled about seeing "Sis Hopkins" and I only did so because it's one of Susan Hayward's earlier roles. I also really like Charles Butterworth films...so maybe he and Hayward will provide enough entertainment that I can overlook Canova's LOUD shenanigans.

Butterworth plays Horace Hopkins...a rich guy who recently retired. At this same time, his niece, Sis Hopkins (Canova) needs a place to stay and he invites her to stay with him and his family. It's like an oil and water situation...with Horace's snooty wife and daughter (Hayward) looking down their noses at Sis. And, at first, Sis gives them plenty of reason to just think she's an annoying rube (after all, she is). But over time her 'charms' turn them all into Sis Hopkins fans..as is the case with the college where Horace arranges for her to attend. And her roommate...Horace's snooty daughter! And, not surprisingly, this cousin does everything she can to force Sis to quit and return to the country.

In addition to Canova and her far from subtle act, the film pairs her with Jerry Colonna...a mostly forgotten comic who was very popular on the radio and with Bob Hope's traveling shows. His persona was very loud and he was known for his yell...and he is about as subtle as a nudist showing up at a Baptist barbecue. As I watched, I wonder who would out-scream the other...Colonna or Canova!

An interesting addition to the movie is band leader, Bob Crosby...Bing's brother. While not nearly as famous, he's pleasant as is his and his band's music. And, his voice is similar to Bing's.

As far as Canova goes, she's a bit less annoying than usual. This isn't a glowing endorsement but she manages to fit in with the story better than in other movies which I've seen. Her singing, while bad, isn't as quite hillbilly-ish as it could have been. And, when she's not singing the film is actually enjoyable. Overall, while it did not convert me into a Canovaphile, it was pleasant and entertaining...at least when they were not singing. A couple of the singing numbers weren't bad...a couple were painfully bad.

Very much a mixed bag. The good-Judy Canova could really sing when she wasn't camping it up with yodeling and so forth. Bob Crosby, Bing's brother, also had a nice voice not as smooth as his brothers but pleasant and his band is very good but when he reads his lines the man is a block of wood. Susan Hayward very early in her career gives a good account of herself as a spoiled selfish witch, something of a specialty of hers on her way up. Plus she has the dubious distinction of probably being the only Oscar winner to appear in a Judy Canova movie. The bad-Did I mention the yodeling? Jerry Colonna is very definitely an acquired taste and a great deal of the movie is very corny and a tad ridiculous. Not painful just don't expect high art.