HULLABALOO
US, 1940, 78 minutes, Black and white.
Frank Morgan, Virginia Grey, Dan Dailey, Billie Burke, Nydia Westman, Ann Morriss, Donald Meek, Reginald Owen, Charles Holland, Leni Lynn, Virginia O' Brien, Curt Bois, Sarah Haden, Larry Nunn.
Directed by Edwin L. Marin.
Honolulu is quite an entertaining brief film from the 1940s, an MGM support feature, a star vehicle for Frank Morgan after The Wizard of Oz, as if the Wizard has a film all to himself.
The setting is radio, difficulties in studios, people auditioning, managers wanting new ideas, owners of companies wanting advertising opportunities. There is a quite a deal of observation as well as poking fun at executives, company owners…
Frank Morgan is his exuberant self, mainly spruiking his career, as if he had succeeded in all kinds of fields, comedy, Broadway, opera... He has a new program, in which he does all the voices himself. While this gives him some versatility, when he finally gets his program, he relies on MGM star voices and lip syncs excellently for Clark Gable, Hedy Lamarr, James Stewart…
The film opens with some auditions, singer Charles Holland, African- American, singing a Stephen Foster song followed by Virginia O’ Brien with the same song and her perpetual technique of not offering any expression, relying on her voice and body movement. There is a repetition of this at the end. It is interesting to see the opportunity for an audition for an African- American man, a bellhop. Charles Holland sings well but did not have a film career.
Also wanting an opportunity for an audition, to dance, is Virginia Grey. She becomes friendly with Frank Morgan who has three ex-wives, avoiding alimony, and three children, one from each wife. There is a set up in a hotel where each of the wives arrives with each child – including Virginia Grey. The wives are played in their particular style by Connie Gilchrist, Billie Burke as the daffy one, and Sarah Haden, Andy Hardy’s aunt at this stage, and she is opposite to this particular quiet screen image.
Also at the radio station is a champion golfer, Dan Dailey, engaged to the owner of the station who does not approve of him. He is determined to get a new program, employs Frank Morgan – only to discover that his act is too much like Orson Welles famous radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds, and the film shows crowds of people listening, panicking.
One of the executive’s is played by Reginald:, Owen, also trying to promote a program with comedy while his counterpart, Curt Bois, is strong on classical music.
Donald Meek has a very good role as the brother-in-law of the widow who half owns the medical company. She becomes infatuated with Morgan, wanting him to voice Charles Boyer, and stood up at the altar. He is determinedly against new programs – but has a conversion experience and then becomes very enthusiastic.
The grand climax features an improvised program after Morgan has promised the presence of various MGM stars, including Mickey Rooney and Claudette Colbert, only to pretend that they are stranded at an airport because of a storm. Morgan handles the whole program, and includes his children with various acts – all a huge success.
A pleasant visit to the past.
