Starring Alice Faye, Jack Oakie, John Payne, and Caesar Romero
Directed by Archie Mayo
Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Mack Gordon
Singer Alice Faye takes the spotlight this week, starting with one of her lesser-known vehicles. By the time this movie came out, radio was a multi-million dollar industry, with three major networks and many smaller ones linking coast to coast. Radio, however, had much humbler origins. Although Italian inventor Marconi had patented his radio in 1896, by the time this film begins in 1919, it was only just allowed to be owned by the general public in the US. The invention of amplification tubes in the mid-20's that allowed the sounds to be heard more clearly revolutionized radio and made it a wide-open field. Suddenly, everyone was racing to start their own networks...including an enterprising technician (Oakie) and former World War I captain (Payne)...
The Story: Chuck Hadley is obsessed with the new technology of radio, and even more with the entertainment it can provide. He manages to convince his roommate, former Air Corps captain Rix Martin, to listen to a broadcast. Unfortunately, he does so in the room of Chuck's friend, singer Vicki Adams (Faye). Vicki's embarrassed by the intrusion, but it turns out she's in on this radio business with Chuck. Their attempt to start a station of their own ends up all wet, until they hit on broadcasting the big Jack Dempsey-Jess Willard heavyweight fight. Now they're a sensation, and even have their own comics in the cabaret stars The Wiere Brothers (themselves).
Chuck's not happy when Vicki and Rix fall in love and get married. Neither is Bruce. He steps in, offering to finance their station. Vicki's happy with her husband at first, until the station needs money and she accepts Bruce's offer. Suddenly, Rix is furious, and Bruce pulls out, creating his own station. The two stations are rivals, but Vicki's tired of Rix's behavior and insists on a divorce. Chuck, however, knows how to get them back together again - a coast-to-coast broadcast combining both stations!
The Song and Dance: This wound up being a pleasant surprise. It's pretty small-scale for 20th Century Fox in the 40's, filmed in black-and-white and with only one chorus number. It even uses real footage from the Dempsey-Willard boxing match in 1919. Unlike most of Faye's leading men, Payne can actually sing and works well with her as the air man who becomes so driven to make his radio networks, he neglects his wife. Even Oakie is a bit calmer and easier to take, especially in the second half when he's on the outs with Rix. Romero also does well as the scheming businessman whose interest in radio is less creative and more commercial.
Favorite Number: We open with the title song over the credits; it's heard later after the radio station gets going. Chuck reveals to Rix what radio's capable of when he broadcasts his energetic take on "Give My Regards to Broadway" from his room to Vicki's. "I Take to You" is Faye and Payne's big number in their first broadcast, performed in New Jersey during a thunderstorm. It turns up later during the big coast-to-coast show in the finale for the three leads and Bruce's secretary (Mary Beth Hughes), who has fallen for Chuck. Chuck attempts to sing the Sextet from Lucia DiLammour at the rained-out show with the opera troupe Rix hired, but let's say that, while he's not a bad singer, he's also not opera material. The heavy rain and thunder doesn't exactly help, either. The Nicholas Brothers have more luck with their dance routine as a trio of tapping porters.
Faye also gets "It's All In a Lifetime" with the chorus during that washed-out broadcast. She does better later in the sole large-scale chorus number, the lovely lament "Long Ago Last Night." Real-life radio and record favorites The Ink Spots claim "I've Got a Bone to Pick With You" in their comic ballad. Faye and Payne join them later with "Where You Are." German cabaret comics the Wiere Brothers spoof "It's All In a Lifetime" and get their own slapstick-filled commercial for "Chapman's Cheerful Cheese."
What I Don't Like: First of all, you never get any sense of time passing. Like most "historical" musicals from this time, it looks like 1941 for the entire movie. There isn't a dollop of 20's or early 30's anywhere. Not even the songs are authentic to the era. Speaking of, the songs are pleasant enough, but are really nothing special.
And yes, as you can probably guess, this has about as much to do with the real history of radio broadcasting in the US as it does with real history, period. Yes, crystal sets did become popular after the US government allowed their sales to civilians, stations popped up literally everywhere in the early 20's, and they often were done in tents or other unusual outdoor locations. Everything else, from the two networks and their battle to the people involved, are fictional. Radio as depicted in this film would continue for another two decades, but the arrival of television siphoned off their audience.
The Big Finale: If you don't mind the wonky history and are looking for a lower-key Fox musical or are a fan of Faye, this one is highly recommended and very charming.
Home Media: DVD only as part of the 20th Century Fox Marquee Musicals series and an Alice Faye collection.
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