WARNING! A blackface musical number is included. If sensitive to such, best not to view this film, or close your eyes during that portion.
The 2nd of 6 films produced by Sam Goldwyn, from 1930-36 starring Eddie Cantor. You will experience Eddie's usual combination of verbal and physical comedy, along with the occasional song with or without dancing by the Goldwyn Girls.
Eddie begins as the assistant to a fake fortune teller(Yolando), hopefully providing the correct sound or visual effects or message from an adjoining room. Charlotte Greenwood, who supervises the physical training of workers at a giant bakery, is told by Yolando, that her ideal man will appear at a certain time and place, and sends Eddie to the gym. Surprisingly, Charlotte is impressed, but feels Eddie needs a lot of physical training to build up his body. He objects that the medicine ball is way too big to swallow, the mechanical horse is too fast, and the body contortions that Charlotte imposes on him are breaking his body.
Eddie miraculously lands the job of efficiency expert at the bakery, and is soon smitten by the boss's lovely young daughter, Joan(Barbara Weeks), who acts as a secretary. Eddie poses as a visiting famous French mystic, who visits Yolando in his séances room, and abuses Yolando mentally and physically, claiming his methods are outdated.
In Mr. Clark's(president of baking company) office, Eddie places $25,000. of bonus money in the safe, Clark having written the combination on a little piece of paper. Yolando somehow learns about this and sends two goons to scare or beat Eddie into giving them the paper with the safe combination. There ensues a chase within the bakery, ending in the girls' change and shower room, with Eddie made up as one of them. The paper is stolen from his locker while he is so engaged. The goons somehow get into Clark's office and open the safe to find it empty. Eddie has, in the meanwhile, returned to the safe and taken the money to another hiding place. Mr. Clark discovers that the money is missing and blames Eddie for stealing it. Eddie says he baked the money in a loaf of bread!?, which he produces, but no money is found. He and Charlotte are arrested and driven toward jail, but they trick the cop, stealing his car to get to the bakery to look for a bread loaf that contains the money. Incredibly, the first loaf they open contains the money, but Yolando and gang arrive and a fight for the money ensues. It's found on Yolando when the police arrive , and his gang is arrested. As with most of Eddie's films, the climax could have been done without sound and been almost as effective. The question remained whom Eddie might pair up with, now that he was a hero: the boss's pretty young daughter, or Charlotte: the aging plain-looking spinster. I will leave that question unanswered.
There were only 3 musical numbers, usually, these films had s few more. Eddie, in blackface, sang "There's Nothing too good for my Baby". The other two were musical productions, involving the Goldwyn Girls. One occurred quite early, involving dancing in formations in the gym, to "Bend Down, Sister". The other occurs about midway, with Eddie singing "Yes, Yes, my Baby said Yes!" . Busby Berkeley was the dance director, and it shows in the 2 production numbers, with some signature features, including close-up facials of some of the girls, and overhead projections.
Charlotte Greenwood was about the same age as Eddie, around 40,and several inches taller. Like Eddie, she started in vaudeville, and became famous for her long legs and sideways high kick. She could sing and act, as well. She was best in films with a combination of music and comedy. Thus, she fit in well as a supporting actress, in a number of Fox musicals in the 1940s and '50s, playing Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma".
Barbara Weeds, playing the ingénue , was only 18. That year, she was voted an actress likely on the verge of stardom. However, her life would soon change, as she refused the casting couch at Goldwyn, and then Columbia, where she was relegated to cheap westerns. Turned out, she loved being in westerns.
This film is presently available as part of a 4 film DVD package.
The 2nd of 6 films produced by Sam Goldwyn, from 1930-36 starring Eddie Cantor. You will experience Eddie's usual combination of verbal and physical comedy, along with the occasional song with or without dancing by the Goldwyn Girls.
Eddie begins as the assistant to a fake fortune teller(Yolando), hopefully providing the correct sound or visual effects or message from an adjoining room. Charlotte Greenwood, who supervises the physical training of workers at a giant bakery, is told by Yolando, that her ideal man will appear at a certain time and place, and sends Eddie to the gym. Surprisingly, Charlotte is impressed, but feels Eddie needs a lot of physical training to build up his body. He objects that the medicine ball is way too big to swallow, the mechanical horse is too fast, and the body contortions that Charlotte imposes on him are breaking his body.
Eddie miraculously lands the job of efficiency expert at the bakery, and is soon smitten by the boss's lovely young daughter, Joan(Barbara Weeks), who acts as a secretary. Eddie poses as a visiting famous French mystic, who visits Yolando in his séances room, and abuses Yolando mentally and physically, claiming his methods are outdated.
In Mr. Clark's(president of baking company) office, Eddie places $25,000. of bonus money in the safe, Clark having written the combination on a little piece of paper. Yolando somehow learns about this and sends two goons to scare or beat Eddie into giving them the paper with the safe combination. There ensues a chase within the bakery, ending in the girls' change and shower room, with Eddie made up as one of them. The paper is stolen from his locker while he is so engaged. The goons somehow get into Clark's office and open the safe to find it empty. Eddie has, in the meanwhile, returned to the safe and taken the money to another hiding place. Mr. Clark discovers that the money is missing and blames Eddie for stealing it. Eddie says he baked the money in a loaf of bread!?, which he produces, but no money is found. He and Charlotte are arrested and driven toward jail, but they trick the cop, stealing his car to get to the bakery to look for a bread loaf that contains the money. Incredibly, the first loaf they open contains the money, but Yolando and gang arrive and a fight for the money ensues. It's found on Yolando when the police arrive , and his gang is arrested. As with most of Eddie's films, the climax could have been done without sound and been almost as effective. The question remained whom Eddie might pair up with, now that he was a hero: the boss's pretty young daughter, or Charlotte: the aging plain-looking spinster. I will leave that question unanswered.
There were only 3 musical numbers, usually, these films had s few more. Eddie, in blackface, sang "There's Nothing too good for my Baby". The other two were musical productions, involving the Goldwyn Girls. One occurred quite early, involving dancing in formations in the gym, to "Bend Down, Sister". The other occurs about midway, with Eddie singing "Yes, Yes, my Baby said Yes!" . Busby Berkeley was the dance director, and it shows in the 2 production numbers, with some signature features, including close-up facials of some of the girls, and overhead projections.
Charlotte Greenwood was about the same age as Eddie, around 40,and several inches taller. Like Eddie, she started in vaudeville, and became famous for her long legs and sideways high kick. She could sing and act, as well. She was best in films with a combination of music and comedy. Thus, she fit in well as a supporting actress, in a number of Fox musicals in the 1940s and '50s, playing Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma".
Barbara Weeds, playing the ingénue , was only 18. That year, she was voted an actress likely on the verge of stardom. However, her life would soon change, as she refused the casting couch at Goldwyn, and then Columbia, where she was relegated to cheap westerns. Turned out, she loved being in westerns.
This film is presently available as part of a 4 film DVD package.