Eddie Cantor's second movie musical, September 1931's "Palmy Days," continued his association with choreographer Busby Berkeley. The former Broadway dance designer was brought to Hollywood for Cantor's first film, 1930's "Whoopee!" where Busby drew up dance numbers that dazzled movie viewers. In his second Cantor outing and his third movie, Berkeley upped the complexities of his dancers to create mesmerizing human kaleidoscopes with his camera high above capturing all the stunning action. The dancers in these Cantor pictures, hired by producer Samual Goldwyn, were given the label 'The Goldwyn Girls" and followed the choreographer's commands of changing directions whenever he fired his blank gun on the sound stage. "Palmy Days" also marked Berkeley's first rare cameo on the screen, appearing as a fortune teller.
Berkeley was in charge of two musical numbers. Future movie star Betty Grable, in her mid-teens, is seen behind the counter taking a chocolate cake order before walking into the bakery to deliver it. Her appearance in the bakery factory leads to "Palmy Day's" first dance routine. Busby's second number is set at a poolside later in the film dancing to the song "My Honey Said Yes, Yes." The 1981 film musical "Pennies From Heaven" borrowed the song for the Steve Martin movie.
Cantor in "Palmy Days" is Eddie Simpson, who is mistaken for a bakery efficiency expert caught between a man-hungry gymnast owner, Helen Martin (Charlotte Greenwood), and a psychic out to get the bakery owner's money. The psychic employs two enforcers, one named Joe, played by actor George Raft. The former New York City-raised dancer who briefly rubbed elbows with mob figures, Raft had small parts in six movies before "Palmy Days." He later become a mainstay in a number of gangster films.
"Palmy Days" was a huge hit with the public, becoming the third highest grossing film for 1931. Its success assured Cantor's on-screen presence for a number of years before devoting himself to radio.
Berkeley was in charge of two musical numbers. Future movie star Betty Grable, in her mid-teens, is seen behind the counter taking a chocolate cake order before walking into the bakery to deliver it. Her appearance in the bakery factory leads to "Palmy Day's" first dance routine. Busby's second number is set at a poolside later in the film dancing to the song "My Honey Said Yes, Yes." The 1981 film musical "Pennies From Heaven" borrowed the song for the Steve Martin movie.
Cantor in "Palmy Days" is Eddie Simpson, who is mistaken for a bakery efficiency expert caught between a man-hungry gymnast owner, Helen Martin (Charlotte Greenwood), and a psychic out to get the bakery owner's money. The psychic employs two enforcers, one named Joe, played by actor George Raft. The former New York City-raised dancer who briefly rubbed elbows with mob figures, Raft had small parts in six movies before "Palmy Days." He later become a mainstay in a number of gangster films.
"Palmy Days" was a huge hit with the public, becoming the third highest grossing film for 1931. Its success assured Cantor's on-screen presence for a number of years before devoting himself to radio.