Kid Millions (1934)

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

WARNING: A blackface musical number is included. If sensitive to such, best not to view this film, or closes your eyes during this portion.One of the most popular of Eddie Cantor's string of musical farces produced by Sam Goldwyn from 1930-36. It was among the first non-cartoon films to be partially filmed with the new 3-strip Technicolor process. Only the finale Ice Cream Fantasy production was so filmed, the rest in standard B&W. This Technicolor film would remain the most popular type of color film for Hollywood films for the next 18 years, until adequate single strip film replaced it. Because filming in this medium required the rental of bulky cameras, along with their sometimes cantankerous technicians, as well as much brighter hotter lights in indoor shoots, use of this technology was limited, especially in the early Depression years. This was also the first film in this series that didn't include Busby Berkeley as chief choreographer. He had moved to Warner, where he would carry his signature features to new heights in a series of popular musicals, starting with "42nd Street"....Finally, this was probably the first film of this series to be scrutinized by the full power of the Motion Picture Production Code.Eddie plays his usual timid nerdy character, this time living on a barge anchored off NYC with his loyal sweetheart. No clue what he was doing for a living. His life would soon change dramatically with the news that his archaeologist father had died, and left a fortune in Egyptian grave artifacts he had discovered. This fortune is presently in the hands of an Arab sheik in Alexandria(no explanation why?). Eddie will have to fight for this treasure with several other claimants. These include jazz singer Dot(Ethel Merman), abetted by her dim-witted gangster boyfriend(Louie), who bases her claim on being the decease's lover at some time in the past, thus perhaps legally considered his common law wife. Southern gentleman Col. Larrabee, whose claim is based on the fact that his organization : The Virginia Egyptology Society, sponsored the trip that lead to the discovery of the treasure. All these people happened to take the same ship to Egypt, where they get to know each other. Louie tries to take advantage of Eddie's seasickness to try to dump him, blindfolded, into the ocean. Dot((Ethel) tries to get Eddie to sign a paper of unknown content, but presumably giving up claim to the fortune in favor of Ethel's claim. Eddie wiggles out of this.In an Alexandria market, Eddie and Louie encounter a fake magician who seemingly turns people into dogs, including Louie. His cigar-chomping canine incarnation runs away into the lap of the daughter(Princess Fanya) of the sheik, who is immediately smitten by Eddie, and clearly has a few loose screws, creating some comic scenes. Fanya falsely claims that Eddie saved her from a lion attack: "I've never seen such a lion" "I've never heard such lyin'" retorts Eddie. Fanya also claims Eddie kissed her, thus is obligated to marry her, supported by the sheik. However, when Eddie admits to being the claimant to the treasure, the sheik says he must die, specifically by being boiled to make camel(Campbell?) soup. But he is saved at the last moment, only to be hounded by Fanya's boyfriend. When Eddie tells the boyfriend that he doesn't love Fanya and doesn't want to marry her, he calms down and leads Eddie to the chamber of death, where the treasure is hidden, along with some sarcophagi. Eddie, as well as Louie and Col. Larrabee, hide in empty sarcophagi when the sheik arrives. They pretend to be the spirits of his ancestors, telling him to lay off Eddie. Louie tries to make off with the treasure in a small plane, but is arrested, Eddie takes his place in the plane and flies to NYC, where he cashes in the treasures so that he can build a giant ice cream establishment and serve, free of charge, ice cream products and milk chocolate to the neighborhood kids. The stars and others take turns singing a number of songs, either new or old, abetted by the singing and dancing of the Goldwyn Girls. Young Harold Nicholas dances to "I Want to be a Minstrel Man", as the Goldwyn girls sing. This is followed by the big production with Eddie in blackface, singing Irving Berlin's "Mandi", with George Murphy and Ann Southern reprising "Your Head on my Shoulder" in the midst of this production. Both Nicolas brothers dance in a segment...The "Ice Cream Fantasy", in Technicolor, occurs at the end, with Eddie and Ethel doing most of the singing. What a great production for Depression kids, especially!This was George Murphy's debut in a Hollywood film. It provides no hint of his dancing talent, as exhibited in "After the Dance", and "Broadway Melody of 1938", for example.

As with the d.v.d version of whoopee, this version on d.v.d was slightly alternated.The scene where it shows the news paper telling how Eddie has an Ice scream factory,was originally shot in color,with the blue back ground. What happen is that either Goldwyn or time Warner decide just because the news paper was black and white,might as well print that scene in black n white.They still alternated Sam Goldwyn original creation.This was wrong of them.It was legally wrong not to inform the public that this scene was changed. Since their target is pro Hollywood corporatism, those classic film fans weren't going to make a fuss.Our target does.The Hollywood corp catters ignore us,since they barley serve us any how.The only positive thing about this version it's sharper.The color final,early three strip Technicolor,is not retouched in anyway except for the news paper sequence. Sam Goldwyn had made this scene that way.Well any how that was the only problem.It still a fine musical classic.The final you see Ethel Merman in her ,at the time ,only appearance in Technicolor.It still a good movie to collect,but, I still got my original VHS version too.05/17/13

In the early 1930's Eddie Cantor was one of the biggest stars in the world, and "Kid Millions" will show you why. Cantor was energetic, wry, occasionally cutting (without heaping on the cruelty), sweet, and just plain funny, and it's a shame that most people today don't have the faintest idea of who he was. But then, that's increasingly true of Groucho, too. What to do with such a world?"Kid Millions" has lots of incidental pleasures, including the presence of the ridiculously young Nicholas Brothers, Ann Sothern, and Ethel Merman (who once again proves why she was just too "big," even for grandly produced spectacles like this one). Perhaps most interesting, from a film-history perspective, is the elaborate "Ice Cream Factory" sequence, which was shot in still-experimental 3-strip Technicolor. The earlier (2-strip) Technicolor could only render shades of cyan and magenta (often mistaken today for fading), while the new process was explosively full-spectrum. Audiences at the time must have been astonished.

All of the films Eddie Cantor made for Goldwyn in the 1930s are hysterically funny. Why do I feel that this one is the best? It is the most well balanced of them all. Cantor's songs "When My Ship Comes In", "Okay, Toots", and "An Earful of Music" are beautifully crafted songs of the veteran song writers Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn. The Irving Berlin number "Mandy" is given one of its best all out performances in a film. But this is not all. Cantor has the best supporting team he has ever had in the movies. Ann Southern and George Murphy are the perfect "young lovers". Unlike the romantic leads in other musical comedies of the period, they are not boring or cloying. Southern sings well and has a flair for comedy. Murphy's dancing can only be topped by Astaire and Kelly. The comic villains are played by Ethel Merman and Warren Hymer. Merman had proven herself as a singing comedienne on the stage, but Hollywood had no idea how to handle her. In this film, they got it right. Compare this to "Strike Me Pink", where Merman is cast as the female romantic lead. It just doesn't work! Of course, "Kid Millions" provides Merman with a few opportunities to show off her musical talents as well her comedic talents. I don't know much about Warren Hymer, but he is a fine character comedian and he does not steal the spotlight from Cantor. Doris Davenport is cast as the ingenue and romantic interest for Cantor. She is perfect and stays out of the comedian's way. It is the superior supporting cast and superior musical numbers which make this Cantor's best Goldwyn film. Some say "Roman Scandals" is funnier, but it is all Cantor. Cantor's biggest hit songs were in "Whoopee!", but this early Technicolor film is stage bound. Speaking of Technicolor, "Kid Millions" has a great Technicolor finale, "Ice Cream Fantasy", and if you look close, you will see the kids of Hal Roach's "Our Gang" shorts in a cameo. For those not acquainted with the musical and comedy abilities of Eddie Cantor, "Kid Millions" is a good "first" movie. It moves like lightning and is highly entertaining.