The Hit Parade (1937)

Just what I expected

Crappy film

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

This was apparently an 83 minute film when it was originally released in 1937, but the version I got is 67 minutes long and re-titled I'LL REACH FOR A STAR. Phil Regan and Frances Langford fall in love and exercise their vocal chords to a good effect. Pert Kelton is on hand to deliver some wise cracks, and there is an unfortunate black face sequence with two performers named Pick 'N Pat. If they had to cut this version down for television distribution, I would think the film could have sacrificed this part. But you do get some big name orchestras helmed by Duke Ellington and Eddy Duchin. And, Carl Hoff and his Hit Parade Orchestra. (Most likely from the radio show.) The best tune in the picture is the catchy "Love Is Good For Anything That Ails You." Which was good enough to be dusted off for Steve Martin's dark musical, PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981). This is a direct relative of those "big broadcast" pictures that Paramount favored in the 1930s. Not a bad way to kill a little over an hour, and the music IS hummable. This supposedly cost little Republic about half a million bucks, which would be a lot for the studio that specialized in Saturday matinée serials.

If you're reading this under my username, you probably know I'm reviewing both the Our Gang series and individual projects of many of their players in chronological order. So it is with this, one of several features directed by former Our Gang helmer Gus Meins. This is a musical comedy hodge podge of various comics and musicians filling an hour of a thin plot of someone looking for a new girl singer after his previous one quits him. Phil Regan is this someone and Frances Langford is this new singer. Edward Brophy is one of the nervous producers. Both Regan and Brophy would later appear in Swing Parade of 1946 with The Three Stooges consisting of Moe, Larry, and Curly. I note that because one of the acts presented here is called The Gentlemaniacs (Dick Hakins, Sammy Wolf, Mousie Garner) who joined the Stooges' former mentor, Ted Healy, on stage after Healy split from them over "creative differences". They'd eventually split from him as well. Their act isn't too different from those Stooges as they stomp, yell, and blow smoke in each other faces as they sing gibberish on stage to some familiar tunes. Also appearing here is Pert Kelton-the first Alice Kramden on "The Honeymooners" sketches when it was presented on Jackie Gleason's "Calvacade of Stars" on the Dumont network-doing some nice wisecracks. I have to also note someone from my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful Life-as one of the players since I always like to do so whenever I'm reviewing here. J. Farrell MacDonald-the one who castigated George Bailey for crashing his car on his grandfather's tree and then thinking he must be referring to two other trees in the Pottersville sequence-plays Sgt. O'Hara here. Then there's another man (Max Terhune) who does imitations and has a dummy that I found hilarious! And then there's Duke Ellington with singer Ivie Anderson and Eddy Duchin with both their orchestras to really add to the musical fun! So on that note, The Hit Parade was quite an entertaining movie.

Snooty singer Monica Barrett (Louise Henry) is aghast as to the state of radio and demands changes on the show she's contracted to do. This uppity Park Avenue socialite refuses to go on until those changes are made, so her former representative (Phil Regan) simply goes out and hires a new singer (Frances Langford) who unfortunately was imprisoned for a crime she was innocent of. The nasty Monica finds out and threatens to reveal all, and sponsor Edward Brophy nearly has a nervous breakdown when he finds out that scandal could ruin the show he's financed to back his product. A nifty plot and some great novelty numbers hold together this light- hearted musical which was standard stuff in 1937, but lead to a series of "Hit Parade" musicals at the largest of the poverty row studios, Republic. This shows how variety was a matter of taste in the 1930's, and while some of the attempts at comedy in today's world of entertainment may seem forced, obviously a lot of people were laughing at the black face routines (on radio, no less!) and ventriloquists who made more sense for the live audiences, just as one of the characters in Woody Allen's "Radio Days" commented, "You're listening to a ventriloquist...on the radio!". The wife's retort? "Who cares? Leave me alone!". Allen pretty much summed it up how the radio audience during its golden age felt.Musically, this features two great numbers, "I'll Reach for a Star" (the title of the rather fuzzily transfered DVD print) and the lively "Love is Good For Anything That Ails You", later seen as a lavish production number in 1981's "Pennies From Heaven". That number seems to have been cut from the DVD print as a TV print I had from years ago (with the original title) had it kept in. On the DVD, only a brief reprise of that song is heard, which hurts the impact of the film. However, numbers by "the Duke" (Ellington) and Eddie Duchin and his orchestra add a real life feel to the times which this took place. William Demerast is his usual cranky self as a parole officer out to serve papers on Ms. Langford, and the tough but lovable Pert Kelton is amusing as her wise-cracking pal, basically playing the same type of character that Helen Broderick was playing in the Fred/Ginger movies and the type of role that Eve Arden would become legendary for.

"I'll Reach for a Star," also known as "Hit Parade of 1937," offers some fun and solid entertainment with several entertainers from the past. But, the technical quality of this Republic production is not very good. Thus the rating of a 7. If someone cleans it up and puts out a digital or remastered edition, it would raise the rating in my book. The reason for that is the list of talent and the musical numbers. The plot is similar to others of the time, but with a different twist than most. And, it's good, but for the low technical quality. Otherwise, this is a very nice vehicle for some good songs by Frances Langford and Phil Regan. The real plus that makes it a keeper for historical purposes is the rest of the talent. Besides Regan and Langford who didn't appear in many films, some other individuals not seen in many movies are included. Most were entertainers near the end of their careers from vaudeville, silent films or other stage performances. But throw in Duke Ellington and his band, and Eddy Duchin and orchestra, and this film grows to a big entertainment package. So, it's a pleasure to watch these past icons of early stage, road and film groups perform. Again, a cleaned up DVD would raise the movie one or two notches.