THE LIFE OF THE PARTY
US, 1937, 77 minutes, Black and white.
Joe Penner, Gene Raymond, Harry Parke, Harriet Hilliard, Victor Moore, Helen Broderick, Billy Gilbert, Ann Miller, Franklin Pangborn, Margaret Dumont.
Directed by William A.Seiter.
The Life of the Party is a film of historical interest, one of several similar films from RKO in the middle of the 1930s, after their success with so many of the Fred Astaire- Ginger Rogers musicals.
This film relies on the popular comic style of Joe Penner and Harry Parke (Parkyacarcass). Joe Penner does the bungling naive type which may or may not appeal. On the other hand, Harry Parke does routines, especially play on words, always mishearing and giving alternative definitions, the patter going on for quite some time – for those who enjoyed play on words, there are sometimes some ingenious moments.
The basic plot concerns a band, led by comedian Billy Gilbert, prone to frustrations, with his agent played by a prissy Franklin Pangborn (one of his usual roles) and some singers. The daughter of a Countess, played by Harriet Hillyard (soon to be so popular as Harriet Nelson, with Ozzie Nelson and their sons, David and Ricky) who wants to be a singer and is supported by her agent, a sardonic tough agent, played by Helen Broderick.
The leading man is played by Gene Raymond who has a few songs. He is immediately attracted by the young woman, getting into tangles with her especially about shoes and buying up all the shoes in the hotel so that she will be forced to come to him. His mother has a security guard to keep an eye on him – played by Victor Moore, always adept at bumbling roles.
However, one of the highlights of the film, is the presence of Ann Miller and her tap dancing, already sparkling when she dances, appearing in rather lower budget films (except for You Can’t Take It With You) for the next ten years until she was taken up by MGM for Easter Parade where she had another fine decade of top films and expert tap dancing.
There is an extra bonus for fans of the Marx Bros films in finding that Joe Penner’s mother is played, in typical style, as a grande dame by Margaret Dumont.
So, there is romance and repudiation, schemes which include the leading couple pretending to be married, the singer getting an audition and being received favourably.
While the film seems very dated now, it has a touch of exuberance which means that it still has a certain amount of appeal.
