Hollywood Party

In what was supposed to be MGM's biggest musical since "Hollywood Revue" the result ended up being a second-string but entertaining gathering of MGM's top comic talents along with their prettiest showgirls for a shindig that lasts barely over an hour. The premise has Tarzan being spoofed as "Schnarzan" (with Jimmy Durante as the hero of the back-lot safari set and Lupe Velez as his hot-blooded Jane). Laurel & Hardy pop in for a bit of gagging (mixing with Velez and a conveniently placed bowl of eggs) and even a Disney cartoon. The highlight is the lavish title song, so grand it looks like something out of "The Great Ziegfeld". Ironically, the song lists a ton of actors who never show up (Garbo, Gable, Crawford, etc.) so the result looks more like a Hollywood party attended by the extras unit rather than the headliners.

Like the cover states, it has everything! It has Jimmy Durante fighting lions, Laurel and Hardy, musical numbers, laughs, Mickey Mouse, and even the Three Stooges (with Ted Healy) appear as reporters. We also get a color Disney animated short, a funny scene featuring Laurel and Hardy, Lupe Velez, broken eggs, and a revealing dress, not to mention the naked shadow of a woman's breast. This movie is so typical of the 30s upper class lifestyle, it almost felt like I was transported to that time period. This is one of those movies that I mainly like just for the look of it. Sure it has almost no plot whatsoever, but you could say that about almost any "party" film. Overall, it's just a really fun movie. And for a little bonus- check out the outfits on some of the ladies. Yowza!

I thought this Golden Oldie was great fun. Puzzling how it gets short shrift from IMDb reviewers, as it sustains itself throughout the 75 minutes with a consistently high level of humor and music. It is also puzzling how few people have actually seen it in comparison to the goodly number of reviews. In any case, I love Laurel and Hardy and Charles Butterworth always adds a great deal to any picture with his befuddled 'Tom Smothers' brand of humor. The main star is old reliable Jimmy Durante doing his familiar schtick, and there are a couple of good musical numbers, especially one with Eddie Quillan and June Clyde called "I've Had My Moments", and also the title song written by Rodgers&Hart. It is a fast-moving 75 minutes, too fast and too entertaining for such a low IMDb rating. If you're a fan of movies, especially old movies, I recommend this one. And there's no 'message' here; it's just old-fashioned entertainment, accent on the 'old-fashioned'.

This is really a scrapbook of bits linked together by the word "party." If you have ever wondered why The Three Stooges are so called, it is because they began life in vaudeville as the butt of Ted Healy's gags. In this film we see a rare instance of Healy and his stooges in action. Classic is the piece where Lupe Velez teams up with Laurel and Hardy. A battle begins, which has since been quoted in a number of compilation films. Perhaps the piece which steals the show is the colour cartoon by Disney. I have never ever seen it shown on Disney programmes, even though it is one of his best sequences. It's worth watching just for these three features.

Jimmy Durante spoofs Johnny Weismuller's Tarzan by playing a jungle film star who throws a lavish party for his Hollywood friends (complete with Zeigfeld style musical numbers). Lupe Velez (the real life Mrs. Weismuller) spoofs Maureen O'Sullivan's "Jane" character (controversial at the time for "Jane's" skimpy outfits). Durante is annoying but Velez shines with the best bit teaming her with Laurel & Hardy. The Three Stooges appear as autograph seekers. This MGM musical features an appearance by Mickey Mouse who spoofs Durante and introduces the Disney color cartoon "Hot Chocolate Soldiers." The 70 minute plot is a mess with the parts being better than the sum, however a must for fans and collector's of the aforementioned appearances.