Year: 1936
Runtime: 90 mins
Language: English
Director: Sidney Lanfield
A mad, merry musical spoofing the famous “Caliban‑Ariel” romance, with Adolphe Menjou as a boozy, womanizing former star and Alice Faye as a publicity‑hungry nightclub singer. Her scheming agent (Gregory Ratoff) engineers a fake romance with Menjou, but she eventually pairs with Michael Whalen, leaving Menjou to enjoy his carefree, wine‑filled bachelor life. The film marks the Ritz Brothers’ feature debut, showcasing their comic numbers and a curtain‑call encore after the credits.
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After Joan Warren is fired from her singing job at the Ritz Club, where she performs with the Ritz Brothers, she seeks help from theatrical agent Nicky Alexander. Nicky, however, is in the process of being evicted from his office suite, so he tells her to find another agent. When she insists that he represent her, he takes her to Mr. Brewster, president of the Federal Broadcasting Company, and she auditions, but Brewster refuses to hire her because she is not of the upper class.
Back at the club, the singer packs her bags, while in the street, a crowd gathers around drunken actor Farraday. Nicky leads Farraday into the club, where Farraday orders a huge feast and hears the singer perform her last song. After more wine, Farraday passes out, and they take him to a hospital, where he babbles lines of Shakespeare. To create some publicity, Nicky tells the singer to play “Juliet” to Farraday’s “Romeo.” While Al Craven, the brother of Fitz, searches for alcohol to keep Farraday from sobering up, Nicky calls the newspapers, saying that Farraday is on his deathbed. When the doctor arrives and forbids visitors, Al pretends to be Farraday’s personal physician and relieves him of the case. Nicky sneaks in to see Farraday, while the cynical reporter Ted Blake and Joe, a photographer, climb onto the fire escape and photograph them.
Later, Al accompanies Farraday home, and the puzzled Farraday wonders why he can’t remember hiring a personal physician. The newspapers print the story, and Brewster decides that he wants to hire the singer on the condition that Farraday will perform as well. At their new home at the Madison Towers, the group learns that Farraday is about to return to Hollywood at the behest of his cousin and business manager, Robert Wilson, who is furious over the publicity. Nicky goes to Farraday and suggests that he show a head for business by getting the lucrative radio contract. Robert arrives, tells the newspapers that the singer is a gold digger and escorts Farraday onto the train leaving for California. As a result of the new story, Brewster no longer wants to sign the singer. Ted explains that to be the first to print a retraction of Robert’s statement, his newspaper will fly the singer out to Farraday. They fly to Kansas City to meet Farraday’s train and trick Robert into leaving without Farraday. Then, they arrange with Brewster to broadcast that evening from Kansas City. They round up some performers for the show, including the Ritz Brothers.
As Farraday prepares to go on the air, Robert returns and locks himself in the hotel room with Farraday, but Farraday escapes. He arrives at the station in the nick of time and exonerates the singer, securing for her the radio contract with Brewster.
Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 12:02
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