1h 22min | Comedy, Music | 15 November 1940
Director: A. Edward Sutherland
Stars: Allan Jones, Nancy Kelly, Robert Cummings, Abbott & Costello, Mary Boland, William Frawley.
Larry Ceballos ... dance director
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032873/
AJ gets 4 songs, plus one of the female leads duets with him, and the other sings another solo (both fems are dubbed per IMDb). We get a large group dancing in the chase/finale, including an adagio specialty, whose fem lands in the arms of the chasers multiple times during the chase.
The plot is busy:
- RC is engaged, but alienates his fiancee's aunt (MB).
- His friend AJ gives him a "love insurance policy" to pay out $1M if RC does NOT get married. He doesn't buy it for the payout, but because AJ is "lucky" and has never had to pay on a policy.
- AJ's father refuses to accept the policy, so he gets gangster(?) WF to back it. A&C work for him,
- Enter RC's ex-girlfriend (wife?), who's determined to win him back.
- AJ finally meets the fiancee, and is smitten.
- To cover the identity of the Ex from the fiancee, AJ pretends the Ex is his gf.
- RC gets jealous while observing AJ and his Ex.
- Everyone goes on a steam ship, chasing fiancee who's running away.
- Fiancee's interest in AJ is peaked.
- AJ must decide whether to give up $1M or claim fiancee for himself.
- WF & A&C are along to enforce the insured marriage.
- The aunt and her dog are still along to help stir the pot/plot.
- Fiancee learns about the insurance policy, is offended.
- The signal for the celebratory dance (of the whole village?) is a gun shot, which happens prematurely as WF holds the insured couple at gunpoint but gets knocked over by AJ.
- Chase commences (AJ & fiancee chased by WF, A&C), while the Ex holds the minister (mayor?) at gunpoint with RC.
In addition to interrupting the story for songs, we get interruptions for A&C do 5 of their routines:
- 2 Tens for a Five
- 365 days - Firing
- Jonah and the Whale
- Mustard
- Who's on First (segment, with some unfamiliar, and welcome, twists)
I'm not sure how the insurance aspect of the plot is resolved, but I think at least 1 couple got married. A little taxing, but kinda fun.
Universal, dir. Sutherland, 6+
