For some reason even though 1930 saw William Haines crowned
King of the Box Office and with a new contract, by the end of the
year he was slipping. "Way Out West" was a gamble on changing his
winning formula that didn't pay off. "Remote Control" brought about the
topical issues of radio and gangsters - again a bit of a diversion but
movie returns were still down on Haines' movies of the year before.
And how nice to see his leading lady is Mary Doran. She didn't get many
parts where she could say "hey everybody, look at me" but her interesting
role as "the other woman" in "Party Husband" proved that with a few
choice roles she may not have been just a pre-code footnote!!
This is a very fun, jokey movie - Haines is not trying for dramatics just laughs and at just over an hour there's no wasted time. Haines plays fresh Bill Brennan whose cheekiness finds him fired from a sheet music store (whatever happened to them??) but right in his element trying to put an ailing radio station, run by his boyhood chum Sam, back on it's feet. Sam is played by Charles King, a singer/actor who L.B. Mayer thought would be the discovery of the year - he scored a hit in "The Broadway Melody" but that was it. In this movie he stays around long enough to sing "Just a Little Closer" which is also performed later on by an all girl band (Mary Carlisle is on a violin) amid dazzling Art Deco sets and surroundings - but then he disappears!!
Even live wire Bill is up against it - there's just no talent out there, in spite of a guest appearance by Ukelele Ike as a cow caller and homely Polly Moran who gives beauty talks (her skit would have been funny but it was obviously cut out of the finished movie). Her co-star billing made you wonder where her part went to. But it can't be all fun and games and someone else has their eyes on the station's growing popularity. They are the "Ghost Gang", a gang of crooks led by John Miljan of course!! who sees a way for them to infiltrate the station with coded messages. Posing as a clairvoyant, his polish and class is welcomed at the station and he is even given his own spot!! His cryptic messages give the gang directions for the "jobs" they have to pull. Also falling for Miljan's oily charms is Marion who was never fond of Brennan's pratfalls. There is a kidnapping - not Marion but Bill who the gang think that by abducting will lead the police up a false trail but they don't reckon with Roscoe Ates and a string of paper dolls!!
Also watch for Benny Rubin as an audition hopeful and Russell Hopton at the start of his career!!
This is a very fun, jokey movie - Haines is not trying for dramatics just laughs and at just over an hour there's no wasted time. Haines plays fresh Bill Brennan whose cheekiness finds him fired from a sheet music store (whatever happened to them??) but right in his element trying to put an ailing radio station, run by his boyhood chum Sam, back on it's feet. Sam is played by Charles King, a singer/actor who L.B. Mayer thought would be the discovery of the year - he scored a hit in "The Broadway Melody" but that was it. In this movie he stays around long enough to sing "Just a Little Closer" which is also performed later on by an all girl band (Mary Carlisle is on a violin) amid dazzling Art Deco sets and surroundings - but then he disappears!!
Even live wire Bill is up against it - there's just no talent out there, in spite of a guest appearance by Ukelele Ike as a cow caller and homely Polly Moran who gives beauty talks (her skit would have been funny but it was obviously cut out of the finished movie). Her co-star billing made you wonder where her part went to. But it can't be all fun and games and someone else has their eyes on the station's growing popularity. They are the "Ghost Gang", a gang of crooks led by John Miljan of course!! who sees a way for them to infiltrate the station with coded messages. Posing as a clairvoyant, his polish and class is welcomed at the station and he is even given his own spot!! His cryptic messages give the gang directions for the "jobs" they have to pull. Also falling for Miljan's oily charms is Marion who was never fond of Brennan's pratfalls. There is a kidnapping - not Marion but Bill who the gang think that by abducting will lead the police up a false trail but they don't reckon with Roscoe Ates and a string of paper dolls!!
Also watch for Benny Rubin as an audition hopeful and Russell Hopton at the start of his career!!