Try it anytime, why, it's Universal

Spondonman

This film was the one that caused me to really think about what my all-time favourite movie should be defined by: my pure and simple enjoyment or sober appreciation of technical wizardry. When I saw this first in the '60's as a kid I thought it was the best film ever made; growing up made me realise there was a lot of stuff out there so I revised it to the best film I'd ever seen. By the time I'd seen "Kane", "Double Indemnity", even "Deliverance", "Apocalypse Now" etc I'd realised it wasn't so simple. Or is it? Which single film would you want to have, and be able to watch on a uninhabited desert island - potentially over and over again? This is the one for me! I've now seen it maybe 20 times, I can't laugh like a drain continuously at slapstick anymore but there's always something in Hellzapoppin' to amuse me - which I always need more of than darkly serious brain-snappers.

It's the original template crazy comedy which manages to squeeze the Hollywood condition in: there must be a story (with romance and slushy songs). Fortunately it was well-made, with the high production values and that special early 40's cleverly lit studio-bound atmosphere that Universal seemed to achieve so easily. Don Raye and Gene de Paul were on top form with the songs they wrote for this and all were pleasantly well sung, my particular favourite being the full blown "You were there". Nobody but Olsen & Johnson would have done as well for the main roles - it was their show after all, but everyone in the film version was good and they and their lines and actions are all there, safely printed in my mind.

The shots of Paige and O&J sneak-peeking the wonderful Slim Gaillard and then the Harlem Congeroos will probably enrage non-musical pc people but that's their problem.

It was dated the first time time I saw it - it remains the same: a 40's time capsule. While films made in the 80's and 90's start to look even more dated without mobile phones, computers or cgi for even the most trivial effect (how would Spielberg do E.T. now I wonder?) I taped it off UK Channel 4 on Christmas Day afternoon 1986 - the adverts in between are so dated and cringe-worthy by comparison now!

score 9/10

Spondonman 16 January 2005

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0999947/