All Over Town

1016. ALL OVER TOWN (1937-USA). WITH OLE OLSEN, CHIC JOHNSON, FRANKLIN PANGBORN, JAMES FINLAYSON. DIRECTED BY JAMES HORNE. WHEN OLSEN AND JOHNSON ARE ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT “HELFZAPOPPIN.” IN FACT, THIS ZANY FILM SEEMS ALMOST A REHEARSAL FOR THEIR BROADWAY HIT Of A YEAR LATER. THE PLOT (ACÂTUALLY, IF YOU WATCH THIS KIND Of FILM FOR ITS PLOT, YOU’RE ALREADY IN TROUBLE) CENTERS ON O&J’S ATTEMPTS TO MAKE IT BIG IN SHOW BUSINESS WITH THE 8TH WONDER Of THE WORLD,” SALLY, THE SINGING SEAL. SOMEONE IS MURDERED DURING THE REHEARSAL Of THEIR SHOW, AND THE CHIEF SUSPECT IS SALLY! THE BOYS COME UP WITH A UNIQUE PUBLICITY GIMMICK: THEY WILL REVEAL THE ACTUAL KILLER’S IDENTITY ON A NETWORK RADIO PROGRAM. PROBLEM IS, THEY DON’T HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA Of WHODUNIT, BUT THE KILLER, WHO THINKS THEY DO, IS GUNNING FOR THEM. THE FINALE IS A WILD “HELLZAPOPPIN” SCENE WHERE THE THEATRE IS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AS THE COPS CHASE THE KILLER, AND Q&J GIVE THE RADIO AUDIENCE A HILARIOUS PLAY-BY-PLAY ACCOUNT. THIS FAR-OUT FARCE WAS DIRECTED BY JAMES HOME, WHO HAD WORKED WITH BUSIER KEATON (COLLEGE) AND LAUREL AND HARDY. ANOTHER LAUREL AND HARDY VETERAN, JAMES PARROTT, GOT CREDIT FOR “COMEDY CONSTRUCTION.” MAYBE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED “COMEDY DESTRUCTION.” IT INCLUDES A SET CRASHING PRECISELY AROUND OLSEN AND JOHNSON (AS IN KEATON’S STEAMÂBOAT BILL IT.), A MANIACAL CHARACTER WHO SEES INVISIBLE FLYING RED-BEARDED MACHINE-GUN TOTING MIDGETS, A SHOW-STOPPING ACT WITH JOHNSON AS OLSEN’S DUMMY, AND THE TEAM’S FRACTURED RENDITION Of RACHMANINOfF (WHICH INCORPORATES A COMÂMERCIAL FOR MACKEREL). THERE’S ALSO JOHNSON’S HYSTERICAL GIGGLE, WHICH WAS RIDICULOUS BACK THEN, BUT IS CONSIDERED HIGH ART TODAY. WARNING: THE MOMENT YOU START THIS TAPE, LEAVE ANY SEMBLANCE Of SANITY BEHIND! 53 MINUTES. COMEDY