Hats Off

2888. HATS OFF (1936-USA). With MAE CLARKE, JOHN PAYNE, SKEETS GALLAGHER, FRANKLYN PANGBORN. This spirited musical comedy tells of two neighboring Texas towns who go about one-upping each other. Both Hempstead and Bradfield are about to open rival expositions that are so stylish and expensive that their organizers are wondering how they will ever pay for them. The Hempstead honchos hire as their publicity director a self-assured young go-getter named Jimmy Maxwell (played with confidence by 24- year-old John Payne in his first starring role). He goes after headlines the way other young men seek out their sweethearts on Saturday night. The Bradfield people try to top jimmy’s efforts by bringing in a hard-boiled and unscrupulous press agent named Jo Allen. What they do not realize is that Jo is a female! First of all, Jo must convince the Bradfield bosses that she is capable of doing the job of a man. Once that is done, she hires an eccentric lecturer to pose as “Jo Allen” while going incognito as a schoolteacher in order to get to know Jimmy and learn his plans for the Hempstead exhibition. Meanwhile, both expositions try to hire the most successful producer on Broadway to design a musical revue that will knock the spurs off their rival’s opening night production. Here is a movie that is brimming with comic scenes, great song and dance numbers and romance, too! Don’t miss the finale! 66 minutes. Musical