WE STUMBLED ONTO this old MGM musical comedy quite by by accident last week. The title seemed vaguely familiar, yet it took us a short while to realize what we had found. This was all on TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES; which seemed to be doing a sort of short retrospective of Jimmy Durante films.
THE TITLE REFERS to featured comedian, Jack Pearl; who had log before had claimed the name for his stage act as Baron Munchausen. The name came from a character of legendary stature from German literature. The Baron seems to have been quite of a B.S. artist (that's a liar, folks).
MAKING GOOD USE of the comic aspects of a pathological liar, added to the equally funny properties of a sort of thick accent of a generic Dutchman (Grerman), Jack Pearl showed off his abilities on the Vaudeville Stage and on early Radio, before being summoned by MGM to Hollywood. His Baron Munchausen character's over the top and highly verbal persona was the sort of thing that seemed to be made for the talkies.
AS FOR THIS film, today's reviewed, MEET THE BARON (MGM, 1933), we find curious mixture of musical & comedy types. Other than the main motivating premise of Mr. Pearl's being a whopper telling liar, there isn't much that could be considered to be original. In fact, the movie seems to be a number of farcical, familiar and time proved stage skits; which are woven together onto a somewhat coherent scenario.
NOW, WE ARE not implying that there aren't truly funny and enjoyable moments on the screen, for there are many. Certainly the inclusion of Jimmy Durante as the Baron's foil* and the casting of Ted Healy and the 3 Stooges were features that made this a 90 minutes that were well worthwhile, time well spent. Additionally, both Zasu Pitts and Edna May Oliver are seen in roles which are used to good effect.
AS FOR A DOWNSIDE to using Mr. Durante as the Baron's Straight Man, it would be that it severely limits Jimmy's being himself; clearly, it's a case of trying to be all things to all men.
AS IN SO MANY other Hollywood traditions, the movie seems to be a good example of the age old tradition of patterning motion pictures on just what has been successful or is popular at the present time. In other words, it is a simple case of the old adage that: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!"
THERE IS MUCH in evidence to support our assertion, for we readily saw so many other then very box office popularity. For example, there are some big singing & dancing production numbers that strongly resemble all of those Depression Era Busby Berkeley Musicals done over at Warner Brothers. Likewise, there is much suggesting a certain affinity to those early Comedies of The 4 Marx Brothers done by Paramount Pictures.One production number clearly has three female performers aping the style and humor of Miss Mae West.
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, this may well be a sort of second division comedy feature (to borrow an old Baseball term); but it is well worth taking in, at least once or twice.
NOTE: Jimmy Durante played the role of foil to Jack Pearl, as well that of Buster Keaton in several early sound comedies. He did double duty as he also did his own "Schnozola" routines.
Long time Straight Man for Jack Pearl was one Cliff Hall, who didn't make the cut into Bsaron Munchausen's rather short lived film career. Incidentally, Mr. Hall was seen prominently in 1950's television; first as Horatio Frisby,store owner, on the kids' show, JOHNNY JUPITER. His work is still visible daily as the Head of the Racoon Lodge on THE HONEYMOONERS.
THE TITLE REFERS to featured comedian, Jack Pearl; who had log before had claimed the name for his stage act as Baron Munchausen. The name came from a character of legendary stature from German literature. The Baron seems to have been quite of a B.S. artist (that's a liar, folks).
MAKING GOOD USE of the comic aspects of a pathological liar, added to the equally funny properties of a sort of thick accent of a generic Dutchman (Grerman), Jack Pearl showed off his abilities on the Vaudeville Stage and on early Radio, before being summoned by MGM to Hollywood. His Baron Munchausen character's over the top and highly verbal persona was the sort of thing that seemed to be made for the talkies.
AS FOR THIS film, today's reviewed, MEET THE BARON (MGM, 1933), we find curious mixture of musical & comedy types. Other than the main motivating premise of Mr. Pearl's being a whopper telling liar, there isn't much that could be considered to be original. In fact, the movie seems to be a number of farcical, familiar and time proved stage skits; which are woven together onto a somewhat coherent scenario.
NOW, WE ARE not implying that there aren't truly funny and enjoyable moments on the screen, for there are many. Certainly the inclusion of Jimmy Durante as the Baron's foil* and the casting of Ted Healy and the 3 Stooges were features that made this a 90 minutes that were well worthwhile, time well spent. Additionally, both Zasu Pitts and Edna May Oliver are seen in roles which are used to good effect.
AS FOR A DOWNSIDE to using Mr. Durante as the Baron's Straight Man, it would be that it severely limits Jimmy's being himself; clearly, it's a case of trying to be all things to all men.
AS IN SO MANY other Hollywood traditions, the movie seems to be a good example of the age old tradition of patterning motion pictures on just what has been successful or is popular at the present time. In other words, it is a simple case of the old adage that: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!"
THERE IS MUCH in evidence to support our assertion, for we readily saw so many other then very box office popularity. For example, there are some big singing & dancing production numbers that strongly resemble all of those Depression Era Busby Berkeley Musicals done over at Warner Brothers. Likewise, there is much suggesting a certain affinity to those early Comedies of The 4 Marx Brothers done by Paramount Pictures.One production number clearly has three female performers aping the style and humor of Miss Mae West.
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, this may well be a sort of second division comedy feature (to borrow an old Baseball term); but it is well worth taking in, at least once or twice.
NOTE: Jimmy Durante played the role of foil to Jack Pearl, as well that of Buster Keaton in several early sound comedies. He did double duty as he also did his own "Schnozola" routines.
Long time Straight Man for Jack Pearl was one Cliff Hall, who didn't make the cut into Bsaron Munchausen's rather short lived film career. Incidentally, Mr. Hall was seen prominently in 1950's television; first as Horatio Frisby,store owner, on the kids' show, JOHNNY JUPITER. His work is still visible daily as the Head of the Racoon Lodge on THE HONEYMOONERS.