This 1940 film, "No, No, Nanette," is the earliest surviving movie version of a musical stage play that went through some major revamps early on. See the end of this review for more details on that. This film's focus is clearly on the comedy - the farce of the original story, rather than on the musical aspects. But it does include the two hit tunes that came from the revised musical - "I Want to Be Happy" and "Tea for Two." Anna Neagle's Nanette sings them and has a couple of dance segments. Thus, RKO's billing of the film was first as a comedy and then as a musical.
So, now let's consider the comedy. Since the first film of 1930 is lost, comparison with this film is difficult. But that first film was known to have followed the stage musical closely. So, it would have had as many as 14 songs, with reprisals of one or more, and been primarily a musical. But, with this film it is clear that RKO and Producer Herbert Wilcox were not trying to make a smashing musical, so much as they were a great comedy based on the original farcical plot. Anna Neagle was a tremendous actress, and she could play comedy with the best of the American actresses in that field (Carole Lombard, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Rosalind Russell, Myrna Loy, etc.).
And, this film is just that - a smashing comedy, a farce of the first order. It may be toned down some from the original stage comedy, but the farce of that show is in this screenplay. And the film has the cast to bring it to life with all the laughter it contains. Roland Young as Nanette's uncle, "Happy" Jimmy Smith is the good-hearted wealthy guy who has helped various damsels in distress in the past. Only now, it's a few years after the great stock market crash of 1929, and Jimmy has tight purse strings. Most of his fortune is tied up in bonds in his wife's name. Helen Broderick plays Susan Smith, wife of the man with the wandering eye for beauty.
Uncle Jimmy gets into one tight spot after another when one after another of these damsels reappears with expectations that he would help her get ahead as he had promised. But he is strapped for cash and wife Susan must not find out about them. Young can play that kind of a sick puppy character very well. He's not afraid of his wife, but he doesn't want to lose her. Well, Nanette is the heroine who has one idea after another, or comes up with one scheme after another, to bail uncle out of trouble. And the resulting comedy is wonderful.
During all of this, Nanette meets Broadway director William Trainor (Victor Mature) and artist Tom Gillespie (Richard Carlson), and somehow, romance develops. It's a love triangle - but of course. How Nanette meets Gillespie is very funny when she mistakes him for Trainor. One of her schemes has Uncle Jimmy backing Trainor's new Broadway show. Nanette doesn't go in the show herself, but she finagles a part in the show for Sonya. She's the first girl out of Uncle Jimmy's past to show up looking for help.
The farce of this comedy hits an occasional crescendo. One of those is Sonya trying out for a part in the play. Nanette has to continually distract Trainor from watching as Sonya does some kind of a ridiculous part ballet, part floating dance while twirling and balancing a big ball. All of this is as the piano player knocks out a slow tune. This is so funny, it's hard to stop laughing. The expressions on Trainor's face - as though grimacing in pain combined with disbelief, add more laughs. And, then when Nanette cons him into saying "yes," she jumps up and down gleefully for Sonya having got the part. The comedy of this farce is compounded toward the end of the film. Trainor is watching the premier from his box seat and is looking away at the end of the play, obviously thinking all is lost when the audience is on its feet applauding and Sonya comes out for bows to much cheering and applause. Later, the headlines tout the new stage star for her comical bubble dancing.
There are more such hilarious and wacko scenes in this very funny film. Other top actors of the day contribute to much of the comedy as well. Zasu Pitts is Pauline Hastings, the maid; Eve Arden is Kitty, one of Uncle Jimmy's aid prospects; Billy Gilbert is Styles, the gardener; Dorothea Kent is Betty, another femme fatale rescued; Aubrey Mather plays Remington, the butler; and Mary Gordon is the cook.
This film is a revised version of a 1930 film of the same title which is now lost. It was based on a 1924 stage musical that itself was completely revised from the first version that flopped on the road in 1923. Producer Harry Frazee gutted the original, put in mostly new songs and had a hit in Chicago. The two songs that became hit tunes were brand new - "I Want to Be Happy" and "Tea for Two." The original source of all of this was a farcical Broadway play of 1919, called "My Lady Friends," by Frank Mandel.
Those who watch this movie expecting a comedy, rather than a musical, should have many laughs. And those who have a great sense of humor but expect to see a musical, should soon catch on to the comedy and still enjoy this film for what it is. Here are a couple sample lines.
Mrs. Susan Smith, "If that Tom ever curled up in bed with a good book, the book would curl up first.."
Nanette, "Oh, don't cry like that, Auntie." Mrs. Susan Smith, "It's the only way I know how."
So, now let's consider the comedy. Since the first film of 1930 is lost, comparison with this film is difficult. But that first film was known to have followed the stage musical closely. So, it would have had as many as 14 songs, with reprisals of one or more, and been primarily a musical. But, with this film it is clear that RKO and Producer Herbert Wilcox were not trying to make a smashing musical, so much as they were a great comedy based on the original farcical plot. Anna Neagle was a tremendous actress, and she could play comedy with the best of the American actresses in that field (Carole Lombard, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Rosalind Russell, Myrna Loy, etc.).
And, this film is just that - a smashing comedy, a farce of the first order. It may be toned down some from the original stage comedy, but the farce of that show is in this screenplay. And the film has the cast to bring it to life with all the laughter it contains. Roland Young as Nanette's uncle, "Happy" Jimmy Smith is the good-hearted wealthy guy who has helped various damsels in distress in the past. Only now, it's a few years after the great stock market crash of 1929, and Jimmy has tight purse strings. Most of his fortune is tied up in bonds in his wife's name. Helen Broderick plays Susan Smith, wife of the man with the wandering eye for beauty.
Uncle Jimmy gets into one tight spot after another when one after another of these damsels reappears with expectations that he would help her get ahead as he had promised. But he is strapped for cash and wife Susan must not find out about them. Young can play that kind of a sick puppy character very well. He's not afraid of his wife, but he doesn't want to lose her. Well, Nanette is the heroine who has one idea after another, or comes up with one scheme after another, to bail uncle out of trouble. And the resulting comedy is wonderful.
During all of this, Nanette meets Broadway director William Trainor (Victor Mature) and artist Tom Gillespie (Richard Carlson), and somehow, romance develops. It's a love triangle - but of course. How Nanette meets Gillespie is very funny when she mistakes him for Trainor. One of her schemes has Uncle Jimmy backing Trainor's new Broadway show. Nanette doesn't go in the show herself, but she finagles a part in the show for Sonya. She's the first girl out of Uncle Jimmy's past to show up looking for help.
The farce of this comedy hits an occasional crescendo. One of those is Sonya trying out for a part in the play. Nanette has to continually distract Trainor from watching as Sonya does some kind of a ridiculous part ballet, part floating dance while twirling and balancing a big ball. All of this is as the piano player knocks out a slow tune. This is so funny, it's hard to stop laughing. The expressions on Trainor's face - as though grimacing in pain combined with disbelief, add more laughs. And, then when Nanette cons him into saying "yes," she jumps up and down gleefully for Sonya having got the part. The comedy of this farce is compounded toward the end of the film. Trainor is watching the premier from his box seat and is looking away at the end of the play, obviously thinking all is lost when the audience is on its feet applauding and Sonya comes out for bows to much cheering and applause. Later, the headlines tout the new stage star for her comical bubble dancing.
There are more such hilarious and wacko scenes in this very funny film. Other top actors of the day contribute to much of the comedy as well. Zasu Pitts is Pauline Hastings, the maid; Eve Arden is Kitty, one of Uncle Jimmy's aid prospects; Billy Gilbert is Styles, the gardener; Dorothea Kent is Betty, another femme fatale rescued; Aubrey Mather plays Remington, the butler; and Mary Gordon is the cook.
This film is a revised version of a 1930 film of the same title which is now lost. It was based on a 1924 stage musical that itself was completely revised from the first version that flopped on the road in 1923. Producer Harry Frazee gutted the original, put in mostly new songs and had a hit in Chicago. The two songs that became hit tunes were brand new - "I Want to Be Happy" and "Tea for Two." The original source of all of this was a farcical Broadway play of 1919, called "My Lady Friends," by Frank Mandel.
Those who watch this movie expecting a comedy, rather than a musical, should have many laughs. And those who have a great sense of humor but expect to see a musical, should soon catch on to the comedy and still enjoy this film for what it is. Here are a couple sample lines.
Mrs. Susan Smith, "If that Tom ever curled up in bed with a good book, the book would curl up first.."
Nanette, "Oh, don't cry like that, Auntie." Mrs. Susan Smith, "It's the only way I know how."