This short is about a couple of fliers, played by the Havel brothers of vaudeville, who want the attention the other pilots are getting so they decide to fake a round the world flight for the publicity value. Mischievous Dorothy Lee, who lit up several of the Wheeler and Woolsey comedies over at RKO, hides out in their plane. Remember this was at a time when flight was still considered the stuff of stunts and novelty. If people wanted to do any real traveling they took the train.
When the pilots return from their faked flight they use their celebrity as an opportunity for some musical interludes involving their travels. These numbers are elaborately staged and costumed, but you have to remember that most studios, including Warner Brothers, borrowed sets and costumes from their feature productions for these shorts that were part of the "night at the movies" experience that people got when they bought a movie ticket in the 30's and 40's.
The numbers are well done and the songs catchy - catchier and better done than those in some actual feature length musicals from the period. As for the Havel brothers, their humor is pretty much exhibit A in what killed vaudeville, but do watch out for the high kick of one of the brothers. Without moving his body at all he manages to fling his foot from the ground to the chin of his brother. Pretty impressive.
When the pilots return from their faked flight they use their celebrity as an opportunity for some musical interludes involving their travels. These numbers are elaborately staged and costumed, but you have to remember that most studios, including Warner Brothers, borrowed sets and costumes from their feature productions for these shorts that were part of the "night at the movies" experience that people got when they bought a movie ticket in the 30's and 40's.
The numbers are well done and the songs catchy - catchier and better done than those in some actual feature length musicals from the period. As for the Havel brothers, their humor is pretty much exhibit A in what killed vaudeville, but do watch out for the high kick of one of the brothers. Without moving his body at all he manages to fling his foot from the ground to the chin of his brother. Pretty impressive.