Save your money for something good and enjoyable

recommended

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Director: HAL ROACH. Associate directors: Gordon Douglas, Hal Roach, junior. Screenplay: Arnold Belgard, Harry Langdon, Mickell Novack. Based on the novel by Eric Hatch. Photography: Norbert Brodine. Film editor: Bert Jordan. Art director: Charles D. Hall. Music: Georgie Stoll. Songs: Hoagy Carmichael (music), Stanley Adams (lyrics). Special effects: Roy Seawright. Producer: Hal Roach. Copyright 9 January 1941 by Hal Roach Studios, Inc. Released through United Artists. 87 minutes. SYNOPSIS: When he fails to go through with a wedding, a handsome, personable millionaire is confined in a lunatic asylum.COMMENT: As in the later Hi Diddle Diddle, the Menjou character is a bogus colonel type here (or is he?). Indeed this movie is almost as high-spirited as Diddle, though the players don't practice double takes, nor do they sling raspberries at the audience, nor do they draw attention to the casting of the director's girl friend. John Hubbard tries hard, but seems rather stiff compared to Dennis O'Keefe (who would have made a much better job of the role), but if he misses out on the scenes with the lunatics (his playing is both too pat and too flat), he does have some fun with the lions. Certainly the lovely Carole Landis seems prettier and much less formal than Martha Scott. Most of the laughs, however, are generated by Menjou, Kelly, Best and Butterworth, assisted by a goodly array of cameo turns from the likes of Shemp Howard, Jack Norton and Clarence Wilson. Admittedly, Butterworth disappears for most of the movie, but fortunately contrives to return for the grand climax. Most of the songs — pleasant enough, if rather ordinary — are supplied by The Charioteers. Roach's direction appears remarkably fluid at times. Road Show was presumably designed as just that: a smooth-as-silk prestige attraction. Photography is appealing and production values rate high.

When millionaire society playboy Drogo Gaines (John Hubbard) backs out of his marriage in front of the minister by pretending to be crazy, his society gold digger fiancé has just the answer. She has him committed. He can't talk his way out of this one. He meets fellow patient Colonel Carleton Carroway, of the caraway seeds Carroways (Adolphe Menjou, who is top billed). After several amusing situations involving loony jokes, the two break out. They find themselves in a traveling road show company of good-hearted, small-time entertainers that the local police always want to close. After songs, jokes, romance and an apparent shared taste for salting their apple pie slices, Drogo and road show manager Penguin Moore (Carole Landis) bring the road show to the old manse and find true love. Drogo's money and the Colonel's fast talking save the carnival. Along the way we've had a chance to see the carnival in action, a fine comic riot and some first-class second bananas doing their stuff...people like Patsy Kelly, Charles Butterworth, George E. Stone, Florence Bates...and Menjou. In his day he was a first-class comic actor. Just watch him in Roxie Hart. Unfortunately, there's also some "ya suh, boss," quivering-knees-in-front-of-the-lion, fried-chicken humor involving Willie Best. Why push on through this pleasant, unexceptional time killer, even if it was co-written, or, more probably, had some of the jokes developed by Harry Langdon? Two words: Hoagy Carmichael. He wrote three songs for this movie. If you're as much a Carmichael fan as I am, you'll know the chances of ever hearing these three if you don't watch the movie are probably zero. "Yum Yum" (20 minutes in) and "Calliope Jane" (34 minutes in) are performed by the four-member African-American close-harmony group, The Charioteers. They're excellent upbeat songs. Carmichael wrote the lyrics for both. "I Should Have Known You Years Ago" (58 minutes in) has a nice melody of yearning, dubbed by Martha Mears for Landis, but is marred by the conventional, syrupy lyrics of Harris Robison.

This 1941 Hal Roach production was a big hit with movie goers because the public were innocent and hard working people who enjoyed all the great humor that Hal Roach introduced from the 1920's, 30's and 40's. In todays standards this film would be horrible and a complete corny boring film. John Hubbard, (Drogo Gaines) plays the role as a playboy and gets out of a marriage by claiming he was crazy, because his bride was only a gold-digger and Drogo is placed in a mental institution. While Drogo is in the nut house he meets up with Col. Carleton Carroway, (Adolphe Menjou) who after a few weeks decides to escape with Drogo and they meet up with Penguin Moore, (Carole Landis), "I Wake Up Screaming", who owns a carnival and they decide to work and stay with Penguin and Drogo even gets involved with being a lion trainer. This is a nutty film, but a great look back at a film that was produced and directed when America was at war during WW II and the people needed a break from the horrible concerns and worry for the fighting men and woman in this horrible war.

This isn't a comedy for intellectuals, as they will no doubt find the film too silly and full of cheap slapstick to enjoy. However, if you are not a film snob and you give it a chance (especially at the beginning), you'll probably have a few laughs and enjoy yourself.The film begins with a man (John Hubbard) about to marry. However, he's having cold feet and pretends to be crazy. During his crazy act, he overhears his fiancée say that she can't stand him and is only marrying him for his money. Before he can do anything about this, she decides, out of spite, to play up that he really is insane and has him placed in a mental institution. So far so good, though the film lags a bit in the sanitarium due to too many "crazy people" jokes.Hubbard can't get out despite his attempts to convince the chief of staff that he is sane. In this "rest home" for the rich, Hubbard meets Adolph Menjou--who isn't dangerous but certainly is rather crazy. Menjou LIKES living there but knows of a way out so they both escape together. Menjou's character is awfully broadly written at this point--laying on the mentally ill part a bit too thick, though he does settle down later in the film and is a good sidekick for Hubbard.On the run, the two men meet up with Carole Landis and her traveling carnival. Things look great except that the awfully loud and untalented Patsy Kelly is with the carnival as well, though fortunately her role in the film isn't a big one. Plus, so much of the time she's avoiding the romantic overtures of George E. Stone ("Runt" from the Boston Blackie series), that she doesn't get that much of a chance to yell her lines. Landis welcomes the pair of escapees and they all become one big happy family. Things come to an interesting conclusion when Menjou directs him to the mansion of his rather cracked nephew, played by Charles Butterworth.The film has a lot going for it other than the crazy jokes. The script is bouncy and fun, the supporting singers (The Charioteers) are amazingly fun to listen to and the film never gets dull. Certainly this isn't a great film, but it is fun--and isn't that what comedy is all about anyway?FYI--Two things to look for: Adolph Menjou's amazing hat and Shemp Howard in a small role (before joining the Stooges in films) and he's billed as "Moe"!