Jack Oakie Movies
The parents of American actor Jack Oakie had hopes that their son would enter the business world, but a spell as telephone clerk in a brokerage house convinced Oakie to look elsewhere for a career. After appearing at an amateur show staged by Wall Street executives for the Cardiac Society, Oakie was encouraged by the show's director to give acting his full attention. Oakie's professional debut was in the chorus of the 1922 George M. Cohan musical Little Nellie Kelly. Several Broadway productions later, Oakie travelled westward to try his luck in films, the first of which was Finders Keepers. Transferring without a hitch to talkies, Oakie found himself much in demand, usually playing a dimwitted braggart (with one of the best "double takes" in the business) who somehow made good and got the girl before fadeout time. By the late 1930s Oakie's career had gone into decline. The experience humbled the bombastic comedian and convinced him take a new approach to his career. After his unforgettable Mussolini take-off in Chaplin's The Great Dictator (1940), Oakie entered a new movie phase as second lead and character actor, which sustained him through many a musical comedy of the 1940s. And when called upon to do so, he could still carry a picture with finesse, as witness the 1945 fantasy That's the Spirit. Stage and TV work took up much of his time in the 1950s and 1960s, with occasional choice character parts in such films as The Rat Race (1960) and Lover Come Back (1962). Unpredictable in his likes and dislikes, Oakie was the sort of fellow who brusquely shooed away autograph seekers, but who also visited ailing comedian Stan Laurel, a man Oakie barely knew, to brighten up Stan's hospital stay at a time when some of Laurel's "close" pals didn't want to show up. Just before his death, Jack Oakie committed his memories to a sometimes fanciful but always entertaining biography, Jack Oakie's Double Takes, which was published posthumously by Jack's widow, actress Victoria Horne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1928
Finders Keepers is based on a lighthearted story by mystery specialist Mary Roberts Rinehardt. Laura LaPlante stars as Barbara, the flighty daughter of army colonel Archibald (Edmund Breese). Upon falling in love with Carter (John Harron), one of the men under her father's command, Barbara decides to "crash" the army camp and marry the boy, with the chaplain (Joe Mack) presiding. Accordingly, our heroine disguises herself as a boy and sneaks into Carter's barracks. She is forced to keep up the masquerade when a reviewing officer suddenly shows up for a surprise inspection, leading to all sorts of risque complications. Not exactly the subtlest comedy film of 1928, Finders Keepers proved to be a real crowd pleaser, reducing even sophisticated New York audiences to peals of helpless laughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura La Plante, John Harron, (more)
- 1928
Paramount's popular screen team of Charles "Buddy" Rogers and Mary Brian were once again cinematically united in 1928's Someone to Love. Rogers plays William Shelby, a struggling young sheet-music salesman, while Brian is Joan Kendricks, his wealthy sweetie. Thanks to a series of bizarre coincidences and misunderstandings, Joan is led to believe that the virtuous William is a no-account fortune hunter and skirt-chaser. But he redeems himself by using his salesmanship to put a bankrupt girl's school back on its financial feet. Not only does William get the girl, but he also falls heir to 20 million bucks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Mary Brian, (more)
- 1929
This comedy chronicles the rise of a country rube who becomes a baseball legend for the New York Yankees. Not only does he help the team win the World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, he also beats a group of gangsters all by himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Evelyn Brent, Jack Oakie, (more)
- 1929
Bearing no relation to the popular torch song of the same name, The Man I Love is a prizefight picture, courtesy of Paramount production exec David O. Selznick. Richard Arlen stars as Dum-Dum Brooks, a tank-town boxer who journeys to New York in hopes of cracking the Big Time. Along for the ride is Dum-Dum's long-suffering but ever-faithful wife Celia (Mary Brian). After licking Champ Mahoney (Charles Sullivan) in an exhibition bout, Dum-Dum is given a chance to win the title for real. His road to success is temporarily blocked off by seductive Sonia Baranoff (Olga Baclanova), giving poor Celia even more to worry about. Among the real-life pugilists seen in The Man I Love is ubiquitous stunt man and bit player Sailor Vincent, who remained in films well into the late 1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Mary Brian, (more)
- 1929
In this film, the irresponsible Stella Ames (Clara Bow) spends her college career attending parties rather than studying. However, when she ends up in the difficult class of the handsome, but stern, Professor Gil Gilmore (Fredrick March), she develops a crush on him which creates a series of dilemmas for both of them. The Wild Party, directed by one of the first female directors, Dorothy Arzner was Clara Bow's first talkie film, and -- while dated -- is still good, trashy fun to watch. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clara Bow, Fredric March, (more)
- 1929
In this college-campus musical, a Broadway star finds herself the proud owner of a North Carolina college. The star's boy friend attends the school where he is a big football hero. The trouble begins when the star begins trying to convince the young man to forget about school and elope with her and he refuses because he would let down his team. The determined young woman begins trying to force him to give up football, but she fails. Songs include: "My Sweeter Than Sweet," "The Prep Step," "I Think You'll Like It," "Alma Mammy" ( a parody of Jolson's minstrel classic, sung by Jack Oakie), "Bear Down Pelham" (Richard A. Whiting, George Marion, Jr.), "He's So Unusual" (Al Lewis, Abner Silver, Al Sherman), "Sweetie" (sung by Helen Kane). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Carroll, Helen Kane, (more)
- 1929
The early Paramount talkie The Dummy represented a collaboration of sorts between screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, who adapted the play on which the film was based, and Mankiewicz' brother Joseph, who wrote the subtitles for the film's silent version. The title character is office-boy Barney, played by Mickey Bennett. Pretending to be a deaf-mute, Barney tries to trump his detective boss Walter Babbing (John Cromwell) by tracking down the person who kidnapped Peggy Meredith (Vondell Darr), the daughter of wealthy Agnes and Trumbull Meredith (Ruth Chatterton, Frederic March). The guilty party turns out to be Rose Gleason, played by ZaSu Pitts in a rare non-comic role. Previously filmed as a silent picture with Jack Pickford (Mary's brother) in the lead, The Dummy suffered from substandard sound reproduction, but like most 1929 "talkers" it was a big success. John Cromwell, the actor who plays "The Dummy's" boss, is better known for his directorial achievements; his son, James Cromwell, would earn an Oscar nomination for his performance in the 1995 fantasy Babe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruth Chatterton, Fredric March, (more)
- 1929
The first official release from RKO Productions (previous films from this company had been produced by RKO antecedent FBO Pictures), Street Girl afforded Betty Compson to exhibit her considerable skills as a violinist. Compson is cast as Frederika "Freddy" Joyzelle, manager and principal attraction of The Four Seasons, a Jazz Quartet. In love with Mike Fall (John Harron), the group's pianist, Freddy briefly and foolishly falls in love with Prince Nicholaus (Ivan Lebedeff), who hails from the girl's home country of Aragon. But by film's end, Freddy and Mike have patched things up and tied the knot. A box-office hit, Street Girl was remade by RKO Radio as That Girl From Paris (1937) and Four Jacks and a Jill (1944). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Harron, Ned Sparks, (more)
- 1929
Edna Ferber's short story "Classified" was the source for the Dorothy Mackaill vehicle Hard to Get. Mackaill is cast as Bobby Martin, a dress-shop model with intellectual aspirations. Wealthy Dexter Courtland (Edmund Burns) rescues Bobby from a masher, whereupon romance blooms. Likewise smitten with the heroine is down-to-earth garage mechanic Jerry (Charles Delaney). Putting on phony airs for Dexter's benefit, Bobby at last realizes that she'd be happier with Jerry, who loves her for herself. A plenitude of laughs are provided by Bobby's blue-collar family, played by James Finlayson, Louise Fazenda and Jack Oakie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dorothy Mackaill, James Finlayson, (more)
- 1929
This tuneful tale revolves around a shy warehouse clerk who, at the encouragement of his girlfriend finally musters up his courage and decides to break into show business with his little band. The bandleader must work hard to inspire his musicians. He does. Musical numbers abound. Songs include: "She's So I Dunno," "I Want To Go Places and Do Things," "I'm All A-twitter, I'm All A-twirl," and ""Twelfth Street Rag."" ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Carroll, Harry Green, (more)
- 1929
Despite the creative input of producer David O. Selznick and director William A. Wellman, Chinatown Nights was just so much chop suey. In her first (and last) talking-picture appearance, silent screen queen Florence Vidor plays Joan Fry, a San Francisco socialite who ruins her reputation when she falls in love with Chinatown gang boss Chuck Riley (Wallace Beery). When she fails to convince Chuck to quit the rackets, the couple splits up. Unable to return to her own social class, unlucky Joan ends up as a streetwalker (albeit a very glamorous one!) Realizing that he is responsible for the girl's present sorry state, Chuck promises to reform, and together he and Joan leave Frisco to start life anew. In later years, the long-retired Florence Vidor described Chinatown Nights as "absurd," citing producer Selznick's decision to team her with the rough-hewn Wallace Beery as its biggest absurdity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Beery, Florence Vidor, (more)
- 1930
In this musical, based on a long-running Broadway hit from 1927, a sailor finds himself the object of a cafe owner's affections. Singin', dancin', and mayhem ensues. Songs include: Sometimes I'm Happy," "Hallelujah," "Why, Oh Why," "Keeping Myself For You," "More Than You Know," "Billy Rose," "I Know That You Know," and "Sez You--Sez Me" ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Polly Walker, (more)
- 1930
Few films outside of Let's Go Native could boast a cast as diverse as Jack Oakie, Jeanette MacDonald and Kay Francis -- all under the direction of Leo McCarey. A variation of the "Admirable Crichton" theme, the story concerns a group of highly incompatible people, all stranded on a tropical island. Among the castaways are Brooklyn cabbie Voltaire McGinniss (Oakie), socialite Joan Wood (MacDonald), Joan's reluctant fiance Wally Wendell (James Hall), and good-time girl Constance Cooke (Kay Francis). The local natives prove to be surprisingly sophisticated, thanks to the influence of a song-and-dance man (Skeets Gallegher) who'd been shipwrecked sometime earlier. Using costumes that she's bought for a show she hopes to produce, the enterprising Joan buys the oil-rich island from the natives, only to have it sink into the sea after an earthquake. By this time, however, everyone has fallen in love with everyone else, so there's smiles all around when the rescue party arrives. Nothing makes much sense in Let's Go Native, but the film scores points on sheer energy and good spirits. As a bonus, director Leo McCarey harks back to his Laurel & Hardy days by incorporating a tit-for-tat "reciprocal destruction" routine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Jeanette MacDonald, (more)
- 1930
Based on a short-lived stage comedy, The Sap from Syracuse stars Jack Oakie in the title role. A humble laborer on a luxury liner, Littleton Looney (Oakie) is mistaken for a world-famous engineer by heiress Ellen Saunders (Ginger Rogers, in her third feature-film appearance). Naturally, all the other passengers are as convinced as Ellen that Littleton is whom she thinks he is, and as a result our doltish hero is treated like royalty. Before the inevitable "unmasking" scene, Littleton proves his worth by saving Ellen from a plot hatched by Dolly Clark (Veree Teasdale) and Flo Goodrich (Dolly Clark to relieve the girl of her fortune. The Sap from Syracuse represented another fruitful collaboration between star Jack Oakie and director A. Edward Sutherland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Ginger Rogers, (more)
- 1930
Here we go again. Sailor "Searchlight" Hogan (Jack Oakie) has a yen for every pretty girl who crosses his path. Imagine his delight, then, when Hogan is assigned to the European vessel captained by a man (Albert Conti) with a host of gorgeous daughters. The most gorgeous of the bunch is Adrienne (Lilian Roth), who lets Hogan chase her until she catches him. By way of plot development, a two-million-dollar inheritance is wedged into the storyline, with our man Hogan as the sole heir. Eugene Pallette and Harry Green offer their patented comical embroiderings as Hogan's best pal and Jewish lawyer, respectively. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Harry Green, (more)
- 1930
Considered the best of the all-star "studio" musicals of 1929 and 1930, Paramount on Parade utilized the talents of practically everyone on the Paramount Pictures payroll. Under the supervision of British musical-comedy favorite Elsie Janis, 11 top directors contributed to the project: Dorothy Arzner, Otto Brower, Edmund Goulding, Victor Heerman, Edwin H. Knopf, Rowland V. Lee, Ernst Lubitsch, Lothar Mendes, Victor Schertzinger, Edward Sutherland and Frank Tuttle. Introduced by masters of ceremonies Jack Oakie, Skeets Gallegher and Leon Errol, the film is a vaudeville-like maelstrom of musical duets, comedy sketches, occasional dramatic interludes, and spectacular production numbers. To mention all the highlights would take a book in itself but among them are Nancy Carroll's rendition of "Dancing to Save Your Sole" (performed inside a giant shoe!); Maurice Chevalier (and chorus) soaring heavenward in "Sweeping the Clouds Away" ; child actress Mitzi Green's dead-on impersonations of Chevalier, George Arliss, Moran & Mack and Helen "Boop-a-doop" Kane; Ernst Lubitsch's witty staging of an Apache dance in the style of a polite boudoir farce, with Chevalier (again) and Evelyn Brent; Clara Bow's saucy "I'm True to the Navy Now" ; the wish-fulfillment sketch "Impulses," in which George Bancroft and Kay Francis delightedly upset a dinner party by saying what's really on their minds; and best of all, "Murder Will Out," a murder-mystery parody wherein Fu Manchu (Warner Oland) bumps off Sherlock Holmes (Clive Brook) and Philo Vance (William Powell) when they refuse to give him proper credit for his killing of Jack Oakie. Only the dramatic sketch with Frederic March and Ruth Chatterton truly creaks when seen today. Originally released at 102 minutes, Paramount on Parade is presently available only in an 80-minute version, with all its Technicolor sequences missing: casualties include the elaborate "Drink to the Girl of My Dreams" number, directed by Edmund Goulding and featuring Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur and Fay Wray, and Harry Green's dialect song "Isadore the Toreodor". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maurice Chevalier, Richard Arlen, (more)
- 1930
In this high-spirited satire of competitive sports, boxer Marco Perkins is creamed during a fight and decides to play polo instead so he can impress an extremely wealthy young woman who merely considers him amusing. The poor social climbing fellow soon learns that she is only toying with his affections and so goes back to the vulgarity of the ring. Fortunately, his devoted former girl friend is there to welcome him back and cheer him on. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Mary Brian, (more)
- 1931
Two of Paramount's best contract comedians made a rare joint appearance in Dude Ranch. Jack Oakie heads the cast as Jennifer (sic!), the head of a travelling troupe of repertory actors. Finding themselves on the premises of a dude ranch, Jennifer and his actors strike up a deal with ranch proprietor Chester Carr (Stuart Erwin). The thespians will stage a "Wild West" extravaganza, complete with a phony hold-up, to entertain the tourists. Naturally, a bunch of gangsters try to take advantage of the actors' presence to knock off the local bank -- and just as naturally, it is the faux Westerners who save the day. Some of the film's best moments are provided by Eugene Pallette who, as the acting troupe's resident character man, is forced to double as a mustache-twirling villain and a stoic Indian, with some bizarre costume juxtapositions along the way. Elements of Dude Ranch later worked their way into the script of Jack Benny's 1940 comedy Buck Benny Rides Again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Stuart Erwin, (more)
- 1931
In this comedy, a bumbling rube from a small town manages to get involved in a gang war. The trouble really begins when one mob boss orders him to kidnap a young woman. The naive simpleton protests, telling him that he cannot because it is against the law. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Jean Arthur, (more)
- 1931
In this gridiron drama, a college football coach and ex-All American will stop at nothing to have a winning team. The trouble begins as Dastardly Dan Curtis sends an injured player into a big game. The ploy works and the team wins; unfortunately, the player ends up hospitalized. Later he changes his ways and proves it during an important game by refusing to send a player with a massive head injury into the game. They lose the game, but he regains the respect and affection of those around him. The film includes clips of several football legends including Jim Thorpe, Roy Riegels, Howard Jones and Russ Saunders. The story is based on a novel by Francis Wallace, a former member of Knute Rockne's coaching staff. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Arlen, Peggy Shannon, (more)
- 1931
A well-meaning but dimwitted electrical worker-turned-lyricist Frederick Martin Stevens (Jack Oakie) arrives in New York determined to become a successful songwriter. He meets a nice girl , Edna Baker (Frances Dee), and a couple of bad ones, one of whom, Eileen Fletcher (June MacCloy), nearly marries him to snag the couple of thousand dollars he's come into. All the while, he tries to make songs out of some of the worst lyrics to be heard in many a year, to the exasperation of pianist/song-plugger Maxie (Harry Akst), who actually ends up feeling sympathy for the poor dope. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Frances Dee, (more)
- 1932
Based on the stage comedy by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, Once in a Lifetime is a satire of Hollywood's early-talkie era. A down-and-out vaudeville trio (Jack Oakie, Aline MacMahon, and Russell Hopton) takes advantage of the confusion attending the talkie revolution by heading to Hollywood and posing as voice experts. George (Oakie), the team's dimwitted straight man, falls in love with a pretty young miss (Sidney Fox) who has come to Hollywood to become an actress -- and won't let her utter lack of talent get in the way. Fast-talking themselves into jobs at the Glogauer Studios, the phony vocal specialists eventually wear out their welcome and are on the verge of being fired. But George, who has been listening to the complaints of a disillusioned screenwriter, suddenly spouts those complaints word for word to Mr. Glogauer (Gregory Ratoff) -- and is lauded as a genius for being the first man to stand up to the despotic studio head. George is made a producer, and immediately sets about filming an expensive movie vehicle for his girlfriend. Unfortunately, George had found the script for his film in a wastebasket, and winds up shooting the wrong picture. He and his vaudeville chums are fired, but when his picture (an incomprehensible farrago shot in darkness because George forgot to turn on the klieg lights) is previewed, it is hailed as a daringly original masterpiece. George is made the supervising producer of Glogauer Studios, and all ends happily for himself and his friends. An interesting precursor to the Singin' in the Rain school of Hollywood kidding itself, Once in a Lifetime has tarnished a bit over the years but is still well worth seeing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Aline MacMahon, (more)
