Parkyakarkus [Harry Einstein] Movies
"Parkyakarkus" was the stage name of Harry Einstein (he also appeared as Harry Parke), a comedian and performer best remembered for appearing on Eddie Cantor's radio show during the '30s. Einstein's popularity there led him to appear in a few feature films during the '30s and '40s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1945
In this musical, a messenger boy does a remarkable imitation of Bing Crosby and finds himself surrounded by luscious little bobby-soxers. One woman is so impressed by his Crosbiesque crooning that she takes him New York and convinces investors to bank on him. Unfortunately, she accidentally sells the shares for 125 percent of the profits. Fortunately, by the end, the situation is rectified. Songs include: "June Comes Around Every Year," "Out Of This World" (Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen), "I'd Rather Be Me" (Eddie Cherkose, Felix Bernard, Sam Coslow), "All I Do Is Beat That Golden Drum" (Coslow, sung by Cass Daley), "It Takes A Little Bit More" (Coslow), "A Sailor With An Eight-Hour Pass" (Ben Raleigh, Bernie Wayne, sung by Daley) and "The Ghost Of Mr. Chopin" (Coslow). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake, (more)
- 1945
Broadway producer Earl Carroll was a Ziegfeld-like entrepreneur who staged lavish revues featuring attractive young ladies. Carroll's annual "Vanities" provided story material for three Hollywood films: Murder at the Vanities (34), A Night at Earl Carroll's (40) and Earl Carroll Vanities (45). This last film was produced by Republic Pictures, a bread-and-butter studio specializing in Westerns and serials; Republic had made musicals before, but few of them were expensive enough to allow for lavish production numbers. Earl Carroll Vanities is likewise rather threadbare, though some of the individual musical highlights aren't bad. The plot, such as it is, concerns financially strapped nightclub owner Eve Arden, who finagles Earl Carroll into staging one of his revues at her club. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis O'Keefe, Constance Moore, (more)
- 1944
Perennial second lead Una Merkel and radio dialect comedian Parkyakarkus team up in the Monogram musical fantasy Sweethearts of the USA. While working in a defense plant, Patsy (Merkel) is rendered unconscious-or at least, more unconscious than usual. While knocked out, she dreams that she's a fearless detective, teamed with tangle-tongued Parkyakarkus on the trail of bank robbers. If things could get any sillier, they probably would, but unfortunately the film lasts only 63 minutes. Incidentally, Parkyakarkus' real name was Harry Einstein, and he was the father of comic actors Bob Einstein and Albert Brooks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Una Merkel, Parkyakarkus [Harry Einstein], (more)
- 1942
In this upbeat WW II musical, a popular band joins the army with the idea of putting on shows for troops overseas. During rehearsals, a battle erupts and the musicians must exchange their musical instruments for guns and fight. Songs include: "Zip Your Lip," "I Must Have Priorities on Your Love," "Don't Fool Around with My Heart," "The Yanks are Coming," and "There Will Be No Blackout of Democracy." (Lew Pollack, Tony Stern, Herman Ruby, Sidney Clare). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry King, Mary Healy, (more)
PRC's A Yank in Libya is distinguished by some of the oldest, grainiest stock footage ever seen in a mid-1940s film. Once past this aesthetic obstacle, however, the film isn't too bad. Walter Woolf King heads the cast as American war correspondent Mike Malone, on assignment in a papier-mache facsimile of Libya. Malone helps to squash a Nazi scheme to attack a British garrison, earning the everlasting gratitude of heroine Nancy Brooks (Joan Woodbury) and British consol Herbert Forbes (H. B. Warner). Reasonably amusing comedy relief is provided by radio dialectician Parkayarkus, aka Harry Einstein (the father of present-day comic actors Albert Brooks and Bob Einstein). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- H.B. Warner, Walter Woolf King, (more)
- 1938
Better known today as the father of actors Bob Einstein and Albert Brooks, comedian Harry Einstein achieved radio fame in the 1930s as a tongue-tied Greek named Parkyakarkus. In Night Spot, Einstein/Parkyakarkus is given top billing as a gourmet gangster named Gasshouse, but the plotline is carried by Allan Lane as rookie policeman Pete Cooper. Going undercover, Pete tries to prove that a swank nightclub is the rendezvous spot for a gang of jewel thieves. Making life easier for our hero is nitery singer Marge Dexter (Joan Woodbury), who falls in love with the incognito cop. Since Paryakarkus is too lovable to be the villain of the piece, that responsibility is handled by mustachioed Bradley Page as chief crook Marty Davis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Parkyakarkus [Harry Einstein], Gordon Jones, (more)
- 1938
In this comedy, a woman is left destitute after her father dies. To make ends meet, she begins working as a secretary to a wealthy fellow. Soon the two fall in love and begin planning their wedding, much to the delight of the woman's creditors. When her fiancé learns that she is deeply in debt, he begins questioning her true motives for marrying him. He ends up putting off the union. The plucky lass then becomes determined to prove that she does indeed love him for himself. Mayhem ensues, but romance prevails. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Raymond, Ann Sothern, (more)
- 1937
In this musical comedy, an irresponsible young heir is betrothed to the singing daughter of a wealthy matron. Unfortunately, the willful young is not even slightly interested in her "fiance," preferring the attentions of another instead. Unfortunately, the other man has a big problem. Though he really loves the girl, he will lose his $3 million inheritance if he marries her before the age of 30. Complicating matters is the private detective assigned to keep him from getting to involved with women such as the heroine. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Penner, Gene Raymond, (more)
- 1937
New Faces of 1937 was supposed to be the vanguard of a series of annual musical comedies -- RKO Radio's latest attempt to revive its long-dormant "Radio City Revels" concept. The plot is based on an old show-business legend, later immortalized in Mel Brooks' The Producers: Crooked Broadway producer Robert Hunt (Jerome Cowan) deliberately produces flops so that he can pocket the backers' money himself. His next sure-fire disaster is a show built around talented unknowns (there actually was such a "New Faces" series on Broadway, yielding such stars-to-be as Imogene Coca and Henry Fonda, but it was produced on the up-and-up). When the show threatens to become a hit, the producer desperately seeks a method to sabotage the production. The various subplots involve such vaudeville and radio comedians as Milton Berle (who performs a side-splitting "stockbroker" sketch with Richard Lane), Joe Penner, Bert "Mad Russian" Gordon and Parkyakarkus (aka Harry Einstein, the father of present-day comedians Bob Einstein and Albert Brooks). Among the New Faces displayed herein are 14-year-old dancer Ann Miller, The Brian Sisters, The Three Choclateers and the Four Playboys. Perhaps the fictional Robert Hunt would have been pleased to find out that New Faces of 1937 was a box-office bomb, precluding any follow-ups. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Penner, Milton Berle, (more)
- 1936
Musical comedy star Eddie Cantor stars in this story, well suited to his talents, as Eddie Pink, a meek gentleman who works as a tailor and has a terrible crush on Joyce (Ethel Merman), a nightclub singer. Eddie buys a book (through the mail, of course) called Man or Mouse: What Are You?. Taking its advice, he tries to become more confident and assertive, and his new, outgoing personality helps him get a job running an amusement park called Dreamland. But when racketeers move in for a piece of the action on the park's slot machines, he wonders if he's gotten himself in deeper waters than he can safely navigate. Cantor sings four songs in Strike Me Pink, three of them with co-star Merman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, (more)
