Pinky Tomlin Movies

Will Rogers Jr. stars as his own father in this slow, sentimental biopic. The film begins with Rogers' days on his father's ranch in Indian Territory (later Oklahoma). We see Will court his future wife, Betty (Jane Wyman), just before he strikes out on his own as a rodeo performer. Attempting to break into vaudeville with a roping act, Will gets nowhere until he starts cracking extemporaneous jokes about current events. Using the newspapers as his "material," Will rises to the pinnacle of show business in the 1910s and '20s as a star comedian in Flo Ziegfeld's Follies. He matures into a devoted family man, a rancher, a film star, an aviation enthusiast, and America's unofficial goodwill ambassador. During the darkest days of the Depression, Rogers works long and hard on behalf of poverty-stricken farmers in his own home state and elsewhere. In 1935, Rogers joins his old pal Wiley Post (Noah Beery Jr.) for an airplane trip to Alaska -- from which he never returns. The Story of Will Rogers sticks to the facts, but the film is surprisingly dull and pedantic considering the director (the usually vigorous Michael Curtiz) and the fascinating subject matter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This musical comedy stars radio star Al Pearce has a double role playing himself and Elmer Blurt, the leader of a small-town band that struggles toward stardom in the big city. Their journey begins when Elmer decides to eject their female singer because she isn't really right. Unfortunately, her angry father is their sponsor and when he finds out, he withdraws all support. Fortunately, an aspiring singer learns of the band's plight and decides to pay for them to hit the Big Apple, but only on the condition that she become the new singer. Thanks to a successful radio performance, the band gets a lucrative gig at a major nightclub. Songs include "Straighten Up and Fly Right," "Don't Be Afraid to Tell Your Mother," "Hitch Old Dobbin to the Shag Again" and "Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet." ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The cornpone comedy of the Weaver Brothers & Elviry permeates this ramshackle Republic musical. The plot gets under way when the government tries to buy up some of the Weavers' property for a dam project. The hillbilly family wants nothing to do with the "furriners", but eventually they change their minds when construction engineer John (Ralph Byrd) falls in love with the Weavers' pretty daughter Mary (June Storey). Featured as John's sidekick is bespectacled crooner Pinky Tomlin, whose principal vocal contribution is a musical nursery rhyme. Down in Arkansaw wasn't aimed at the New York intelligentsia: its target audience was rural, and by delivering exactly what its fans wanted the film succeeded spectacluarly. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this countrified musical, a wealthy man and his daughter try to promote the singing career of a talented hillbilly and his always smiling friend. They meet when the rich man's car breaks down while travelling across the South. The father brings the young crooner to his radio station. The singer and the daughter are obviously attracted to each other and this dismays the greedy station manager who wanted the girl to marry his son. To ensure that she does, he conspires to silence the handsome hillbilly. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Pinky Tomlin, the bespectacled crooner responsible for turning "The Object of My Affections" into a hit, is back again in Thanks for Listening. This time, Tomlin plays feckless Homer Tompkins, an easy target for confidence trickster Lulu (Aileen Pringle). Hired as a "professional listener," Homer sets up shop in Reno, inviting people with problems to cry on his shoulder -- for five dollars a session, most of which goes into the pockets of Lulu and her cronies. Homer's biggest challenge is to get the fabulously wealthy Utah Pete to unload his troubles -- and, Lulu hopes, to reveal the whereabouts of his secret gold mine. With the aid of heroine Maxine Doyle, Homer finally figures out that Lulu is up to no good, leading to the hilarious (and of necessity tuneful) finale. Thanks for Listening was the last of Tomlin's starring vehicles for low-budget Ambassador Pictures; it was also the final directorial effort for Marshall Neilan. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Eight year old Paddy O'Day (Jane Withers) arrives at Ellis Island after a long sea voyage from Ireland, to be with her mother. But her mother is nowhere to be found when the ship docks, and the authorities are notified that Mrs. O'Day has died, only a few days ago -- the little girl will have to be sent back. Paddy has only been told that her mother is ill, and manages to sneak out off the island. After encountering a group of street urchins who try to make trouble for her -- and proving that she's got what it takes to take care of herself -- she makes her way to the large mansion on Long Island where her mother works, and learns the truth. The home is owned by Roy Ford (Pinky Tomlin), a studious upper-class bird fancier who has been browbeaten into life as an eccentric collector of stuffed birds by his two overbearing aunts (Vera Lewis, Louise Carter) -- their intention is to notify the authorities if Paddy shows up. But the servants, led by kindly maid Jane Darwell and initially unwilling butler Russell Simpson, decide to hide the child in the house while the aunts are away. Paddy chances to meet Roy, who takes a liking to her and decides to try and help her as well -- and when Paddy's very pretty shipboard friend Tamara Petrovich (Rita Cansino) shows up, along with her restauranteur cousin Mischa (George Givot), he starts to really come out of his shell. Mischa and Tamara will hide the little girl, and Mischa -- with help from a beverage new to Roy, called vodka -- convinces the young millionaire that there is a future in investing in his establishment. Roy likes the loosening up effect that vodka has on him, and also likes even more being around Tamara, and he soon becomes a new man -- not only a partner in the business, but a performer in the stage show that Mischa works up for his now-expanded restaurant/night club, which includes Paddy along with Tamara. But Roy's aunts have returned home, and are as appalled by their nephew's new, joyful approach to life as they are by his apparent infatuation with an immigrant girl and her family. They hire an investigator (Clarence H. Wilson) to try to prove that Roy is mentally incompetent, and he soon discovers that the little Irish waif working in the act is in the United States illegally, a fact that, once reported to the authorities, will get not only get Paddy deported by Tamara as well. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Socialite Pat Reynolds (Ida Lupino) is forced to become the "smart girl" of the title when her wealthy father commits suicide, leaving nothing but a pile of debts. Pat sets up a successful hat-designing business, providing the sole support for herself and her sister Kay (Gail Patrick). So devoted is Pat to Kay's welfare that she stands by in stoic silence as Kay begins romancing Pat's sweetie Nick Graham (Kent Taylor). But a quick glance at the billing order of the stars should be indication enough as to which sister ends up with Nick at the fade-out. Comedy relief is provided in ample doses by old-timer Joseph Cawthorn and bespectacled crooner Pinky Tomlin, cast as father-and-son haberdashers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi