Movie Cosmos - Stand Up and Cheer!

Description:

President Franklin Roosevelt appoints a theatrical producer as the new Secretary of Amusement in order to cheer up an American public still suffering through the Depression. The new secretary soon runs afoul of political lobbyists out to destroy his department.

Top Cast >

Warner Baxter

As Lawrence Cromwell

Madge Evans

As Mary Adams

James Dunn

As Jimmy Dugan

Sylvia Froos

As Sylvia Froos

John Boles

As John Boles

Arthur Byron

As John Harly

Shirley Temple

As Shirley Dugan

Ralph Morgan

As Secretary to President

Jimmy Dallas

As Boy Scout

Tess Gardella

As Aunt Jemima

Frank Mitchell

As Senator Danforth

Jack Durant

As Senator Short

Dick Foran

As Nick Foran

Nigel Bruce

As Eustis Dinwiddle

John 'Skins' Miller

As Hill-Billy

Stepin Fetchit

As Stepin Fetchit

Lew Brown

As Voice of Jimmy Durante Penguin (voice, uncredited)

Lynn Bari

As White House Secretary / Chorine (uncredited)

Scotty Beckett

As Boy Auditioning for Miss Adams (uncredited)

Jean Allen

As Dancer

Dorothy Andre

As Dancer

Zita Baca

As Dancer

Bonita Barker

As Dancer

Deslys Barnes

As Dancer

Mary Blackwood

As Dancer

Angela Blue

As Dancer

Audrene Brier

As Dancer

Mary Jane Carey

As Dancer

Lorena Carr

As Dancer

Dixie Dean

As Dancer

Shirley Deane

As Dancer

Dale Dee

As Dancer

Betty Dotson

As Dancer

Celeste Edwards

As Dancer

Eleanor Edwards

As Dancer

Margaret Ehrlich

As Dancer

Helen Fairweather

As Dancer

Martha Fields

As Dancer

Diane Gardner

As Dancer

Zumetta Garnett

As Dancer

Harriette Haddon

As Dancer

Beatrice Hagen

As Dancer

Margaret Harding

As Dancer

Earlene Heath

As Dancer

Ruth Jennings

As Dancer

Crystal Keate

As Dancer

Eve Kimberly

As Dancer

Ula Love

As Dancer

Lucille Miller

As Dancer

Mildred Morris

As Dancer

Laura Morse

As Dancer

Inez Mortensen

As Dancer

Toddy Peterson

As Dancer

Marjean Roach

As Dancer

Jean Rogers

As Dancer

Gale Ronn

As Dancer

Marion Sheldon

As Dancer

Mary Stewart

As Dancer

Dorothy Ward

As Dancer

Zelda Webber

As Dancer

Marion Weldon

As Dancer

Dorothy White

As Dancer

Nora Lane

As Toe Dancer

Dorothy Dayton

As Toe Dancer

Morris Ankrum

As Washington Press Correspondent

George K. Arthur

As Dance Director

Jane Barnes

As Angie

Ruth Beckett

As Child's Mother

Bobby Caldwell

As General Lee

Gilbert Clayton

As Quartet Member

Harry Dunkinson

As Quartet Member

Dora Clement

As Secretary

Ruth Clifford

As Secretary

Dorothy Dehn

As Secretary

John Davidson

As Blue Nose Hour Radio Announcer (voice)

Clyde Dilson

As Correspondent

Elspeth Dudgeon

As Reformer

Edward Earle

As Secret Service Man

Patricia Farr

Bess Flowers

As Stenographer

Dixie Francis

Carlton Griffin

As Secretary

Dorothy Gulliver

As Stenographer

John Hamilton

As Presidential Naval Aide

Sam Hayes

As Radio Announcer

Aggie Herring

As Irish Washerwoman

Philippa Hilber

As Chorine

David Holt

As Boy at Audition for Miss Adams

Arthur Stuart Hull

As Senator

Selmer Jackson

As White House Correspondent

Si Jenks

As Rube Farmer

Lila Lee

As Zelda

Patricia Lee

As Featured Blonde in Baby Take a Bow Number

Lucien Littlefield

As Professor Hi De Ho

Arthur Loft

Wilbur Mack

As Beamish

Joe Smith Marba

As Elephant Trainer

Miriam Marlin

As Fashion Model

Tina Marshall

As Boy's Mother

Paul McVey

As Senator Jenkins

Frank Melton

As Fosdick

Montie Montana

As Rope Spinner

Frances Morris

As Stenographer

Edmund Mortimer

As Senator

Harry Northrup

As Reformer

Dagmar Oakland

Jessie Perry

As Reformer

Herbert Prior

As Quartet Member

Rolin Ray

As Secretary

Jack Richardson

Frank Sheridan

As Senator

Reginald Simpson

As Secretary

Paul Stanton

As Senator

Carl Stockdale

As Quartet Member

Phil Tead

As Vaudevillian

Lurene Tuttle

As Stenographer

Arthur Vinton

As Turner

Glen Walters

As Hillbilly's Wife

Peggy Watts

As Secretary

Lillian West

As Stenographer

Gayne Whitman

As President (voice)

Vivian Winston

Marbeth Wright

As Chorus Girl

Top Crew >

Hamilton MacFadden

Director

Arthur Lange

Original Music Composer

Winfield R. Sheehan

Producer

Gordon Wiles

Art Direction

Ernest Palmer

Director of Photography

L. William O'Connell

Director of Photography

Margaret Clancey

Editor

Rita Kaufman

Costume Design

Russell Patterson

Art Direction

Ralph Spence

Dialogue

Lew Brown

Story, Dialogue

Philip Klein

Story

Will Rogers

Story

Reviews:

CinemaSerf (5/10)

This starts off quite promisingly, with a bumbling 'Dinwiddle" (Nigel Bruce) explaining to awaiting reporters just what his job as chief scout for Broadway impresario "Cromwell" (Warner Baxter) actually is. Then, right on cue, his boss arrives by gyro-copter on the White House lawn for a meeting at which the President offers him a $100m budget and one year as "Secretary of Amusement". His task? Cheer up the American populace after the misery of the 1920s. He quickly assembles his own cabinet - including "Mary" (Madge Evans) as his minister for children and sets about making us all smile. Sadly, Baxter and Evans - and their predictably evolving affection - feature but sparingly in what is essentially a compendium of just about every style entertainment act around at the time. An early outing for the smiling Shirley Temple is probably most notable, but even she struggles to breath much life into this almost documentary style film that could serve well as an history of what made Americans laugh in the early thirties. Some of the artistes work better than others, but a weak, occasionally politically driven, narrative and an off-form effort from what we do see of Baxter just doesn't really work. It watchable as a nostalgia exercise, but as little else I'm afraid.

2024-01-07