Whoopee! (film)

{{Infobox film

|name = Whoopee

|image = Whoppee4ED6.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

|producer = Samuel Goldwyn
Florenz Ziegfeld

|writer = William M. Conselman
E.J. Rath (story)
Robert Hobart Davis (story)
Owen Davis (play)
William Anthony McGuire (musical)

|starring = Eddie Cantor
Ethel Shutta
Eleanor Hunt

|music = Nacio Herb Brown
Walter Donaldson
Edward Eliscu

|cinematography = Lee Garmes
Ray Rennahan
Gregg Toland

|color_process = Technicolor

|editing = Stuart Heisler

|studio = Samuel Goldwyn Productions

|distributor = United Artists

|released = {{film date|1930|09|30}}

|runtime = 101 minutes

|language = English

|country = United States

|budget = $1.9 million{{cite book

| last = Balio

| first = Tino

| title = United Artists: The Company Built by the Stars

| date = 2009

| publisher = University of Wisconsin Press

| isbn = 978-0-299-23004-3

}} p. 106

| gross = $2,655,000{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11816878|title=WHICH CINEMA FILMS HAVE EARNED THE MOST MONEY SINCE 1914?|newspaper=The Argus|location=Melbourne|date=March 4, 1944|access-date=August 6, 2012|page=3 Supplement: The Argus Weekend magazine|via=National Library of Australia}}

}}

Whoopee! is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy musical Western film photographed in two-color Technicolor. It was directed by Thornton Freeland and stars Eddie Cantor, Ethel Shutta and Eleanor Hunt. The film's plot closely follows that of the 1928 stage show produced by Florenz Ziegfeld.

Plot

Sally Morgan loves an Indian named Wanenis, but her father forbids her to marry Wanenis, instead favoring sheriff Bob Wells. Just before marrying Wells, Sally decides that she loves Wanenis too much and tricks farmhand Henry Williams into helping her flee to the ranch of Jerome Underwood. Wells searches for Sally, causing trouble for the oblivious Henry.

Cast

File:Scene from Whoopie! 1930.JPG

Eddie Cantor as Henry Williams
Ethel Shutta as Mary Custer
Paul Gregory as Wanenis
Eleanor Hunt as Sally Morgan
Jack Rutherford as Sheriff Bob Wells
Walter Law as Jud Morgan
Spencer Charters as Jerome Underwood
Albert Hackett as Chester Underwood
Marian Marsh as Harriett Underwood

Production

Whoopee! made a film star of Eddie Cantor, already known for his work on the Broadway stage and as a singer.{{Cite book |last=Ciment |first=James |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3GjxBwAAQBAJ&dq=Whoopee!+musical&pg=PT1185 |title=Encyclopedia of the Jazz Age: From the End of World War I to the Great Crash: From the End of World War I to the Great Crash |date=2015-04-08 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-47164-6 |language=en}} The song "My Baby Just Cares for Me" was written especially for Cantor to sing in the film and became one of his signature songs. Bandleader George Olsen, already a well-known Victor recording artist, repeated his work from the stage version.

The film launched the Hollywood career of Busby Berkeley and was Alfred Newman's first composing job in Hollywood. Richard Day designed the sets and the cinematographer was Gregg Toland, who later found fame through his work in the films of Orson Welles. H. Bruce "Lucky" Humberstone served in an uncredited role as assistant director.{{Citation|title=Whoopee! (1930) - IMDb|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021549/fullcredits|access-date=2021-08-29}}

Future stars Betty Grable, Paulette Goddard, Ann Sothern, Virginia Bruce and Claire Dodd appear uncredited as "Goldwyn Girls".

Awards

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction by Richard Day.{{cite web|url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/54440/Whoopee-/details|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091221205444/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/54440/Whoopee-/details|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 21, 2009|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=The New York Times|date=2009|title=NY Times: Whoopee!|access-date=December 6, 2008}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1932 |title=The 4th Academy Awards (1931) Nominees and Winners |access-date=May 21, 2019 |publisher=Oscars.org (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141010191946/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1932 |archive-date=October 10, 2014 }}

Reception

The film has been called a "a musical western extravaganza".{{Cite book |last=Balio |first=Tino |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_J9HTLOI08wC&dq=Whoopee!+musical&pg=PA212 |title=Grand Design: Hollywood as a Modern Business Enterprise, 1930-1939 |date=1995 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-20334-1 |language=en}} Cecil A. Smith and Glenn Litton recalled that "Director Frank Corsaro was criticized for exaggerating the show's dramatic style.".{{Cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Cecil A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9efWAQAAQBAJ&dq=Whoopee!+musical&pg=PA315 |title=Musical Comedy in America: From The Black Crook to South Pacific, From The King & I to Sweeney Todd |last2=Litton |first2=Glenn |date=2013-10-28 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-55675-3 |language=en}}

References

External links

{{AFI film|1766|Whoopee!}}
{{IMDb title|id=0021549|title=Whoopee!}}
{{TCMDb title|id=95738|title=Whoopee!}}
[https://www.walterfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/WhoopieST2.jpg Film still of Goldwyn Girl] at WalterFilm.com
{{YouTube|ZwU6ZTIJV20|Film clip with parade of "Indian maidens"}}

Category:1930 films

Category:1930s color films

Category:1930 musical comedy films

Category:1930 romantic comedy films

Category:American musical comedy films

Category:American romantic comedy films

Category:American romantic musical films

Category:American Western (genre) comedy films

Category:1930 Western (genre) films

Category:American films based on plays

Category:Films based on musicals

Category:Films directed by Thornton Freeland