Whoopee! (1930)

Western sheriff Bob Wells is preparing to marry Sally Morgan; she loves part-Indian Wanenis, whose race is an obstacle. Sally flees the wedding with hypochondriac Henry Williams, who thinks... See full summary »

Director:

Thornton Freeland

Writers:

William Anthony McGuire (story), Owen Davis (play),

Stars:

Eddie Cantor, Ethel Shutta, Paul Gregory

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Eddie Cantor	...	Henry Williams
Ethel Shutta	...	Mary Custer
Paul Gregory	...	Wanenis
Eleanor Hunt	...	Sally Morgan
Jack Rutherford	...	Sheriff Bob Wells
Walter Law	...	Jud Morgan
Spencer Charters	...	Jerome Underwood
Albert Hackett	...	Chester Underwood
Chief Caupolican	...	Black Eagle
Lou-Scha-Enya	...	Matafay

Storyline

Western sheriff Bob Wells is preparing to marry Sally Morgan; she loves part-Indian Wanenis, whose race is an obstacle. Sally flees the wedding with hypochondriac Henry Williams, who thinks he's just giving her a ride; but she left a note saying they've eloped! Chasing them are jilted Bob, Henry's nurse Mary (who's been trying to seduce him) and others.

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Plot Keywords:

sheriff | hypochondriac | nurse | cheesecake | stove | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1930 (USA)

Also Known As:

'Whoopee' (Alles ...nur nicht heiraten!)

Filming Locations:

Palm Springs, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 93 min (copyright length)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (2-strip Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally premiered in the U.S. on September 30, 1930.

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Quotes

Mary Custer: [referring to the calf Henry just lead into the room] Henry Williams, what is that?
Henry Williams: Condensed milk.

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Connections

Referenced in Biography: Betty Grable: Behind the Pin-up (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Makin' Waffles"
(1930) (uncredited)
Music by Walter Donaldson (1928)
Lyrics Gus Kahn
Mostly hummed by Eddie Cantor to tune of "Makin' Whoopee"

User Reviews

A fun, antique little musical-comedy. One of the better "pre-code" musicals.

"Whooppee!" was made at a perfect time, 1930. It has experimentation with the new two-strip Technicolor process (which gives an unreal, pleasing pastel quality). The Hays Office (the censorship arm of movies from 1934 to 1956) hadn't come in, allowing for some funny off-color jokes, and some wild costuming of shapely dancing girls. The star, Eddie Cantor was in his prime. Eddie plays a hypochondriac on a cross country auto trip. He winds up at an Indian reservation, wrongfully hunted by the Sheriff. The film moves from being a comic gift from long ago, to a scary reminder of poor race relations only 70 years ago. Eddie hides in coal stove that explodes, and he emerges in black face, allowing him to walk past his pursuers in disquise. He approaches the leading lady of the film. She sees him and yells "How dare YOU speak to ME?!" Looking past the social-incorrectness of the film, the dance numbers have some amazing choreography by Busby Berkeley, who was just beginning to discover new and exciting ways to film dancers.