Cowboy from Brooklyn (1938)

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Robert Sloane (play) and
Louis Pelletier (play) ...

Release Date:

9 July 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Sport

Plot:

An actor can only get a radio job if he can prove that he's an authentic cowboy. |

Plot Keywords:

Cowboy | Rancher | Contract | Singer | Illinois

Cast

Dick Powell	...	Elly Jordan, aka Wyoming Steve Gibson
Pat O'Brien	...	Roy Chadwick
Priscilla Lane	...	Jane Hardy
Dick Foran	...	Sam Thorne
Ann Sheridan	...	Maxine Chadwick
Johnnie Davis	...	Jeff Hardy
Ronald Reagan	...	Pat Dunn
Emma Dunn	...	Ma Hardy
Granville Bates	...	Pop Hardy
James Stephenson	...	Prof. Landis
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Mr. 'Pops' Jordan
Elisabeth Risdon	...	Mrs. Jordan (as Elizabeth Risdon)
Dennie Moore	...	Abby Pitts
Rosella Towne	...	Panthea Landis
May Boley	...	Mrs. Krinkenheim

Also Known As:

Romance and Rhythm (UK)

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #4149) | Australia:G

Company:

Cosmopolitan Productions

Trivia:

The radio amateur hour was a spoof of radio program "Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour", which was very popular at the time. It is chiefly noted for the discovery of Frank Sinatra.

Quotes:

Jane Hardy: Say, you're late for your lesson.
Elly Jordan, aka Wyoming Steve Gibson: Yeah, well a couple of chickens had me cornered by the barn down there.
Jane Hardy: Cornered?
Elly Jordan, aka Wyoming Steve Gibson: Yeah, I was on the way up and coming around the barn, there were those doggone chickens and they wouldn't let me by.
Jane Hardy: Too bad you don't carry a gun, you could've shot your way out.
Elly Jordan, aka Wyoming Steve Gibson: Well now, heck, Jane, that's nothing to kid a fella about. You should've seen the dirty looks they were giving me.
Pat Dunn: Now listen Roy, are we gonna die laying down?
Roy Chadwick: Somebody figure out a new way to do it?

Movie Connections:

Remade as Two Guys from Texas (1948)

Soundtrack:

Home on the Range

No wonder Dick Powell longed to change his screen image...

During his early Warner career, DICK POWELL found himself playing the leading juvenile role over and over, sometimes with pleasant results. HARD TO GET ('38) with Olivia de Havilland at least showcased him in a daffy, colorful comedy role that he handled adeptly and had only a couple of songs to sing. It was really one of the best among his brash Warner roles.

But COWBOY FROM BROOKLYN is pretty thin stuff, even for Dick Powell fans and pretty hard to swallow, even with a cast that includes PAT O'BRIEN, PRISCILLA LANE, RONALD REAGAN and ANN SHERIDAN, none of them seen advantageously, particularly Reagan and Sheridan in minor roles.

It's a musical about a singer (DICK POWELL) who must pretend to be an authentic cowhand for the sake of landing a job on a dude ranch run by PRISCILLA LANE. PAT O'BRIEN is a manager who discovers Powell and thinks he's an authentic cowboy he can use in his rodeo. The zany plot takes it from there with the mistaken identity theme in full gear.

A book on Warner films gives a brief rundown of the film as described by N.Y. Times critic, Bosley Crowther: "A piteously frail satirical idea." Nuff said.

Fans of any of the above stars are likely to agree with Crowther. I know I did. Some of the musical moments are pleasant enough, but not enough to compensate for the silly plot, culminating in a hypnotized Powell able to overcome his fear of animals long enough to get a film producer to sign him to a contract.

Trivia note: That's JEFFREY LYNN in a bit role as a reporter with one line to speak--and JAMES STEPHENSON as the hypnotist.