This joyous musical has it all - catchy, tuneful music (many of the songs are now standards), beautiful chorus girls (some who would become famous on their own -Betty Grable, Claire Dodd) and the vividness of the two strip technicolor - so that you can marvel at the gorgeous costumes.
"Whoopee" was one of Ziegfeld's most popular shows, so when it was to be filmed Ziegfeld wanted the original cast - most definitely Eddie Cantor. He in turn held out for the original Broadway dance choreographer - Busby Berkeley. Cantor said he wouldn't do the film unless Berkeley came too. The only person to miss out was Ruth Etting. I don't know where she would have fitted into the movie but her song was the show stopper "Love Me or Leave Me".
The film starts out with the rousing "Cowboy" number led by an extraordinarily young and tiny Betty Grable. She had loads of personality to spare and gives the song everything she's got. The dancers are filmed at (for 1930) dizzying angles and the kalediscopic formations are wonderful.
Eddie Cantor plays Henry Williams, a hypochondriac ("you can get 20 years for kidnapping" "ha,ha the jokes on them - I've only got 6 months to live!!!") who, for the past year has been staying at a ranch out West. His nurse (Ethel Shutta) has her heart set on Henry - but he prefers cows!!!
PC is non existent in this film (may be like drednm that's why I like the movie as well). The romance of the story concerns Eleanor Hunt as Sally Morgan and Paul Gregory as Wanenis - childhood sweethearts who can't marry because of Wanenis' Indian blood.
She is due to marry Sheriff Bob Wales (John Rutherford) that day but gets Henry to drive her away on a rendezvous to meet Wanenis. The misleading note she leaves behind causes people to think she has eloped with Henry. Just before that happens Eddie Cantor sings "Makin' Whoopee" to a line up of beautiful chorus girls in lovely, floaty dresses. After running out of petrol and Cantor singing the plaintive "She's a Girlfriend of a Boyfriend of Mine" they encounter another car. After an altercation (Henry robs them of petrol at gunpoint), Henry and Sally take refuge at a nearby ranch, not knowing that the owner, Jerome Underwood, is the same man they met on the road.
There are a couple of hilarious sequences. Henry and Underwood (who is a bigger "nervous wreck" than Henry) compare operations and end up rolling around the floor together.
Chester Underwood (Albert Hackett) tries out some new fangled psychology "lie detector test" complete with plates - Henry comes out tops by making the others drop their plates.
The incredibly catchy "My Baby Just Cares For Me" is sung with such spirit by Cantor (in blackface but I don't care.) He has to prove that he is a singing cook.
There is also a glorious "tableau" number "The Song of the Setting Sun" where the Goldwyn Girls walk around in these extraordinary Indian head-dresses and costumes. The colour makes it breathtaking to watch.
"I'll Still Belong to You" is the romantic ballad that Wanensis sings in what looks like a location shoot in the Arizona desert.
"Stetson" is a rousing song with Ethel Shutta dancing a very, very, hot shimmy with cowboys using their stetsons to fan the flames. The Goldwyn Girls then take centre stage - in beautiful satin jumpsuits with embroided red roses. The fact that you can see their beautiful faces and the colour makes them glow.
The ending bows to convention by having Black Eagle (Chief Caupolican) admit that Wanensis was a foundling - therefore not being an Indian he is free to marry Sally.
The film finishes with a rousing rendition of "My Baby Just Cares For Me". I Love this movie so much - I give it 10 out of 10.
"Whoopee" was one of Ziegfeld's most popular shows, so when it was to be filmed Ziegfeld wanted the original cast - most definitely Eddie Cantor. He in turn held out for the original Broadway dance choreographer - Busby Berkeley. Cantor said he wouldn't do the film unless Berkeley came too. The only person to miss out was Ruth Etting. I don't know where she would have fitted into the movie but her song was the show stopper "Love Me or Leave Me".
The film starts out with the rousing "Cowboy" number led by an extraordinarily young and tiny Betty Grable. She had loads of personality to spare and gives the song everything she's got. The dancers are filmed at (for 1930) dizzying angles and the kalediscopic formations are wonderful.
Eddie Cantor plays Henry Williams, a hypochondriac ("you can get 20 years for kidnapping" "ha,ha the jokes on them - I've only got 6 months to live!!!") who, for the past year has been staying at a ranch out West. His nurse (Ethel Shutta) has her heart set on Henry - but he prefers cows!!!
PC is non existent in this film (may be like drednm that's why I like the movie as well). The romance of the story concerns Eleanor Hunt as Sally Morgan and Paul Gregory as Wanenis - childhood sweethearts who can't marry because of Wanenis' Indian blood.
She is due to marry Sheriff Bob Wales (John Rutherford) that day but gets Henry to drive her away on a rendezvous to meet Wanenis. The misleading note she leaves behind causes people to think she has eloped with Henry. Just before that happens Eddie Cantor sings "Makin' Whoopee" to a line up of beautiful chorus girls in lovely, floaty dresses. After running out of petrol and Cantor singing the plaintive "She's a Girlfriend of a Boyfriend of Mine" they encounter another car. After an altercation (Henry robs them of petrol at gunpoint), Henry and Sally take refuge at a nearby ranch, not knowing that the owner, Jerome Underwood, is the same man they met on the road.
There are a couple of hilarious sequences. Henry and Underwood (who is a bigger "nervous wreck" than Henry) compare operations and end up rolling around the floor together.
Chester Underwood (Albert Hackett) tries out some new fangled psychology "lie detector test" complete with plates - Henry comes out tops by making the others drop their plates.
The incredibly catchy "My Baby Just Cares For Me" is sung with such spirit by Cantor (in blackface but I don't care.) He has to prove that he is a singing cook.
There is also a glorious "tableau" number "The Song of the Setting Sun" where the Goldwyn Girls walk around in these extraordinary Indian head-dresses and costumes. The colour makes it breathtaking to watch.
"I'll Still Belong to You" is the romantic ballad that Wanensis sings in what looks like a location shoot in the Arizona desert.
"Stetson" is a rousing song with Ethel Shutta dancing a very, very, hot shimmy with cowboys using their stetsons to fan the flames. The Goldwyn Girls then take centre stage - in beautiful satin jumpsuits with embroided red roses. The fact that you can see their beautiful faces and the colour makes them glow.
The ending bows to convention by having Black Eagle (Chief Caupolican) admit that Wanensis was a foundling - therefore not being an Indian he is free to marry Sally.
The film finishes with a rousing rendition of "My Baby Just Cares For Me". I Love this movie so much - I give it 10 out of 10.