Copyright 22 August 1936 by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Palace: 11 September 1936. Australian release: 30 September 1936. 8 reels. 70 minutes. DVD scheduled for Warner Archive.
SYNOPSIS: Spoiled beauty hires a young man to impersonate a French count and irritate her father to such an extent that he will agree to her marriage to the wastrel she really loves.
VIEWER'S GUIDE: The heroine's defiance of her father makes this comedy unsuitable for all but mature children.
COMMENT: A most entertaining comedy of manners, fluidly directed and most ingratiatingly played. If some of the ingenious plot twists are not wholly unexpected, the charm and charisma of the players more than make up for any such lapses in novelty. In fact, Raymond never gave a more easy and personable performance. Usually he's somewhat stiff. Here he is relaxed and amusing. He also sings more than adequately too. (Naturally Kalmar and Ruby, who both worked on the script also supplied the songs, including the cleverly highlighted "Cabin on the Hill" which is first murdered by a basso profundo before its most pleasant reworking by Raymond).
Ann Sothern — a player who rarely seemed to get the plum roles she deserved — has one of her best roles too, managing the difficult feat of being thoroughly spoiled, willfully selfish yet still retaining 100% audience sympathy. And of course no audience could fail to warm to Jessie Ralph who handles some of the script's wittiest comebacks with grace and aplomb.
Good to see Henry Stephenson in a major role too, even if he is mainly along to feed funny lines to the rest of the principals (including Gordon Jones).
In this sort of picture, the players are all dressed to the nines and move through surroundings of the utmost in middle-class luxury. Butlers (a nice performance by Charles Coleman), nightclubs, gorgeous clothes — all are agreeably realized. Credits are super- glossy, production values sparkle.
OTHER VIEWS: A charming reverse-Cinderella romance with Gene Raymond risible playing a phony count who does everything possible to insult his prospective father-in-law short of trying to sell him insurance. Attractively gowned Ann Sothern is the fairy-tale princess, Jessie Ralph the godmother, Alan Curtis the caddish villain. Three or four catchy songs round out a most enjoyable, wittily pacey, beautifully photographed comedy.
Although the authors of The RKO Story opine that "Walking On Air" is a "B", they are most definitely wrong on this score. The film is lavishly produced, with the sort of fluid direction, stunning costumes and many-peopled sets that could only flow from an "A" budget... Among the many pleasing players, we must cite cute Patricia Wilder who gives her all to that famous refrain of all hirers of theatrical talent: "We'll let you know. — JHR writing as George Addison.
SYNOPSIS: Spoiled beauty hires a young man to impersonate a French count and irritate her father to such an extent that he will agree to her marriage to the wastrel she really loves.
VIEWER'S GUIDE: The heroine's defiance of her father makes this comedy unsuitable for all but mature children.
COMMENT: A most entertaining comedy of manners, fluidly directed and most ingratiatingly played. If some of the ingenious plot twists are not wholly unexpected, the charm and charisma of the players more than make up for any such lapses in novelty. In fact, Raymond never gave a more easy and personable performance. Usually he's somewhat stiff. Here he is relaxed and amusing. He also sings more than adequately too. (Naturally Kalmar and Ruby, who both worked on the script also supplied the songs, including the cleverly highlighted "Cabin on the Hill" which is first murdered by a basso profundo before its most pleasant reworking by Raymond).
Ann Sothern — a player who rarely seemed to get the plum roles she deserved — has one of her best roles too, managing the difficult feat of being thoroughly spoiled, willfully selfish yet still retaining 100% audience sympathy. And of course no audience could fail to warm to Jessie Ralph who handles some of the script's wittiest comebacks with grace and aplomb.
Good to see Henry Stephenson in a major role too, even if he is mainly along to feed funny lines to the rest of the principals (including Gordon Jones).
In this sort of picture, the players are all dressed to the nines and move through surroundings of the utmost in middle-class luxury. Butlers (a nice performance by Charles Coleman), nightclubs, gorgeous clothes — all are agreeably realized. Credits are super- glossy, production values sparkle.
OTHER VIEWS: A charming reverse-Cinderella romance with Gene Raymond risible playing a phony count who does everything possible to insult his prospective father-in-law short of trying to sell him insurance. Attractively gowned Ann Sothern is the fairy-tale princess, Jessie Ralph the godmother, Alan Curtis the caddish villain. Three or four catchy songs round out a most enjoyable, wittily pacey, beautifully photographed comedy.
Although the authors of The RKO Story opine that "Walking On Air" is a "B", they are most definitely wrong on this score. The film is lavishly produced, with the sort of fluid direction, stunning costumes and many-peopled sets that could only flow from an "A" budget... Among the many pleasing players, we must cite cute Patricia Wilder who gives her all to that famous refrain of all hirers of theatrical talent: "We'll let you know. — JHR writing as George Addison.