Palmy Days (1931)

An assistant of phony psychic leaves the fraudulent business and becomes an efficiency expert.

Director:

A. Edward Sutherland (as Edward Sutherland)

Writers:

Eddie Cantor (story and dialogue), Morrie Ryskind (story and dialogue)

Stars:

Eddie Cantor, Charlotte Greenwood, Barbara Weeks

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Eddie Cantor	...	Eddie Simpson
Charlotte Greenwood	...	Helen Martin
Barbara Weeks	...	Joan Clark
Spencer Charters	...	Mr. Clark
Paul Page	...	Steve
Charles Middleton	...	Yolando
George Raft	...	Joe - Yolando's Henchman
Harry Woods	...	Yolando's Henchman

Storyline

Musical comedy antics in an art deco bakery (motto: "Glorifying the American Doughnut") with Eddie Cantor as an assistant to a phoney psychic, who is mistaken for an efficiency expert and placed in charge. Complications ensue when the psychic and his gang attempt to rub the payroll.

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Plot Keywords:

implied male nudity | implied female nudity | psychic | bakery | efficiency expert | 

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Taglines:

A PICTURE THAT OUTWHOOPS "WHOOPEE" (Print Ad- Albany Times-Union, ((Albany NY)) 12 October 1931)

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Walter Catlett was hired for some comical scenes, but he didn't made it in the final print.

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Goofs

In the scene where Eddie Cantor sings "There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby" in blackface, the sign above the loud-speakers on the outside is misspelled: "GLORIFIYNG THE AMERICAN DOUGHNUT".

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Quotes

Eddie Simpson: Love is grand, simply grand!/ I'm in love, so you'll understand/ Why I rave. It's hard to behave!/ She's so cute, she's so sweet,/ I consider it such a treat/ To do nice things for the one I adore/ Baby wants to shop and then/ I take her down to the five-and-ten/ There's nothing to good for my baby!/ Baby likes a limousine,/ I show her one in a magazine./ There's nothing too good for my baby! Baby wants lots of love?/ Baby gets lots of love!/ Baby wants petting? Baby gets petting!/ That's what ...

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Connections

References Whoopee! (1930)

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Soundtracks

Jingle Bells
(1857) (uncredited)
Music by James Pierpont
Sung a cappella by Charlotte Greenwood and others at the seance

User Reviews

Classic Comedy Stylings from Eddie Cantor

Palmy Days was Eddie Cantor's first original feature film, the previous two Kid Boots and Whoopee were film adaptions of Cantor's previous Broadway successes that presumably carried built in audiences. Palmy Days could be said to be Cantor's first personal film success. It sure came at a time he needed it because being wiped out in the stock market crash Cantor was working real hard to rebuild his nest egg and support his wife and five daughters.

His innocent schnook character who turns the tables often on bigger and cleverer foes was finding real appeal with the movie going public. Cantor works for phony psychic Charles Middleton working all the special effects to convince Middleton's marks during séances that their dearly departed are actually communicating with them. One of Middleton's bigger suckers is bakery owner Spencer Charters who employs a flock of beautiful Goldwyn Girls as his bakers. Cantor who's been abused by Middleton decides to trip up one of his cons by getting a job at Charters's bakery, but Charters mistakes him for someone else and hires him as an efficiency expert. You have to love some of Cantor's brilliant ideas like sawing the corners of Charters's desk so that folks would not be tempted to linger awhile sitting on said corners and taking up his time.

Eddie also hooks up with Amazonian physical culturist Charlotte Greenwood who is always a delight. The two worked well together, they should have done more joint films. Charlotte also has the first musical number in the film Bend Down Sister or exercising with the Goldwyn Girls. Busby Berkeley did the choreography and while he hadn't really reached the creative heights as he did with Warner Brothers his style is unmistakable.

Cantor gets two numbers My Baby Said Yes Yes and There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby. Both are delivered in his quick tempo style, Michael Jackson had nothing on Eddie Cantor when it came to moving about on stage.

Of course Middleton is down, but not out. Cantor and Greenwood have a hilarious climax with Middleton and his two torpedoes Harry Woods and George Raft in the bakery. This was one of Raft's earliest films and he barely gets any dialog, but casting him as a gangster was definitely something he could always handle.

Palmy Days holds up well after more than 80 years, it's classic comedy is timeless and the film is great introduction to one of the funniest men of the last century Eddie Cantor.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1931 (USA)

Also Known As:

A nő már hajlandó

Filming Locations:

Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Equipment)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1