Colleen (1936)

The Ames Company makes every effort to keep Uncle Cedric away from any decisions or work. This is in the best interests for him and the company. Trouble starts when he hires a schemer named... See full summary »

Director:

Alfred E. Green

Writers:

Peter Milne (screen play), F. Hugh Herbert (screen play)

Stars:

Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Jack Oakie

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dick Powell	...	Donald Ames 3rd
Ruby Keeler	...	Colleen Reilly
Jack Oakie	...	Joe Cork
Joan Blondell	...	Minnie Hawkins
Hugh Herbert	...	Cedric Ames
Louise Fazenda	...	Alicia Ames
Paul Draper	...	Paul Gordon
Marie Wilson	...	Mabel
Luis Alberni	...	Carlo
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Noggin
Berton Churchill	...	Logan
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Pop Reilly
Addison Richards	...	Schuyler
Charles Coleman	...	Butler

Storyline

The Ames Company makes every effort to keep Uncle Cedric away from any decisions or work. This is in the best interests for him and the company. Trouble starts when he hires a schemer named Joe as his personal assistant and then a gal named Minnie who loves fashion. He buys Minnie a dress shop where Colleen is the bookkeeper and scandal soon follows. When Donald goes to shut down the shop, he doesn't as he is infatuated by Colleen. Colleen runs the shop and fashion shows and starts to make a profit, but Minnie starts a scandal when Cedric tries to adopt her, but doesn't - much to the horror of Alicia and the amusement of the press. Then Joe sues Donald for the loss of Colleen's affection.

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Plot Keywords:

fashion | one word title | slang | marriage | dancing | 

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Taglines:

The Most DeliriousDancing Delight Since "42nd Street" (original poster)

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1936 (USA)

Also Known As:

Colleen, A Modista

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The $50,000 Ames paid out to settle everything would equal nearly $870,000 in 2016.

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Quotes

Minnie Hawkins: Oh, Mr. Ames, are you satisfied with my work?
Donald Ames 3rd: Yes. I think you've done a remarkable job on my Uncle without using a gun.
Minnie Hawkins: [flutters her eyelashes] Oh, do you mean I'm a bad influence?
Donald Ames 3rd: Yes. But, evidently, excellent company.
Minnie Hawkins: Oh, thank you.

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Crazy Credits

After the main titles, most of the principals (Powell, Keeler, Oakie, Blondell, Fazenda, Wilson, and Alberni) and introduced and sing about what they're going to do in the picture that follows. The exceptions are Herbert (who giggles) and Draper (who tap dances)

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Connections

Edited into Six Hits and a Miss (1942)

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Soundtracks

You Gotta Know How to Dance
(1936) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Played during the opening photo credits and sung with special lyrics by Dick Powell,
Ruby Keeler, Jack Oakie, Joan Blondell, Hugh Herbert, Louise Fazenda,
, Luis Alberni and Marie Wilson and chorus and tap-danced by Paul Draper and chorus
Sung by Dick Powell, danced by Paul Draper and Ruby Keeler in the finale
Played also as background music

User Reviews

A disaster!

I cannot find much to say about this movie. For a supposedly WB event Dick Powell/Ruby Keeler, it is very cheap looking as if all the money went into extravagant looking Bubsy Berkeley inspired number that is dull. Worse of all, it is not funny and the songwriting fail to deliver one memorable song (they all sound the same; heck they seem as though they were recycled from other Dick powell hits). This was the end of Dick powell, once this movie seriously underperformed. (I don't know if it bombed). The plot - what there is of it - has Uncle Cedric who is pulled in by a golddigger,Joan Blondell and is taken away from the focus of his business, by the golddigger who uses sex -it's implied - to make her a daughter and thus an inheritor. Dick Powell is the one brought in to look over the business and falls for his Uncle's secretary, Ruby Keeler -Dick and Ruby were married at the time - and snoop out the golddiggers. His relationship with this lower class girll who is also an upcoming fashion designer creates a scandal and you can figure out the rest. This film contains a lot of bad crooning and extremely ineffeciently displaying of ugly tap dancing. Dick Powell is much better in Hollywood Hotel. But avoid Cowboy in Brooklyn and Going places. It wouldn't be long before Dickie's contract was not renewed an d he left WB.