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:

DICK POWELL Starts Singing....RUBY KEELER Starts Tapping...

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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

Seventh of eleven feature films starring Joan Blondell and Dick Powell released from 1931 to 1941. They would be married from 1936-1944.

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Quotes

Donald Ames 3rd: [singing] I know how to croon a tune, Play a trumpet and a big bassoon, I know what to do beneath the moon, I don't have to know how to dance...

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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

Boulevardier from the Bronx
(1936) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Sung and danced by Joan Blondell and Jack Oakie

User Reviews

Hugh Herbert Gets Away From His Keepers

Despite the fact that Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler are the stars in their seventh and final screen pairing, the key character here is Hugh Herbert. That unfortunately is Colleen's problem.

There are times when Hugh Herbert can be extremely funny, but a whole film really shouldn't be built around him. You can overdose on Hugh Herbert.

In the Road to Zanzibar one of the gags, but far from the whole film involved Crosby and Hope getting involved with eccentric millionaire Eric Blore. He goes around just giving the family fortune away and sells them a diamond mine for a nominal cost. Like Herbert in Colleen, Blore has his keepers. But the whole film isn't built around him.

In this film the family business is run by Dick Powell for Herbert who is his uncle and Herbert's sister Louise Fazenda. They've hired a keeper in Berton Churchill who breaks away from his usual stuffy banker type and here is the essentially decent, but eternally put upon keeper.

Herbert gets involved with a couple of sharpies, Jack Oakie and Joan Blondell who take advantage of this nut job to rake in some big bucks. Ruby Keeler is the bookkeeper at a dress shop that Herbert buys for Blondell and the Powell/Fazenda/Herbert family are now guarantors of all the debts owed and accruing.

Harry Warren and Al Dubin wrote some nice songs for the film that did not boast any hits at all. Dick Powell never even bothered to commercially record any of them. The finale had dancer Paul Draper cleverly worked in to partner with Ruby while Powell sang. It was always a problem with them as a team, Ruby's flat singing and the fact you'll notice Powell never danced in any of their films.

Colleen is pleasant enough entertainment, but the Powell/Keeler combination was definitely on the wane here.