Ready, Willing And Able (1937)

50% want to see it
(2 ratings)

The Warner Bros. musicals began running out of gas in the late 1930s, yielding such lukewarm efforts as Ready, Willing and Able. Ruby Keeler, as charmingly ingenuous as ever, plays Jane, a college student with show-biz aspirations. In order to land a role in an upcoming Broadway spectacular, Jane… More The Warner Bros. musicals began running out of gas in the late 1930s, yielding such lukewarm efforts as Ready, Willing and Able. Ruby Keeler, as charmingly ingenuous as ever, plays Jane, a college student with show-biz aspirations. In order to land a role in an upcoming Broadway spectacular, Jane impersonates famous British stage luminary Jane Clarke (and never mind that her British accent is as transparent as a plastic bag). On the strength of Jane's supposed reputation, fly-by-night producers Pinky Blair (Lee Dixon) and Barry Granville (Ross Alexander) convince a movie studio to pony up the money for their Broadway show. The trouble begins when the real Jane Clarke shows up, threatening lawsuits left and right. Somehow, Pinky and Barry are able to make both of their leading ladies happy, and the show goes on. The film's solitary musical highlight is "Too Marvelous For Words," performed by a battalion of leggy chorines on a huge typewriter; curiously, this very famous sequence was barely mentioned at all in the original reviews for Ready, Willing and Able. Sadly, co-star Ross Alexander died before the film was released nationally. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Ray Enright
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts

Studio: Warner Bros.

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Insipid musical with one great song, Too Marvelous for Words, which is staged as a number with the terrific effect of girls legs as typewriter keys. Aside from that its all rather ordinary.

Cast

            Ruby Keeler as Jane Clarke

            Lee Dixon as Pinky Blair

            Allen Jenkins as Jay Van Courtland

            Louise Fazenda as Clara Heineman

            Carolyn Hughes as Angie

            Ross Alexander as Barry Granville

            Winifred Shaw as Jane Clarke

            Teddy Hart as Yip Nolan

            Hugh O'Connell as Truman Hardy

            Addison Richards as Edward McNeil

            Shaw and Lee as Moving Man

            E.E. Clive as Sir Samuel Buffington

            Jane Wyman as Dot

            May Boley as Mrs. Beadle

            Charles Halton as Brockman

            Adrian Rosley as Angelo the Tailor

            Barnett Parker as Reginald Fortescue

            Elsa Buchanan as Maid

            Sol (Saul) Gorss as Cameraman

            Lillian Kemble-Cooper as Mrs. Buffington

            Milt Kibbee as Steward

            Carlyle Moore Jr.
            
            Dennis Moore as Reporter

            Gertrude Pedlar
            
            Cliff Saum as Yip's Assistant

            William Worthington as Eldery Couple

            Dick Jones as Kid

            Carol Hughes
            
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