The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1937)
-
63% of users liked it
(444 ratings)
Paramount's final "Big Broadcast" musical had perhaps the least exciting musical lineup of the series (Tito Guizar, The Shep Fields Orchestra, and opera singer Kirsten Flagstad are hardly household names today), but a slightly stronger storyline than the others, as well as a top-notch… More Paramount's final "Big Broadcast" musical had perhaps the least exciting musical lineup of the series (Tito Guizar, The Shep Fields Orchestra, and opera singer Kirsten Flagstad are hardly household names today), but a slightly stronger storyline than the others, as well as a top-notch comic cast. This time out, most of the action takes place as sea, as S.B. Bellows (W.C. Fields) shows off his new invention: an ocean liner that can turn radio signals into electricity and part the waves at 100 miles per hour. He challenges another ship to a race while a number of music and comedy acts appear in the ship's showroom. Along with Fields, who performs several classic pool and golf routines, Martha Raye, Dorothy Lamour, and Ben Blue add to the laughs; Bob Hope made his feature debut here, and he even sings his future theme song, "Thanks for the Memories". ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Mitchell Leisen
- Written By
- Russel Crouse, Frederick Hazlitt Brennan
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 2001 Wide
Critic Reviews
-
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Fair Fields material, notable mostly for Hope and "Thanks for the Memory"
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
Cast
-
W.C. Fields
as S.B. Bellows/T. Frothingill Bellows
-
Martha Raye
as Martha Bellows, Patsy
-
Dorothy Lamour
as Dorothy Wyndham
-
Shirley Ross
as Cleo Fielding, Gwen Holmes
-
Lynne Overman
as Scoop McPhail
-
Bob Hope
as Buzz Fielding
-
Russell Hicks
as Capt. Stafford
-
Ben Blue
as Mike
-
Grace Bradley
as Grace Fielding
-
Rufe Davis
as Turnkey
-
Lionel Pape
as Lord Droopy
-
Leonid Kinskey
as Ivan, Russian
-
Patricia Wilder
as Honey Chile
-
Robert (Tex) Allen
as 1st gas station man
-
Gertrude Astor
as Woman
-
Irving Bacon
as Prisoner with harmonica, Radio Sound Man
- Monte Blue
-
Don Brodie
as Radio operator
-
James P. Burtis
as Third reporter
-
Ethel Clayton
as Woman
-
Jimmy Conlin
as First reporter
-
James Craig
as Steward
-
Nell Craig
as Woman
-
Sheila Darcy
as Haughty Girl
-
Richard Denning
as Officer
-
Leif Erickson
as Bob Hayes
-
Kirsten Flagstad
as Herself
-
Bud Geary
as Helmsman
-
Lorna Gray
as Divorcee
-
Sherry Hall
as Second reporter
-
Carol Holloway
as Woman
-
Harry Lauter
as Seaman
-
Mary MacLaren
as Woman
-
Wally Maher
as Court clerk
-
Don Marion
as Caddy
-
Lal Chand Mehra
as Bit
-
Rex Moore
as Caddy
-
Clive Morgan
as Officer
-
Edgar Norton
as Bellows' secretary
-
Bernard Punsly
as Caddy
-
Archie Twitchell
as Steward
-
Virginia Vale
as Joan Fielding
- Dorothy White
-
Michael Brooke Jr
as Officer
-
Tito Guízar
as Himself
-
Shep Fields
as Himself
-
Jerry Fletcher
as 2nd gas station man
-
Florence Wix
as Woman
-
Jack Hubbard
as Officer
-
Jack Benny
as Jack Carson
-
George Burns
as Mr. Platt
-
Gracie Allen
as Mrs. Platt
-
Ray Milland
as Bob Miller
-
Frank Forest
as Frank Rossman
-
Benny Fields
as Himself
-
Benny Goodman Orchestra
as Themselves
- Louis Da Pron
- Eleanore Whitney
-
Larry Adler
as Specialty
-
Virginia Weidler
as Flower Girl
- David Holt
- Billy Lee
-
Luis Alberni
as Dr. Herkimer de Gabsel-Schoomenheimer
-
Maurice Cass
as Announcer
-
Gino Corrado
as Violinist
-
Ernest Cossart
as Radio Actor
-
Sam Hearn
as Schlepperman
-
Stan Kavanaugh
as Kavvy
-
Leopold Stokowski
as Himself
-
Bob Burns
as Bob Black
- Gene Krupa
-
Dennis O'Keefe
as Control Room Director