The Milky Way (1936) (1936)
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63% of users liked it
(261 ratings)
One of the funniest, most sharply paced comedies of the 1930s, and perhaps the best of all of Harold Lloyd's talkies, The Milky Way was based on the Broadway play by Lynn Root and Harry Clork. Lloyd plays Burleigh Sullivan, a mild-mannered milkman who intercedes one night when his sister Mae… More One of the funniest, most sharply paced comedies of the 1930s, and perhaps the best of all of Harold Lloyd's talkies, The Milky Way was based on the Broadway play by Lynn Root and Harry Clork. Lloyd plays Burleigh Sullivan, a mild-mannered milkman who intercedes one night when his sister Mae (Helen Mack) is being accosted on the street by two obnoxious drunks -- they turn their wrath on him, his sister runs for help, and when she returns less than a minute later, both men are out cold on the pavement, with Burleigh standing over them. As one of them, Speed MacFarland (William Gargan), is the world's middleweight boxing champion, and the other, Spider Schultz (Lionel Stander), is his sparring partner, Burleigh makes the front page of every newspaper in New York. McFarland's manager, Gabby Sloan (Adolphe Menjou), has to figure out how to salvage the champ's career, but first he has to figure out exactly what happened, since both fighters were too drunk to remember anything about it. It turns out that Sullivan couldn't beat an egg, but he is good at one thing -- ducking. He can dodge any punch, and the two fighters knocked each other out in the process of trying to pummel him. What's more, on hearing this, they're so angry that Schultz accidentally knocks MacFarland out again, just ahead of the press' arrival, and the little milkman is given credit once more by the reporters for decking the champ. Burleigh loves the attention, even though he never claims to have hit anyone. Meanwhile, Sloan comes up with a way of salvaging his fighter's career, and convinces Burleigh to go along with it for a promised cash sum -- all Burleigh has to do is get in the ring in six fights, to build up his standing and reputation, and finish his "career" in a fight with MacFarland, who will win. In the meantime, complications arise when MacFarland falls in love with Burleigh's sister, while Burleigh himself meets and falls in love with Polly Pringle (Dorothy Wilson), a helpful neighbor. Gabby, Spider, and Speed also discover that turning tiny, wiry Burleigh Sullivan into something that even looks like a fighter is easier said than done -- all of his fights have to be fixed (and then some) behind his back to make his victories look remotely genuine. Finally, after starting to believe his own publicity, and then discovering that the fights were fixed, Burleigh goes through with the final match-up against MacFarland, the culmination of a comedy of errors involving horses, foals, and a wild chase to the arena. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- Directed By
- Leo McCarey
- Genres
- Classics, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Feb 7, 1936 Limited
- Studio
- Paramount Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Many say this is Harold Lloyd's best talkie.
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Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Fine later (sound) Harold Lloyd has some stylish touches.
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)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
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Cast
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Harold Lloyd
as Burleigh "Tiger" Sullivan
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Adolphe Menjou
as Gabby Sloan
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Veree Teasdale
as Ann Westley
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Helen Mack
as Mae Sullivan
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William Gargan
as Elwood "Speed" MacFarland
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George Barbier
as Wilbur Austin
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Dorothy Wilson
as Polly Pringle
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Lionel Stander
as Spider Schultz
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Charles Lane
as Willard reporter
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Marjorie Gateson
as Mrs. E. Winthrop Lemoyne
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Bull Anderson
as Oblitsky
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Jim Marples
as O'Rourke
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Larry McGrath
as Referee
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Murray Alper
as 2nd Taxi Driver
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Gertrude Astor
as Woman
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Jay Belasco
as Man in car
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Harry Bernard
as Cop-Tenant
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Mme. Bonita
as Landlady
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Harry Bowen
as Bartender
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A.S. Byron
as Cop
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Bob Callahan
as Onion
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Leonard Carey
as Butler
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Jack Clifford
as Announcer Todd fight
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Morrie Cohan
as Referee Polo Grounds
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Thomas Curran
as Man
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Eddie Dunn
as Barber
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James Farley
as Fight Promoter
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Eddie Fetherstone
as Cameraman
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James "T-Model" Ford
as Extras at Fight
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Charles K. French
as Guest at Mrs. LeMoyne's
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Ethel May Halls
as Woman
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Tom Hanlon
as La Grue Fight Announcer
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Sam Hayes
as Radio announcer Polo Grounds
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Wally Howe
as Dr. O.O. White vet
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Gus Leonard
as Musician in Band Title Fight
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Charles McMurphy
as Cop
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Jack Murphy
as Newsboy
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Harry Myers
as Photographer at apartment
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Broderick O'Farrell
as Extra at fight
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Victor Potel
as Man
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Henry Roquemore
as Doctor
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Mel Ruick
as Austin's Secretary
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Antrim Short
as Photographer
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Oscar Smith
as Barber Shop Porter
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Milburn Stone
as Reporter
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Phil Tead
as Radio announcer Todd fight
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Lloyd Ingraham
as Barber Shop Customer
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Frank Mills
as Extra at Todd fight
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Bruce Mitchell
as Todd Fight Extras
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Anthony Quinn
as Extra
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Jack Perry
as "Tornado" Todd
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Paddy O'Flynn
as Reporter
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Earl Pingree
as Policeman
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Dan Tobey
as Announcer Polo Grounds
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Ray Cooper
as Man
