There's a shell of a plot surrounding the specialty acts of this all-star musical that features practically every available musical artist on the lot, minus Crosby and Lamour. Jack Benny is a struggling producer hoping to find the top new model of the year for his wealthy (and only) client, Richard Arlen. Benny wants his fiancee, Ida Lupino, for the top spot, so she disguises herself as a debutante on the social register. Along comes real debutante Gail Patrick who for some reason he also pushes. Interspersed between this puny plot is the funny moments with Benny's "Johnny on the spot" secretary, Cecil Cunningham, the Eve Arden of the 1930's, providing plenty of wisecracks at Benny's expense.
Supporting future director Lupino and future producer Patrick is future hick star Judy Canova as Lupino's pal, initially seen in a bathtub singing a novelty song and future gossip columnist Hedda Hopper as Arlen's society matron mother, and future denture adhesive pusher Martha Raye in a lavish blackface number. Louis Armstrong is featured in one of his earliest screen appearances along with Raye. Vincent Minnelli staged that number, and was probably behind a marionette number too that influenced what he did with "Our Love Affair" in "Strike Up the Band!"
Canova and comic Ben Blue score in another musical number that is actually pretty cute. There's also a water ballet utilized as a number for orchestra conductor Andre Kostelanetz sung by Connie Boswell. The film begins to lag during plot scenes, and it could have used a bit of trimming. But there's some good character bits, most memorably one with diminutive character actor Donald Meek as a doctor giving Benny a checkup, admonishing him for his heartbeat, not realizing that he's checking his own. Cunningham walks in at the most inopportune moment, a scene reminiscent of Helen Broderick's reaction to a similar scene in "Top Hat". What weakens this historically is its frequent pretentious structure which slows it down.
Supporting future director Lupino and future producer Patrick is future hick star Judy Canova as Lupino's pal, initially seen in a bathtub singing a novelty song and future gossip columnist Hedda Hopper as Arlen's society matron mother, and future denture adhesive pusher Martha Raye in a lavish blackface number. Louis Armstrong is featured in one of his earliest screen appearances along with Raye. Vincent Minnelli staged that number, and was probably behind a marionette number too that influenced what he did with "Our Love Affair" in "Strike Up the Band!"
Canova and comic Ben Blue score in another musical number that is actually pretty cute. There's also a water ballet utilized as a number for orchestra conductor Andre Kostelanetz sung by Connie Boswell. The film begins to lag during plot scenes, and it could have used a bit of trimming. But there's some good character bits, most memorably one with diminutive character actor Donald Meek as a doctor giving Benny a checkup, admonishing him for his heartbeat, not realizing that he's checking his own. Cunningham walks in at the most inopportune moment, a scene reminiscent of Helen Broderick's reaction to a similar scene in "Top Hat". What weakens this historically is its frequent pretentious structure which slows it down.