Like the Big Broadcast of193- series, this film is basically a comedy and music variety show, held together by the common goal of many participants to win the patent rights to Dr. Wong's wonderful radioscope: rather resembling the later television, but capable of zeroing in on any place on the earth and somehow receiving a picture and sound.
Like the Big Broadcast of 1938, W.C. Fields is an important presence, here cast as Prof. Henry Quail .Strangely, Peggy Joyce, internationally infamous for her multiple divorces from millionaires, is top billed, despite contributing rather little to the film, mainly latching onto W.C as her next prospective millionaire husband. George Burns and Gracie Allen are headliner comedians, who show up briefly from time to time. But, they just aren't funny to me. Dated humor. George plays the house doctor and Gracie his nurse for the International Hotel in Wuhu, China. George gets mixed up briefly in a fake measles scare, which causes the hotel to be a quarantine zone for a brief time.
It's not until the second half, with the arrival of W.C. in his 'auto gyro', and the inclusion of some musical numbers, that the film begins to be of some interest to me. The story is that W.C. was trying to land his machine in Kansas City, but got off course, and somehow landed in Wuhu, China!! W.C. soon turns the front desk area into a disaster zone, to the great consternation of the hotel manager: played by Frank Pangborn. Among other things, he knocks over the shelving that holds the pigeonholes for keys, and mail. Later, he rides his specially made car, with rubber top, around inside the hotel! This includes riding down the main stairs, and riding down the external fire escape!!
Bela Lugosi plays General Petronovich, one of Peggy Joyce's screen ex-husbands. He is jealous of her flirting with others. He also wants to be the lucky recipient to the rights for the radioscope....Familiar-looking Frank Pangborn serves as the prissy hotel manager, who often is at odds with W.C. or others, providing some humor.
In the music department, we have a floor show featuring Sterling Holloway, and Lona Andre, and some ornately-dressed beauties. The main song is "You are a Tea Cup, and I am a Mug". Via the radioscope, we also see and hear Rudy Vallee, Cab Calloway, and 'baby' Rose Marie sing. No great shakes, except perhaps Cab's memorable theatrics.
One other plot thread has Stuart Erwin, as Tommy, and his girlfriend(Sari Maritza, as Carol) present. Tommy had arrived to bid on the radioscope patent for his electronics company. Why Carol is here is a mystery. She didn't come with Tommy, as he came in his car with Peggy Joyce as his unwelcome ,but persistent, passenger. Tommy has had to call off his wedding to Carol twice because of sudden outbreaks of childhood diseases. Now, his rash is considered evidence of measles, thus Carol is getting impatient. Eventually, he is awarded the patent rights for the radioscope. But when he leaves, with W.C. and the girls, in the auto gyro, I didn't see the scope apparatus. They were being chased by a group lead by General Petronovich, as they boarded the craft.
I'm sorry to say I don't recommend the first half of this film, unless maybe you appreciate Burns and Allen humor. I recommend "The Big Broadcast of 1938" instead, currently available at YouTube.
Like the Big Broadcast of 1938, W.C. Fields is an important presence, here cast as Prof. Henry Quail .Strangely, Peggy Joyce, internationally infamous for her multiple divorces from millionaires, is top billed, despite contributing rather little to the film, mainly latching onto W.C as her next prospective millionaire husband. George Burns and Gracie Allen are headliner comedians, who show up briefly from time to time. But, they just aren't funny to me. Dated humor. George plays the house doctor and Gracie his nurse for the International Hotel in Wuhu, China. George gets mixed up briefly in a fake measles scare, which causes the hotel to be a quarantine zone for a brief time.
It's not until the second half, with the arrival of W.C. in his 'auto gyro', and the inclusion of some musical numbers, that the film begins to be of some interest to me. The story is that W.C. was trying to land his machine in Kansas City, but got off course, and somehow landed in Wuhu, China!! W.C. soon turns the front desk area into a disaster zone, to the great consternation of the hotel manager: played by Frank Pangborn. Among other things, he knocks over the shelving that holds the pigeonholes for keys, and mail. Later, he rides his specially made car, with rubber top, around inside the hotel! This includes riding down the main stairs, and riding down the external fire escape!!
Bela Lugosi plays General Petronovich, one of Peggy Joyce's screen ex-husbands. He is jealous of her flirting with others. He also wants to be the lucky recipient to the rights for the radioscope....Familiar-looking Frank Pangborn serves as the prissy hotel manager, who often is at odds with W.C. or others, providing some humor.
In the music department, we have a floor show featuring Sterling Holloway, and Lona Andre, and some ornately-dressed beauties. The main song is "You are a Tea Cup, and I am a Mug". Via the radioscope, we also see and hear Rudy Vallee, Cab Calloway, and 'baby' Rose Marie sing. No great shakes, except perhaps Cab's memorable theatrics.
One other plot thread has Stuart Erwin, as Tommy, and his girlfriend(Sari Maritza, as Carol) present. Tommy had arrived to bid on the radioscope patent for his electronics company. Why Carol is here is a mystery. She didn't come with Tommy, as he came in his car with Peggy Joyce as his unwelcome ,but persistent, passenger. Tommy has had to call off his wedding to Carol twice because of sudden outbreaks of childhood diseases. Now, his rash is considered evidence of measles, thus Carol is getting impatient. Eventually, he is awarded the patent rights for the radioscope. But when he leaves, with W.C. and the girls, in the auto gyro, I didn't see the scope apparatus. They were being chased by a group lead by General Petronovich, as they boarded the craft.
I'm sorry to say I don't recommend the first half of this film, unless maybe you appreciate Burns and Allen humor. I recommend "The Big Broadcast of 1938" instead, currently available at YouTube.