International House (1933) :
Brief Review -
A pre-code madness that parodizes Oscar-winning "The Grand Hotel" (1932) without any hesitation. International House has to be one of the most madly written and presented comedies from the pre-code era. Edmund Goulding's Oscar-winning "The Grand Hotel" pioneered the idea of a submersion of multiple characters coming from different places and getting together at one place. International House did not even hesitate a bit while destroying the same idea with his hysterical spoofs. It's a complete madhouse. Every character behaves madly and makes you laugh. You might think that WC Fields must be the only one here who would make you laugh, but no, he is actually the last one after a big bunch of madcaps. That's how fantastic the other cast members are. Let's forget Peggy Hopkins Joyce for a moment because she was playing herself, and there was no way she had to be funny in her real life. But look at Gracie Allen. What a madcap she was! Who would've expected a nurse playing a side role to walk away with the most punchlines? She played a dumb girl, but who would want her to be smart if she is continuously making you laugh with those slapstick one-liners? Stuart Erwin was so naive that even his sadness made me laugh. All he wanted was to marry the girl, and then he was quarantined for bare rashes, or, for that matter, the entire hotel. How different does this word "quarantine" sound now, after COVID-19? George Burns and Sari Maritza were good in the supporting roles. W. C. Fields arrives late but has some crazy equipment to cover for that. His typical mad character is boosted by those properties. I mean, who enters a hotel with a private jet and a mini car? That's International House for you. A. Edward Sutherland's Madhouse is recommended to everyone who loves or wants to love pre-code comedies in the real sense.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A pre-code madness that parodizes Oscar-winning "The Grand Hotel" (1932) without any hesitation. International House has to be one of the most madly written and presented comedies from the pre-code era. Edmund Goulding's Oscar-winning "The Grand Hotel" pioneered the idea of a submersion of multiple characters coming from different places and getting together at one place. International House did not even hesitate a bit while destroying the same idea with his hysterical spoofs. It's a complete madhouse. Every character behaves madly and makes you laugh. You might think that WC Fields must be the only one here who would make you laugh, but no, he is actually the last one after a big bunch of madcaps. That's how fantastic the other cast members are. Let's forget Peggy Hopkins Joyce for a moment because she was playing herself, and there was no way she had to be funny in her real life. But look at Gracie Allen. What a madcap she was! Who would've expected a nurse playing a side role to walk away with the most punchlines? She played a dumb girl, but who would want her to be smart if she is continuously making you laugh with those slapstick one-liners? Stuart Erwin was so naive that even his sadness made me laugh. All he wanted was to marry the girl, and then he was quarantined for bare rashes, or, for that matter, the entire hotel. How different does this word "quarantine" sound now, after COVID-19? George Burns and Sari Maritza were good in the supporting roles. W. C. Fields arrives late but has some crazy equipment to cover for that. His typical mad character is boosted by those properties. I mean, who enters a hotel with a private jet and a mini car? That's International House for you. A. Edward Sutherland's Madhouse is recommended to everyone who loves or wants to love pre-code comedies in the real sense.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.