A really crazy, fun ride through a Broadway show, there are moving sets, one liners and all around comic mayhem. The irrepressible Martha Raye is all over this film, being a bit obnoxious, overbearing and, eventually, kind of humiliated. But she is just one person in a seemingly endless array of actors who walk in and out of scenes. I loved the film'special effects, they were actually fairly impressive for a film from the early 1940's. There is lots of music, lots of dancing, slapstick, drama and..well, you get the idea. The film whizzes along quickly, and its this pace that makes it never boring. As a matter of fact, blink your eyes and you'll miss something. Enjoy this, it really was a lot of fun.
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crossbow010619 April 2008
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"Hellzapoppin"" is the signature film from the signature Broadway and stage show of the comedy team of John 'Ole' Olsen and Harold 'Chic' Johnson. Olsen and Johnson started on the vaudeville circuit, soon added radio, graduated to the big stage with a string of Broadway and other stage shows, and then had a run of movies on the silver screen. The shows were usually different versions of "Hellzapoppin," the stage revue that itself was never the same from one performance to the next. That's because each show had impromptu gags, songs, dance numbers, various interruptions and anything crazy anyone could think of to put on the stage, drop into the orchestra pit or toss into the audience.
The Broadway show set the record at the time with 1,404 performances from 1938 to its last show on Dec. 17, 1941. It was every bit as wacky as the film, but the movie provided more opportunities for goofy bits and pieces. The live stage shows had dupe members in the audience and performers going into the audience. The film shows that and adds more. It also allows the use of every film gimmick possible. Thus there are scenes of still scenes, split frames of film, and projection room viewing, Other things include writing over the film, erasing parts of Ole and Chic on the film, and film scenes within film scenes within the film, where characters talk from one medium to people in the others.
Olsen and Johnson were comedians and musicians, and they put on some zany performances. If one can imagine a vaudeville show, a musical revue, a sitcom, a circus with animal acts and acrobats, and a nightclub floor show all rolled into one - you would have the basic start. Then, throw in a fire alarm and air raid warning in the middle of a real show, and the release of a million ants in the audience with a brawl in the orchestra pit. All of that would then be "Hellzapoppin."
This is a frenzied conglomeration of gags, music, dance, animals running around, explosions, scenery splitting and people falling off stage. It's the craziest revue ever put on film with absolutely no plot, but numerous funny little stories within. The comedy was probably generally funny and enjoyed at the time, and some of it might still have received some laughs into the late 20th century. But most of the jokes are of the vaudeville type that were no longer funny to most people must past the mid-20th century.
The film doesn't have any leading stars of the day, but it has a few other well-known comedians and actors. Martha Raye is a lead singer and female comic. Hugh Herbert and Shemp Howard provide some comedy. The best individual role in this film is that of Mischa Auer. That consummate actor had some talent at dance and more comedy than he usually had in his supporting roles in most films.
While not so much entertaining in modern times for its music, story or acts, this film would probably be interesting to many movie buffs just to see the many deviations, gimmicks and oddities that aren't part of normal movies. -
chaswe-284024 June 202020 minutes into this I'd concluded it was definitely wacky, but not enjoyable, and I was feeling strongly disinclined ever to watch it again. I thought maybe it had inspired Woody Allen's "Purple Rose", because sometimes the characters would jump out of the screen. I struggled on. After about 60 minutes it seemed to get better. But perhaps I was only getting used to it. There were some really good dance performances, though, and some fine parodies of Busby Berkeley. It grew generally more impressive and enjoyable. It will nevertheless be some time before I bother to watch it again.
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Cajun-411 August 2000This movie pops up regularly on TV or at revue cinemas and I'm always surprised at how many youngsters are familiar with it.
Olsen and Johnson never had the following of Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello but they were capable vaudeville comics who made a few movies, Hellzapoppin and Crazy House are the best remembered. Hellzapoppin is the a much sanitized film version of Nat Perrin's famous stage revue.
The jokes come fast and furious, some of them are very dated now and some were never very funny to begin with, but you don't have time to analyze, you're into the next before you know it. There are some familiar faces Misha Auer, who had a long career playing the same character (a Russian aristocrat with dubious credentials), the loud and brassy Martha Raye and the very funny Hugh Herbert with his "yoo-hoo's" and mumbled asides the audience. The special effects were innovative for their time.
As brief respites from the madness there are a number of variety acts, synchronized swimming, crazy diving, a few pleasant songs with the corny lyrics typical of the period and the fantastic dancing of the Harlem Congeroo Dancers which even today is greeted by gasps of amazement and applause.
Well you can't say the maker's of this movie weren't trying to entertain. -
cpummer-112 August 2004I grew up on this movie, I have the movie completely memorized and I still laugh at the jokes. Granted I must say that its not for everyone, people who like a more sophisticated kind of humor may not like this movie. But if you want good old fashioned slap stick, one-liner, running gag, and completely random kind of comedies this is for you. I must say that the jokes do go by pretty fast and you could miss a good one liner really easily if you don't give the movie your full attention. Also, a good copy of the film may be a little difficult to come by, but its worth watching. If anyone in the movie business is reading this that has the power to do so, please get this out on DVD!
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MartynGryphon4 August 2006Hellzapoppin' is, as one reviewer has already correctly stated, a 1940's time capsule. It's very dated and even tame by today's standards but it's entertainment value remains second to none.
Olsen & Johnson's zany Broadway stage show gets a Hollywood reworking, (i.e completely different from the stage show). They play two bumbling stage hands hired to do the props for Robert Paige's outdoor theatre show. but decide to sabotage the proceedings when they wrongly assume that the girl Paige has fallen in love with (Jane Frazee) is not of righteous virtue (bit of a maneater). Their reasoning being if the show's a flop, then he won't be able to marry the gal, thus saving him from scandal and misery.
The Jokes come thick and fast with virtually every other line to the point where you fail to think of another comedy film where the gags are so 'rapid fire'. Even if you sneeze you'll probably miss ten gags such is the movie's joke density.
Great support comes from Martha Raye who's given a few great songs to belt out such as "What Kind of Love is This" and "Watch The Birdy" and she works well with the wonderful Mischa Auer as the object of her unreturned affections.
Clarence Kolb does what he does best, playing the short tempered old fuddy duddy. Hugh Herbert too gives us a few great scenes, though his character is the only one in the movie that has no real purpose so much so that movie would not have suffered had he not been there.
Robert Paige and Jane Frazee play the love interests and share a few well performed songs, Universal, (not generally remembered for their musicals), probably thought that they had found their John Payne and Alice Faye.
Hellzapoppin' is probably also one of the first films to 'break the 4th wall' with dialogue constantly being directed to the movie audience. Even to the projectionist who is fleshed out in the form of 'The forgotten Stooge' Shemp Howard.
The show itself is 15 odd minutes of pure gut-wrenchingly funny stuff. The ruination of Auer's & Raye's Ballet, The Robert E Lee number and the 'sneezing guy'. (I never thought sneezing could be that funny until I saw this movie).
Throw in Richard Lane as the frustrated Film Director and Elisha Cook Jnr as the meek scriptwriter then you have a great family laugh-fest of a movie.
This type of zany musical Comedy had been around for many years on the stage and in Vaudeville and on the club circuit but had hardly been seen on the movie screen until Olsen & Johnson opened everybody's eyes. It certainly paved the way for other zany comics of the same type of humour to get into movies like Danny Kaye and Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. Having said all that Hellzapoppin' is not only a hysterical movie in it's own right but in a way a milestone too.
I loved Hellzapoppin' and I'm not ashamed to admit it either. -
bkoganbing21 January 2014You can't really describe Hellzapoppin' because it's so anarchistic. In fact the bare semblance of a plot in this film was put in because the folks at Universal Pictures thought it needed one. My guess is that if Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson had their way it would have been a straight comedy review as it was on Broadway where it ran for three years.
So when we get the adaption it's about Elisha Cook as the Olsen and Johnson writer describing to director Richard Lane his story idea. And it's typical of so many plots of many Broadway plays and musicals of the time. A romantic triangle between heiress Jane Frazee, playwright Robert Paige, and director Lewis Howard. Olsen and Johnson are written into the story as a pair stagehands who are trying to aid their friend Paige with his romance. Throw in a Russian prince played by Mischa Auer and a private detective in Hugh Herbert and knowing those players and their shtick and you have a funny comedy. And then there's also Martha Raye.
The last 25 minutes gives you some idea of the real Hellzapoppin' as was seen on Broadway. Maybe a better word is experienced because audience participation is taken to new heights. The kind of monkeyshines that Chic and Ole pull in trying to wreck the debut of the play and you see the film to find out why is what went on during the Hellzapoppin' sketches.
It took Rowan&Martin and Laugh-In to really put across on the small screen what Ole and Chic wanted to do. Still the film version of Hellzapoppin' is popping with laughter and wonderful character players to support the madcap leads. -
intelearts20 December 2007Hellzapoppin' is brilliant - fast, funny, visual, one-liners, dance numbers, romance - just pure and simple escapist entertainment - It is a feast of corny, surprising, surreal, slapstick, pratfall humor that will work until the end of time.
Moreover it uses tricks and ideas, like talking to the audience, that were way ahead of its time.
The show about a show plot works wonderfully, but it is the little surprises, the oddities, and the fun that make this one of the best laugh-out comedies of all time and should be seen by every comedy writer and actor - pure joy from beginning to end - and above all pure entertainment.
Huge fun and very much recommended. -
Amyth4727 April 2019My Rating : 7/10
Stupidly entertaining - here's a movie where anything goes!
The special effects are worth a mention - innovative and creative.
A funny slapstick from the get-go!
Hellzapoppin' -- you're gonna hate it or love it! -
Based on Olsen and Johnson's long running Broadway show this film is probably only a shadow of its source, which changed from night to night as material was ad-libbed and current events were made fun of. On stage the show had an anything can happen feel that is nicely mirrored in the opening scenes as Olsen and Johnson throw everything you can think of at the audience in a rapid fire sequence of gags about the making of the Hellzapoppin movie. Not all of them are apparent with many being purely visual and in the background. After about 15 minutes of uncontrolled madness the film settles down as Olsen and Johnson go off to an estate to put on a show. Here the rapid fire nature slows a bit as the film is forced to conform to a "plot", however its still just as funny as characters wander in and out creating an ever changing sense of madness.
I admit thats a poor description of the film, but how to you describe chaos? You can't, you have to experience it, and anyone who loves great movies and great comedy really should see this movie. Its pure mindless fun that will keep you laughing from start to finish. This is the best Olsen and Johnson film that I've seen. While it could be argued that some of the gags in Crazy House are funnier, Hellzapoppin holds all of the insanity, and the occasional musical numbers together better (In Crazy House the madness stops for each song, here the insanity keeps right on going). If you see one Olsen and Johnson film in your life this should be it.
A film to be searched out and watched repeatedly, Hellazapoppin is one of the greatest comedies ever made. (now if someone would be smart enough to put this out on DVD in the US more people could enjoy it) -
tavm24 June 2015Well, after about 35 years of reading about this wacky comedy from Ole Olsen & Chic Johnson, I finally watched this on YouTube. The picture frame wasn't as large as the computer screen I watched this on but I saw clearly enough, anyway. The comedy was quite uneven but there's some good laughs like when the frame gets out of whack or same animals start speaking. I also liked a lady who kept shouting "Oscar". She was Catherine Johnson, Chic's wife. Martha Raye was also pretty funny. Mischa Auer, not so much, but I appreciated his willingness to try anything. Hugh Herbert was a gas much of the time. Elisha Cook Jr. did deadpan pretty well. Oh, and I loved the number by the Harlem Congeroos or Whitey's Lindy Hoppers as they were known as in the stage version. And shouldn't forget that Shemp of The Three Stooges (though this was years before he returned to them) also was funny as the projectionist. Okay, I think I've said enough so on that note, Hellzapoppin' is definitely worth a look.
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broadway_melody_girl9 June 2013It seems a lot of reviewers have branded this movie as "dated but good"...when in fact it's incredibly ahead of its time.
I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the surrealists cried tears of jealousy when it premiered; the neverending, irreverent gags and complete disregard for time and space leaves avant-garde films like Un Chien Andalou in the dust.
The humour of Hellzapoppin' is not dumb or childish but incredibly smart.
A beautiful, fun, hilarious movie and arguably a proto-postmodern classic
that deserves a reevaluation and wider circulation. -
cmdahoust1 April 2019This has to one of the strangest movies I have ever seen. It's dated, but I could not get over the weirdness of it. Films like 'The Producers', and TV shows like 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' had to have been inspired (stolen ideas) from this one. If it was made in the 1960's, the critics would have said the directors' must have been on a bad LSD trip. Shemp Howard starred in film this 5 years before rejoining 'The Three Stooges'.
I came across this film researching some of the background on the Monkees' movie 'Head' 1968. You can see some comparisons, but thing that stood out to me was how fast this movie moves along with the gags, jokes, etc. If you are not paying attention you will probably miss something.
The story line of the movie within the movie and the constant breaking of the 4th wall, make this a very unique film. -
Not nearly as smitten with this film as so many others apparently are(I was SO surprised!). The film brings forth that great comic duo Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson. What's that? You never heard of them? Well, neither had I before I saw this film. Laurel and Hardy. Abbott and Costello. Lewis and Martin. Even Davis and Lawford. Move over for Olsen and Johnson. Okay, I guess I am being a bit tough. These guys have some talent but this film really makes very little sense. It is suppose to make little sense. And literally(almost) throws everything at you including the kitchen sink to get a chaotic laugh from all the lack of meaning. I don't see anything profound as two guys try and get a guy with his gal while their cousin Shemp Howard controls the film. Loaded with musical numbers dispersed throughout(only the number by the servants really was any good - unless you are a fan of Martha Raye belting out songs)the film has as unconventional a storyline of any film. Is that a good thing? Maybe. It just isn't my cup of tea. I like good comedy and feel comedy has meaning behind its chaos(such as in the Marx Brothers films), but Hellzapopin just didn't land that many jokes for me. yes, I know it was a smash Broadway success. The jokes here just do not transcend time well at all, and that must have something to do with the anonymity of the comedians starring in this vehicle. I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable guy where film is concerned, but I never heard of these guys. Why? Well, enough of that. The film isn't bad and it does have some funny spots. Martha Raye is a good comedienne. Mischa Auer is very good in a Lothario type role. Olsen and Johnson have chemistry but maybe not chemistry for the camera. One side note of interest is that the film is a Universal film and one scene does have the Frankenstein monster briefly make an appearance.
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lustron18 August 2003I've wanted to see this movie for a long time, after reading about it in a book on "movie comedy teams."
I finally got the chance after purchasing it on eBay in vhs format. All I can say is...It was worth the wait!
Jokes, mayhem and madness run rampant throughout this movie! It's like an old version of AIRPLANE! It almost seems like an abridged version of a Marx Brothers movie. Even when the "love story" slows things down...jokes "pop up" when you least expect them.
I'm really surprised that nobody has mentioned the scene where Olsen, Johnson and the Director of the film are sitting down (with the backs of their heads to us) watching a film on a small screen and commenting on it. This scene screamed, "MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000!"
If you get the chance to see this, do! And then watch it again to catch all of the jokes you missed the first time. -
maeander24 February 2008Hellzapoppin' is not available in the U.S. But it is now available on Region Code 2 DVD.
Originally a hit late 1930's Broadway Review, there was one major problem in turning it into a movie; Hellzapoppin' had no plot. Hollywood demanded a plot. So Olsen & Johnson tell the audience upfront that they are adding a plot...a love story...even though they really don't want one. They do get their revenge on Hollywood in the end, however, by shooting the writer.
I admit, the "plot" is the least interesting part of the film. The marvel of this 1941 film is the breaking of the fourth wall. The actors talk to both the audience and the projectionist (played by Shemp Howard of "Three Stooges" fame). Enjoyable? The jokes are corny. The music is 1940. Still, the pure subversion of standard cinematic conventions turns a standard 1941 musical comedy into a classic of what can happen in film when you think outside the box. Funny. Ridiculous. Pure lunacy. You owe it to yourself to see Hellzapoppin' at least once. -
I understand "Hellzapoppin'" was originally a stage production in New York and you could go see it every night of the week and never see the same show twice. The film version makes fun of the fact that they had to stick to a script but is as surrealistic and anarchic as possible anyway. Many, many hilarious skits are tied together as loosely as possible and people step in and out of movie screens a la "Purple Rose of Cairo" whenever they feel like it. It's loaded with memorable lines too such as one where Olsen walks past a sled with "Rosebud" stenciled on it, glances at it momentarily and comments "I thought they burned that". And remember, this film was made in 1941.
Although this wonderful movie is unavailable on video from the major distributors Moviesunlimited is offering what appears to be a commercial VHS version for sale on their web site; some years ago it was shown on Canadian TV and I made a very high quality recording from my satellite dish at that time. It remains a cherished possession. -
arthur_tafero22 April 2022I saw this film when I was 10, and thought it was off-beat funny, but hated Martha Raye and the corny music in the film (except for the black quartet). The count is very funny, but Raye is terribly inconsistent. She is very good at physical comedy, but whenever she opens her mouth (and it is a big one), her jokes are as corny as Kansas. The film is sabotaged by a series of horrendous numbahs; none of which are even vaguely memorable. The film starts quickly with a series of some great one-liners and sight gags, as Olsen and Johnson were very good Vaudeville comedians, but as soon as the musical? Numbers start, the film begins to bog down. Some clever optical effects for the time, but ultimately, an inconsistent comedy.
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kemmeter14 November 2005I saw this movie as a teenager and always remember it for its so many continuous gag scenes. I especially remember the potted plant that a delivery person was attempting to deliver and kept calling out "delivery for Mrs. ????) and each time the gag came up the plant was larger until at the end, the delivery vehicle was a flat bed truck and the plant was now a full grown tree. There were many other memorable scenes and gags. I have told my wife and children about this movie and keep looking for a copy of the movie to show them.
Is this movie still available in some form - Video tape, DVD? I would love to obtain a copy. -
Hellzapoppin (1941) : Brief review -
A no-formula nonsensical comedy that you can enjoy even in hell. It is quite an experience to try and view an illogical film logically, but let me tell you, if it's a comedy, there is no stopping the fun mania. Hellzapoppin starts off with a ridiculous scene that makes you laugh. Somehow, that prepares you for the storm that's coming. 80 minutes of comedy, all in nonsensical writing (excluding a few numbers, but even those have some comedy too), that keeps your cheeks working throughout the runtime. I kinda enjoyed the idea of having a no-formula for a formulaic comedy. Make it as absurd as it can get, and every single element will lead to a gag. That's all there was to it, and that's all you enjoyed like hell. Not just the characters, but even the dialogue and situations are mad. It may look like a mental asylum-one that's having a fun party. Those comedians stopping the film to address both the movie audience and the projection booth, breaking the stereotypes of conversational humour, is one of the most absurd things I've ever seen in any comedy, but what a laugh riot it was. My cheeks won the battle with my brain, and I don't mind a thing about it. Breaking the cliches of romantic triangles with slapstick segments and without slapping anybody was one hell of a trick. The writing was absolute hysteria. Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson lead the show, spoil it (only to make it a hit), and rule it with their trademarks. The one lady that you won't forget after watching this movie is Martha Raye. I don't know how Broadway managed some of the things or if they weren't on Broadway, but the cinematic adaptation takes full advantage of all pros and techniques to get the audience fooled. H. C. Potter comedies are always enjoyable, but this one is just a hell of a banger. "We got to have a love story. Because every movie has one". But was there any in here?
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest. -
B.B.-27 August 1999The first fifteen minutes of this offbeat lunacy seems as if it was the grandfather of AIRPLANE, HOT SHOTS, THE NAKED GUN, and other wild comedies. The story behind it is fascinating as well; Olsen and Johnson deserve to be much better remember
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Blazehgehg10 December 2022It's pretty wild to see a screwball comedy of this era. This is a movie with no regard for the fact it's a movie. As I understand it, Hellzapoppin' was based on the (at the time) longest running Broadway stage show of the same name. Descriptions liken it more to a circus, where two comedians did irreverent, rapid-fire comedy bits that frequently broke the fourth wall, demanded audience participation, and were just generally as outrageous (and as creative) as they could get away with.
The movie frames itself as a send-up of 1941 Hollywood, lampooning everything from the movie making process, common narrative tropes, to even the act of just showing the film itself in a theater. The two leads (Chic and Ole) frequently banter with the projectionist (played here by Shemp Howard) and talk directly to the audience. This is where I would say "it feels like the movie only has a plot because the studio mandated it" but they literally have a scene during the opening where the director pretty much says this out loud while the guys protest.
And it's surprisingly ahead of its time, too. There are digs at specific censorship laws, call outs for Westerns with their "fake Indians", and more. Plus some fun use of special effects for some really good sight gags.
Fun sums things up, really. The whole movie is just playful and chaotic, with these two goofballs running roughshod over what's trying to be a (intentionally boilerplate) love story.
Was it laugh-out-loud hilarious? Well, not really, I guess. But it was still unquestionably funny and very entertaining. It's about as close to a live-action cartoon as you could probably get in 1941. The gags come fast and frenetic and the movie doesn't slow down for much of anything. If you can vibe with vintage film and you haven't seen Hellzapoppin', you should consider rectifying that. -
moonface9 March 1999Not like any other film before or after. Includes a fabolous Lindy-hop number with Whiteys Lindy Hoppers and the legendary Frankie Manning who's still dancing and teaching Lindy Hop today.
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jpc07728 September 2006Like many readers I saw HELLZAPOPPIN first when I was a child (12 or 13, I think) and thought it was one of the greatest things ever. It made quite a splash in Paris (France) when it was released in 1947 and had one of the longest runs (about two years I think)in one first-run theatre, and I tried to see it as often as I could. Years passed and my enthusiasm for the movie started to dwindle, especially as I discovered the great silent comedians, particularly Keaton. I moved to the United States in the late sixties and the last time I saw the movie was in a Museum of Modern Art series on "self-referential" films in the late seventies or early eighties. It was like revisiting the town you grew up in some 30 years later... Then the film became unavailable, apparently because of a credit dispute... I recently got a rather poor DVD copy: uneven sound -- some lines inaudible (such as the comment on "Rosebud"), reels clumsily spliced together... so this was my first viewing in maybe 30 years. The movie remains a one-of-a-kind oddity with its surrealistic opening (who can forget its Sadean vision of Hell with devils spit-roasting beautiful girls?)and non-stop trickery (it really should be seen in a theater -- on TV many of the gags -- talking to the projectionist, etc -- become meaningless). Unfortunately most of the comedy is so crude that it makes The Three Stooges appear refined (shooting guns and pistols seem to be a major source of merriment, and Martha Raye's mugging and screaming quickly become tiresome.) Olsen and Johnson are non-entities as a comedy team, but they must be given credit for starting the whole thing on Broadway.
Incidentally, Jerry Lewis started work on a Broadway revival of the original HELLZAPOPPIN in the eighties. The project collapsed after weeks of rehearsal. That should have been quite a show.
JPC -
Scott-522 September 1999For those who feel the Marxes were the last word in over the top hollywood product, I heartily recommend this adaptation of the Broadway show that made Ole and Johnson such a huge sensation, albiet briefly. This one has non-stop gags (not all of which work), and is unlike anything I have ever seen the studio system produce. H.C. Potter is credited with the direction, but its hard to imagine him doing more than assembling the cast each morning and saying "Okay folks - go nuts!"
A habitue of the 60s might describe this as a Crosby and Hope road picture on acid, but that's missing the point. Audiences embraced this thing in part because it represented an exhausting escape from what was becoming a pretty stressful world.
See it whenever you can!