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IMDbPro

Always Leave Them Laughing

  • 19491949
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 56m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
410
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
7,853
18,286
Milton Berle, Bert Lahr, Virginia Mayo, and Ruth Roman in Always Leave Them Laughing (1949)
A young comic plays second-rate nightclubs and chintzy resorts in his struggle to break into the big time.
Play trailer2:29
1 Video
14 Photos
ComedyDrama
A young comic plays second-rate nightclubs and chintzy resorts in his struggle to break into the big time.A young comic plays second-rate nightclubs and chintzy resorts in his struggle to break into the big time.A young comic plays second-rate nightclubs and chintzy resorts in his struggle to break into the big time.
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
410
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
7,853
18,286
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Roy Del Ruth
    • Writers
      • Melville Shavelson(screenplay)
      • Jack Rose(screenplay)
      • Max Shulman(story)
    • Stars
      • Milton Berle
      • Virginia Mayo
      • Ruth Roman
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Roy Del Ruth
    • Writers
      • Melville Shavelson(screenplay)
      • Jack Rose(screenplay)
      • Max Shulman(story)
    • Stars
      • Milton Berle
      • Virginia Mayo
      • Ruth Roman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 19User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:29
    Official Trailer

    Photos14

    Milton Berle with Ruth Roman in "Always Leave Them Laughing," 1949.
    Milton Berle with Max Showalter in "Always Leave Them Laughing," 1949.
    Milton Berle with Max Showalter in "Always Leave Them Laughing," 1949.
    Milton Berle with Ruth Roman backstage of 'Always Leave Them Laughing," 1949.
    Milton Berle on the set of "Always Leave Them Laughing."
    Milton Berle on the set of "Always Leave Them Laughing"
    Milton Berle on the set of "Always Leave Them Laughing" with Director Roy Del Ruth.
    Milton Berle with Ruth Roman backstage of "Always Leave Them Laughing," 1949.
    Milton Berle and Ruth Roman on the set of "Always Leave Them Laughing," 1949.
    Jerome Cowan, Bert Lahr, Virginia Mayo, and Julius Tannen in Always Leave Them Laughing (1949)
    Milton Berle and Ruth Roman in Always Leave Them Laughing (1949)
    Milton Berle, Iris Adrian, Ruth Roman, and Cecil Stewart & His Royal Rogues in Always Leave Them Laughing (1949)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Milton Berle
    Milton Berle
    • Kipling 'Kip' Cooper
    Virginia Mayo
    Virginia Mayo
    • Nancy Eagen
    Ruth Roman
    Ruth Roman
    • Fay Washburn
    Bert Lahr
    Bert Lahr
    • Eddie Eagen
    Alan Hale
    Alan Hale
    • Sam Washburn
    Grace Hayes
    Grace Hayes
    • Mrs. Gracie Kennedy Washburn
    Jerome Cowan
    Jerome Cowan
    • Elliott Montgomery
    Lloyd Gough
    Lloyd Gough
    • Monte Wilson
    Ransom M. Sherman
    • Henry 'Hank' Richards
    • (as Ransom Sherman)
    Iris Adrian
    Iris Adrian
    • Julie Adams
    Wally Vernon
    Wally Vernon
    • Wally Vernon - Comic
    Cecil Stewart & His Royal Rogues
    • Specialty Act Group
    O'Donnell & Blair
    • Specialty Act
    Max Showalter
    Max Showalter
    • Comet Pen Salesman
    The Moroccans
    • Specialty Act
    Arabella
    • Stripper
    • (uncredited)
    Richard Avonde
    Richard Avonde
    • Minor Role
    • (uncredited)
    Edward Biby
    Edward Biby
    • Smoker
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Roy Del Ruth
    • Writers
      • Melville Shavelson(screenplay)
      • Jack Rose(screenplay)
      • Max Shulman(story)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The "Fountain Pen Sketch" was taken from the hit musical (over 400 performances) that opened in New York in 1948, and starred Sid Caesar. Max Showalter, who performs that specialty number in this movie, was also in that opening night cast playing the same role, as well as others.
    • Goofs
      After Kip meets with Eagen, a brief clip is shown of a train heading to Boston, with a Southern Pacific locomotive. The Southern Pacific Railroad served California and the south west, and would not have gone to Boston or anywhere in the northeast.
    • Quotes

      Monte Wilson: [Checking out Kip's suit] Very conservative.

      Kipling 'Kip' Cooper: Conservative? Why it could be elected on a Republican ticket without anyone in it.

    • Connections
      Referenced in The Milton Berle Show: Episode #2.11 (1949)
    • Soundtracks
      Always Leave Them Laughing
      (1949) (uncredited)

      Written by Sammy Cahn and Milton Berle

      Sung during the opening credits and first scene by Lynn Davis, Lorinne Crawford,

      Flo Farmer, Mary Castle, Alice Wallace and Nita Talbot

      Reprised by them with Milton Berle at the end

      Variations in the score throughout

    User reviews19

    Review
    Top review
    A Berle Showcase
    A small-time comic works his way up to the big time.

    The two hours is mainly for fans of Uncle Miltie. Berle is in just about every scene, along with a number of his costumed skits. As expected, some skits are funnier than others; however, I wish this overlong movie had stayed on a light comedic level. Instead, it veers off near the end into heavy drama, which could have been easily lopped off.

    Catch that bouncy opening—as I recall, it plays much like Berle's hit TV show that helped put TV on the map in the early days. Anyway, if guys get tired looking at the star, there's the delectable Ruth Roman standing around in various stages of undress, and also a shapely Virginia Mayo doing some surprisingly good dance steps. Comic actor Bert Lahr gets his turn on the stage. But to me, his brand of humor is a matter of taste.

    I suspect Warner Bros. was testing the waters to see if Berle's appeal carried over to movies as well as TV, in the way it did for Bob Hope over at Paramount. However that may be, I think the movie would be better if shorter and strictly light-hearted.
    helpful•3
    1
    • dougdoepke
    • Dec 7, 2011

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 26, 1949 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tritt ab, wenn sie lachen
    • Filming locations
      • 1655 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 56 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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