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Make Mine Laughs

  • 19491949
  • 1h 3m
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
61
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Ray Bolger and Joan Davis in Make Mine Laughs (1949)
  • Comedy
  • Musical
A kind of filmed vaudeville show, using old material from RKO films and some new.A kind of filmed vaudeville show, using old material from RKO films and some new.A kind of filmed vaudeville show, using old material from RKO films and some new.
IMDb RATING
5.1/10
61
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Richard Fleischer
    • Hal Yates
  • Writer
    • Hal Yates
  • Stars
    • Joan Davis(archive footage)
    • Dennis Day(archive footage)
    • Ray Bolger(archive footage)
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Richard Fleischer
    • Hal Yates
  • Writer
    • Hal Yates
  • Stars
    • Joan Davis(archive footage)
    • Dennis Day(archive footage)
    • Ray Bolger(archive footage)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Dennis Day and Anne Shirley in Make Mine Laughs (1949)
    Make Mine Laughs (1949)
    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joan Davis
    Joan Davis
      Dennis Day
      Dennis Day
        Ray Bolger
        Ray Bolger
          Anne Shirley
          Anne Shirley
            Leon Errol
            Leon Errol
              Frances Langford
              Frances Langford
                Jack Haley
                Jack Haley
                  Gil Lamb
                  Gil Lamb
                  • Master of Ceremoniesas Master of Ceremonies
                  Freddie Fisher
                  • Band Leaderas Band Leader
                  Frankie Carle
                  Frankie Carle
                  • Leader of the Frankie Carle Orchestraas Leader of the Frankie Carle Orchestra
                  Melissa Mason
                    Dorothy Granger
                    Dorothy Granger
                      Myrna Dell
                      Myrna Dell
                        Buster West
                        Buster West
                          Robert Lamouret
                          • Ventriloquist Specialty Actas Ventriloquist Specialty Act
                          Rufe Davis
                          Rufe Davis
                          • Performer Doing Animal-Sound Imitations On-Screenas Performer Doing Animal-Sound Imitations On-Screen
                          Manuel Viera
                          • Society Orchestra - Traineras Society Orchestra - Trainer
                          Marita Viera
                          • Society Orchestra - Traineras Society Orchestra - Trainer
                          • Directors
                            • Richard Fleischer
                            • Hal Yates
                          • Writer
                            • Hal Yates
                          • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
                          • All cast & crew

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                          Storyline

                          Edit

                          Did you know

                          Edit
                          • Trivia
                            After problems with the copyright of some of the material used in the movie, RKO removed the movie from general release and shelved it.
                          • Connections
                            Features Four Jacks and a Jill (1942)
                          • Soundtracks
                            Send Back My Love To Me
                            (uncredited)

                            Sung by Frances Langford

                          User reviews1

                          Review
                          Top review
                          6/10
                          Mostly crap, but some very good bits
                          This is essentially a filmed vaudeville performance - what might today be called a variety show - at a time when vaudeville was dying. It basically consists of a presenter who introduces stage performances by various artists, and includes comedy sketches, short drama pieces, singing, dancing, ventriloquism, animal acts, etc. Indeed one of the themes of the introductory patter was "Who killed vaudeville?", and this movie suggests an answer: "The performances".

                          Most of the acts were pretty corny by today's standards. It wasn't purely stage-based, though. There were some concessions made to the cinematic medium, viz the presenter pretending to read the credits as they rolled down the screen alongside him, and some archive film footage. Indeed it was the copyright violations caused by the archival material that prevented this film's release by the studio and resulting in this film's shelving after it was made.

                          However there were a couple of pieces which were very entertaining. Primary among these were Manual & Marita Viera's Society Orchestra, a trained monkey act. The two monkeys, dressed in suits, are playing bongos and piano when the curtain comes up. The monkeys are subsequently seen doing hammily dramatic facial expressions, doing a headstand, tunelessly playing a ukelele & piano, rapidly changing hats, playing a real tune on a touch activated electronic musical intrument, smiling, and finally engaging in a banana-eating contest where their cheeks puff out dramatically on being stuffed with bananas. It's not classy or sophisticated entertainment, and I'm embarrassed that I enjoyed it, but it's very funny even today.

                          The other highlight, years ahead of its time, was an MST3K style redubbing/renarration of an old silent film, in which an inept but enthusiastic violinist tortures everyone he meets with his awful playing, musically romances a girl, but eventually kills her with his dreadful musicianship.

                          In short, it's worth checking out this film for its good bits. The rest is largely of historical interest only, although Frances Langford looked great in the archive footage.
                          helpful•8
                          4
                          • gut-6
                          • Apr 13, 2006

                          Details

                          Edit
                          • Release date
                            • August 3, 1949 (United States)
                          • Country of origin
                            • United States
                          • Language
                            • English
                          • Also known as
                            • Una risata, per favore!
                          • Filming locations
                            • RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
                          • Production company
                            • RKO Radio Pictures
                          • See more company credits at IMDbPro

                          Technical specs

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                          • Runtime
                            1 hour 3 minutes
                          • Color
                            • Black and White
                          • Aspect ratio
                            • 1.37 : 1

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                          Ray Bolger and Joan Davis in Make Mine Laughs (1949)
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