mark.waltz Crooner Dick Powell goes down every man Will Rogers territory in this musical political satire where singer Powell becomes the scapegoat for the axing of blow hard judge Raymond Ealburn in a bid for governor. It all happened because traveling entertainers get stranded in a small town, and desperate for a job, agent Fred Allen takes the opportunity of boosting Walburn's campaign. It turns out that the supposedly sober judge is secretly a lush, and the money men take the opportunity to get a viable candidate after hearing Powell reading Walburn's speech as only he could. Life is just a bowl of politicians", Patsy Kelly cracks, a statement that holds 80 years later in the mist laughable presidential election in history. With Powell "trumping" Walburn, this is political satire at its most ironic. Traveling along with Powell, Allen and Kelly are the Yacht Club Boys (singing songs spoofing then timely issues sort of as the Smothers Brothers of their time) and pretty Ann Dvorak as Powell's girlfriend. Margaret Irving adds a few ironic laughs ad an aging married socialite who attempts to seduce to the obviously much younger Powell with very funny results. Paul Whiteman and his orchestra also pop in for a memorable specialty. As timely today, this uses state politics to parody what goes on in that wacky world we are rolling our eyes at each day with each morning headline. Movies utilized the funniest character actors who could scream pompous and idiotic with just a smirk, and while some real life politicians certainly are a walking visual aides for a stuffed shirt, some are dangerous while relatively few truly mean well. As the world faced the rise of fascism at this time, views of people in public office tended to become more real, as evidenced by Frank Capra's use of character actor Edward Arnold who showed that Hitler like ambition could hit America if we weren't careful. Still, these more innocent days, with the United States under a very popular president who fixed the issues of the previous administration, the movies enjoyed more light hearted looks at the plight of America as it recovered and headed towards hopefully "Happy Days". This has some truly great moments, especially Powell's crooning, Allen and Kelly's hysterically funny bickering and the still potent musical commentary of the Yacht Club Boys. Powell comes off as a younger, more glamorous version of the easy going characters that Will Rogers had played up until his recent death, making me wonder if this was written with him in mind. Powell makes good, though, on loan to Fox studios from Warners, and meets the challenge head on. The conclusion is a view into the future if what Capra would do with "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "Meet John Doe".

jotix100 What a novel idea, have a talented group of entertainers be the opening number in political campaign rallies for a candidate to office. Which is what Ned Lyman discovers, as he and his troupe appear in a small auditorium where a political speech is to be given later on at the same theater by the candidate for governor of the state, Judge Culliman. Mixing theater people with politicians will appeal to voters, or so Ned thinks. The Judge in his run for governor of the state hasn't elicited much sympathy. Add to that a drinking problem and Ned sees a great opportunity. Ned Lyman is a resourceful man that sees an angle in which keep the company he has assembled together and precede the aspiring candidate's spiel to the crowd. Since Judge Culliman can't get it together, Ned appeals to his star crooner, Eric Land, to read the speech to the audience. The singer becomes a hit and what's more, the political machinery behind the campaign see in him a person that can be manipulated. Are they in for a surprise! "Thanks a Million" is a delightful comedy with music directed by Roy Del Ruth. Dick Powell, who appears as Eric Land at the height of his singing career is the best thing in the movie. Equally effective is Mel Allen, the radio personality in a rare screen appearances. Ann Dvorak is seen as Eric's love interest, and Patsy Kelly is a singer with the company and Ned's girl.The film is entertaining as well as has an important message as the end when Eric Land unmask all the people that thought they could use him for their own personal gain.

kerimt2003 Although the golden days of radio were long before I was born, I've always enjoyed the great radio comedians and was thrilled to see this Fred Allen movie being shown around the time of the 2008 election.Fred Allen, who passed away in the early 1950s, was a contemporary of George Burns, Bob Hope, and Jack Benny, who pioneered the format of the sitcom in radio and later onto television. Unfortunately, Mr. Allen did not live long enough to make it into television (and he admittedly had a "face for radio", as he put it).It is AMAZING to see how much the political parody in the movie Thanks a Million still hits the mark; the song "Square Deal Party" is a gem. If you get the chance to see this movie, don't miss it (I would recommend taping it - if you enjoy political satire, you will probably want to hear the lyrics of "Square Deal Party" again). It should be shown by the classic movie channels again WELL BEFORE 2012!!!Fred Allen has an enjoyably sardonic, self aware delivery in this movie; it can be argued that his political satire on the radio was the first America had within that genre, if not some of the finest at that time. The Looney Tunes character Foghorn Leghorn (think the big rooster with the southern accent) is obviously based on the character Senator Claghorn from his "Allen's Allen." Fred Allen was a wordsmith who coined the phrase "low man on the totem pole" and is seriously underrated, in my opinion. Anyone who has an interest in American comedy/political satire and is not yet familiar with Fred Allen should spend a little time reading up on him and learning about a great American comedian who is sadly neglected and unknown today.

lugonian THANKS A MILLION (20th Century-Fox, 1935), directed by Roy Del Ruth, ranks one of the finer musical-comedies released during the initial years of the newly formed 20th Century-Fox studio. Although reportedly successful, it's so overlooked these days as musicals are concerned that after viewing it, one wonders why it isn't better known. It comes near to something of a political satire from the Preston Sturges (THE GREAT McGINTY, 1940) school for comedy, or Frank Capra's (MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, 1939) common man making good philosophy. Starring Dick Powell and Ann Dvorak, both on loan-out assignments from Warner Brothers, the feature film debut of radio comedian Fred Allen, musical antics by the Yacht Club Boys, along with delightful wisecracking Patsy Kelly, notable faces of Alan Dinehart, Paul Harvey, Edwin Maxwell, Russell Hicks and Andrew Toombes, character actor Raymond Walburn in a memorable performance, and special guest appearance of Paul Whiteman and his Band, THANKS A MILLION should get enough votes to be declared a winner.The story opens on a rainy night where Ned Lyman (Fred Allen) and his musical troupe riding on a bus bound for New York City. Departing a bus in New City, Pa., only to have to wait two hours for the next bus to their destination, the troupe decide to escape the rain by entering a building where a political rally is taking place. Campaigning for governor is Judge A. Darius Culliman (Raymond Walburn), making his long-winded speech that puts his attendees to sleep, although many are there only to wait until the rain stops. Noticing a disaster, Lyman suggests to the candidates that the only way for Culliman to get a full house is to try a new approach in hiring his troupe entertain with songs and dancing in between speeches, with Eric Land (Dick Powell) acting as crooner, and Sally and Phoebe Mason (Ann Dvorak and Patsy Kelly) performing as dancers. The idea practically works until one night Culliman arrives drunk, leaving Eric to fill in and campaign for Culliman.Eric's trusting and pleasing personality has the public wanting Culliman to withdrawn his ticket and have Eric run for governor instead. At first he refuses, but Eric does it anyhow, but for the wrong reasons, thus, causing him to lose the love and trust of his girlfriend, Sally, especially after spending more time with Betsy Kruger (Margaret Irving), his campaign manager's (Alan Dinehart) wife, who wants Eric for herself.On the musical program, with music and lyrics by Arthur Johnston and Gus Kahn, songs include: "Thanks a Million" (instrumental, violin played by David Rubinoff); "Sugar Plum" (danced by Ann Dvorak and Patsy Kelly); "I've Got a Pocketful of Sunshine" (sung by Dick Powell); "Square Deal party" (written and performed by The Yacht Club Boys); "Thanks a Million" (sung by Powell and Dvorak); *"A Fella Has to Learn His A.B.C's Today" (written and performed by The Yacht Club Boys); "Sugar Plum" (sung by Dvorak and Kelly); "Sittin' High on a Hill Top" (sung by Powell); "The Belle of New O'Leans" (sung by Ramona playing piano); "Happy Days Are Here Again" (instrumental); "Thanks a Million" (sung by Powell); and "Square Deal Party" (reprise/sung by cast). Good tunes with optimistic titles quite popular during the Depression era, most largely forgotten today.*A Fella Has to Learn His A.B.C.'s Today" is a comic number deleted from the final print that exists on a motion picture soundtrack album (double featured with HAPPY GO LUCKY, a 1942 Dick Powell musical) as distributed by Caliban Records in 1981.Singing dominates dancing in this production, with Dick Powell keeping himself busy in his sixth 1935 theatrical film release, putting his vocal chords to good use. A likable box office attraction, it's no wonder why anyone wouldn't want to vote for him. In 1937, Powell was invited back to 20th Century-Fox for another successful musical, ON THE AVENUE, featuring Madeleine Carroll and Alice Faye, with score by Irving Berlin.Summed up best as an Election Day movie, THANKS A MILLION was remade by 20th-Fox as IF I'M LUCKY (1946) starring Carmen Miranda, Perry Como, Vivian Blaine and Phil Silvers. Both musicals, currently presented on the Fox Movie Channel, were formerly shown on the American Movie Classics cable channel from 1991-92. (***1/2)