''Let's Go Native'' is a 1930 American

pre-Code Pre-Code Hollywood was an era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry that occurred between the widespread adoption of sound in film in the late 1920s and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship gui ...

black-and-white

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

, directed by

Leo McCarey Thomas Leo McCarey (October 3, 1898 – July 5, 1969) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was involved in nearly 200 films, including the critically acclaimed '' Duck Soup'', '' Make Way for Tomorrow'', '' The Awf ...

and released by ''

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

''. The well-received picture anticipated McCarey’s success in future comedies, among these '' Part-Time Wife'' (1930), ''

The Kid from Spain ''The Kid from Spain'' is a 1932 American pre-Code black-and-white musical comedy film directed by Leo McCarey. Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar composed the songs, and Busby Berkeley is credited with creating and directing the film's musical scenes. ...

'' (1932) and the screwball classic ''

The Awful Truth ''The Awful Truth'' is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Leo McCarey, and starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. Based on the 1922 play ''The Awful Truth'' by Arthur Richman, the film recounts a distrustful rich couple who begin ...

'' (1937).

Plot

The story is set in the immediate aftermath of the Panic of 1929. Joan, an unemployed costume designer and her boyfriend Voltaire, a disinherited scion of a wealthy family, embark together on a Caribbean cruise. Voltaire discovers that his childhood sweetheart, Constance, is a passenger on the ship: romantic complications develop. The ''menage-a-trois'' find themselves shipwrecked on a tropical island. They discover that the paradise is populated by women, with only one male inhabitant, Jerry. Dubbed King of the Island, he quips “"It was one of the

Virgin Islands The Virgin Islands () are an archipelago between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Caribbean Sea, geographically forming part of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, Caribbean islands or West Indie ...

, but it drifted." Further romantic complications ensue. When these are finally resolved, Voltaire’s grandfather arrives on a yacht and rescues the castaways. As they depart, the island sinks into the ocean.

Cast

Jack Oakie Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Chaplin's ''The Great Dictator'' (1940) ...

– Voltaire McGinnis *

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American soprano and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', ''Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow (1934 film) ...

– Joan Wood *

Richard "Skeets" Gallagher Richard "Skeets" Gallagher (July 28, 1891 – May 22, 1955) was an American actor. He had blue eyes and his naturally blond hair was tinged with gray from the age of 16. Biography Gallagher was born on July 28, 1891 in Terre Haute, Indiana ...

– Jerry, King of the Island * James Hall – Wally Wendell * William Austin – Basil Pistol *

Kay Francis Kay Francis (born Katharine Edwina Gibbs; January 13, 1905 – August 26, 1968) was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 an ...

– Constance Cook *

David Newell David Alexander Newell (born November 24, 1938) is an American television actor known primarily for his portrayal of Mr. McFeely, the delivery man on ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood''. He also worked in the public relations department of Fred R ...

– Chief Officer Williams *

Charles Sellon Charles A. Sellon (August 24, 1870 – June 26, 1937) was an American stage and film actor. Sellon appeared in more than 100 films and stage acts between 1901 and 1935. He played the blind Mr. Muckle in W. C. Fields' comedy '' It's a Gift' ...

– Wallace Wendell Sr. *

Eugene Pallette Eugene William Pallette (July 8, 1889 – September 3, 1954) was an American actor who worked in both the silent and sound eras, performing in more than 240 productions between 1913 and 1946. After an early career as a slender leading man, ...

– Deputy Sheriff 'Careful' Cuthbert *

Iris Adrian Iris Adrian Hostetter (May 29, 1912 – September 17, 1994) was an American stage and film actress. Life and career Adrian was an only child, born in Los Angeles, California, to Florence (née Van Every) and Adrian Earl Hostetter, who wed in 1 ...

– Chorus Girl *

Virginia Bruce Virginia Bruce (born Helen Virginia Briggs; September 29, 1910 – February 24, 1982) was an American actress and singer. Early life Bruce was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As an infant she moved with her parents, Earil and Margaret Briggs, ...

– Chorus Girl

Release

Paramount initially delayed release of Let’s Go Native, concerned that the narrative was too bizarre for audiences and “had not expected it to be quite so free-spirited.” ''Let’s Go Native'' opened simultaneously with the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

’ Animal Crackers (1930) and was “favorably compared by period critics with this pioneering zany team classic” directed by

Victor Heerman Victor Eugene Heerman (August 27, 1893 – November 3, 1977) was an English-American film director, screenwriter, and film producer.Vazzana, Eugene Michael (2001). ''Silent Film Necrology.'' McFarland, After writing and directing short comedie ...

. The film was released on 16 August 1930 but a preview screening had taken place in April or May the same year.

Retrospective appraisal

Film historian Wes D. Gehring identifies ''Let’s Go Native'' as a precursor to McCarey’s subsequent screwball comedy classic ''

'' (1937). Let’s Go Native not only catapulted the careers of Jack Oakie, Jeanette MacDonald and Kay Fransis, but “helped established McCarey as a viable feature film director.” The

-like elements of the film earned McCarey the honor of directing '' Duck Soup'' (1933). Film historian Richard Barrios in his A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film writes: “''Let’s Go Native'' was sheer oyfulmalarkey, played with bounce and directed by McCarey with some of the affinity toward musical anarchy he later brought to ''Duck Soup''.”Barrios, 1995 p. 255

Soundtrack

* "It Seems To Be Spring" :Lyrics by George Marion Jr. :Music by Richard A. Whiting :Copyright 1930 by Famous Music Corp. * "Let's Go Native" :Lyrics by George Marion Jr. :Music by Richard A. Whiting :Copyright 1930 by Famous Music Corp. * "My Mad Moment" :Lyrics by George Marion Jr. :Music by Richard A. Whiting :Copyright 1930 by Famous Music Corp. * "I've Gotta Yen For You" :Lyrics by George Marion Jr. :Music by Richard A. Whiting :Copyright 1930 by Famous Music Corp. :Sung by Jack Oakie * "Joe Jazz" :Lyrics by George Marion Jr. :Music by Richard A. Whiting :Copyright 1930 by Famous Music Corp. :Sung by Jack Oakie * "Pampa Rose" :Lyrics by George Marion Jr. :Music by Richard A. Whiting :Copyright 1930 by Famous Music Corp. * "Don't I Do?" :Lyrics by George Marion Jr. :Music by Richard A. Whiting :Copyright 1930 by Famous Music Corp.

Footnotes

Sources

*Barrios, Richard. 1995. ''A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film.''

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, New York. *Gehring, Wes D. 2005. ''Leo McCarey: From Marx to McCarthy.'' ''

The Scarecrow Press Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an American independent academic publishing company founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns t ...

'',Lantham, Maryland, Toronto, Oxford. *Hooper, Gary and Poague, Leland. 1980. Leo McCarey Filmography in ''The Hollywood Professionals: Wilder and McCarey'', Volume 7. The Tanvity Press, A. S. Barnes and Company, Inc, San Diego, California. pp. 295-314