''Colleen'' is a 1936

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

romantic musical film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

directed by Alfred E. Green. It stars Dick Powell,

Ruby Keeler Ethel Ruby Keeler (August 25, 1909 – February 28, 1993) was an American actress, dancer, and singer who was paired on-screen with Dick Powell in a string of successful early musicals at Warner Bros., particularly '' 42nd Street'' (1933). From ...

, and

Joan Blondell Joan Blondell (born Rose Joan Bluestein; August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on ...

. It was the seventh and final picture starring both Keeler and Powell.

Plot

Cedric Ames is the absent-minded and easily distracted president of a large business, which is largely run by his subordinates, including his nephew Donald. Cedric impulsively hires an assistant named Joe Cork, who sees the businessman as an easy mark. While touring a candy company that is located in one of the buildings he owns, Cedric meets a "chocolate dipper" named Minnie Hawkins. Influenced by his new assistant, he buys a dress shop for Minnie, who is a gold digger, to manage. Donald tries to fix things by going to the dress shop to examine the books. Colleen Reilly, the bookkeeper at the dress shop, is angry that Donald plans to close it. When newspaper headlines about the "businessman who bought a dress shop for a chocolate dipper" bring business to the shop, Colleen uses the opportunity to stage a fashion show. The increase in customers begins to make the shop profitable for the first time. Colleen convinces Donald to keep the shop open. Donald asks her to dinner to discuss her plans for the shop. She says yes, then reveals that she is engaged, by coincidence, to Joe Cork. Joe, meanwhile, begins to see Minnie. Joe and Minnie concoct a plan to have Cedric adopt Minnie, and then Joe will marry her. When this news gets picked up in the gossip columns, Cedric's wife Alicia is scandalized and forces Donald to close the shop. But Donald is in love with Colleen and she's in love with him. Minnie and Joe are both fired. In revenge, Minnie sues Cedric for five million dollars for breaking his promise to adopt her and Joe sues Donald for five million dollars for stealing Colleen. They are both bought off with $25,000. Colleen is also fired, by mistake, and given a check for $10,000 to give up any legal claims she may have. Donald calls Colleen to ask her to marry him, and she berates him and hangs up before he can explain that it was a mistake. Brokenhearted, Colleen accepts an offer to open a dress shop on an ocean liner. It turns out that Donald is on the same ship, with Cedric and his wife. Donald and Colleen find each other, reconcile, and get engaged.

Cast

* Dick Powell as Donald Ames 3rd *

as Colleen Reilly *

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'' (194 ...

as Joe Cork *

as Minnie Hawkins *

Hugh Herbert Hugh Herbert (August 10, 1885 – March 12, 1952) was an American motion picture comedian. He began his career in vaudeville and wrote more than 150 plays and sketches. Career Born in Binghamton, New York, Herbert attended Cornell Univers ...

as Cedric Ames *

Louise Fazenda Louise Fazenda (June 17, 1895 – April 17, 1962) was an American film actress, appearing chiefly in silent comedy films. Early life Fazenda was born in her maternal grandparents' house in Lafayette, Indiana, the daughter of merchandise bro ...

as Alicia Ames * Paul Draper as Paul Gordon * Marie Wilson as Mabel *

Luis Alberni Luis Alberni (October 4, 1886 – December 23, 1962) was a Spanish-born American character actor of stage and films. Early years Alberni was born in Barcelona, Spain, on October 4, 1886. He acted in stock theater for four years in Marseille ...

as Carlo *

Hobart Cavanaugh Hobart Cavanaugh (September 22, 1886 – April 26, 1950 ) was an American character actor in films and on stage. Biography He was born in Virginia City, Nevada on September 22, 1886. Cavanaugh attended the University of California. He worked in ...

as Noggin *

Berton Churchill Berton Churchill (December 9, 1876 – October 10, 1940) was a Canadian stage and film actor. Early years Churchill was born in Toronto, Ontario. After his family moved to New York City, he graduated from high school there, studied law a ...

as Logan * J.M. Kerrigan as Pop Reilly * Addison Richards as Schuyler * Charles Coleman as Butler *

Mary Treen Mary Treen (born Mary Louise Summers, March 27, 1907 – July 20, 1989) was an American film and television actress. A minor actress for much of her career, she managed to secure a plain, unassuming niche for herself in the Hollywood of the 1 ...

as Miss Hively – Cedric's Secretary *

Spencer Charters Spencer Charters (March 25, 1875 – January 25, 1943) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 220 films between 1920 and 1943, mostly in small supporting roles. Biography Charters was born in Duncannon, Pennsylvania. Until ...

as Doctor Frothingham * Ward Bond as Sweeney – Second Officer * Claire Rochelle as Chorus Girl (uncredited)

Soundtrack

* "Boulevardier from the Bronx" ** Music by Harry Warren ** Lyrics by Al Dubin ** Sung and danced by

and

* "An Evening with You" ** Music by Harry Warren ** Lyrics by Al Dubin ** Sung by Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell * "I Don't Have to Dream Again" ** Music by Harry Warren ** Lyrics by Al Dubin ** Sung by Dick Powell and chorus and danced by chorus ** Sung as "The Magic and the Mystery of Clothes" by Ruby Keeler * "Summer Night" ** Music by Harry Warren ** Lyrics by Al Dubin ** Played on piano and hummed by Dick Powell * "You Gotta Know How to Dance" ** Music by Harry Warren ** Lyrics by Al Dubin ** Played during the opening photo credits and sung with special lyrics by Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Jack Oakie, Joan Blondell,

and Marie Wilson and chorus and tap-danced by Paul Draper and chorus ** Sung by Dick Powell, danced by Paul Draper and Ruby Keeler in the finale * "Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)" ** Written by Richard Wagner * "I Love You Truly" ** Written by Carrie Jacobs Bond

Reception

Critical response

Frank S. Nugent of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' states in his review:

"'Colleen' is not as fresh as it might have been three years ago before '42d Street' and its descendants accustomed us to this sort of thing. It is not as striking as last year's 'Gold Diggers,' with its imaginatively photographed Broadway Lullaby number and its trained herd of white pianos going through a dance routine. It is not as tuneful as most of its predecessors, nor is its comedy any less juvenile than usual. All of this may sound pretty discouraging, even to a confirmed Warner musical addict, but it still is a relative opinion and should not be considered any more serious a reflection on 'Colleen' than our admission that we prefer one ballroom dance by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire to a whole program by Miss Keeler and Mr. Powell. It is purely a personal reaction and, if you happen to like the Keeler-Powell musicals, you probably will find this one entirely satisfying.

Release

''Colleen'' was released in theatres in 1936. The film was released on

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Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Vide ...

on September 1, 2009.

References

External links

* * * * {{Alfred E. Green 1930s American films 1930s English-language films 1930s romantic musical films 1936 films American black-and-white films American romantic musical films Films directed by Alfred E. Green Films produced by Hal B. Wallis Films with screenplays by F. Hugh Herbert Seafaring films Warner Bros. films