''People Are Funny'' is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Sam White based on the popular radio show of the same name.

Plot summary

Radio producer John Guedel is panicked and dumbfounded when his popular radio show ''Humbug'' is immediately taken off the air for making fun of the legal profession. Given a deadline to produce a replacement, Gudel contacts his writer girlfriend Corey Sullivan to help him but Corey has another client, Leroy Brinker seeking a radio show for himself. The two come across a radio show put on in a small town called ''People Are Funny'' that mixes bizarre challenges to contestants with musical entertainment. Corey gets the show's producer Pinky Wilson to bring his show to Mr Guedel.

Cast

Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1897 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-G ...

as Pinky Wilson *

Helen Walker Helen Marion Walker (July 17, 1920 – March 10, 1968) was an American actress.Obituary ''Variety'', March 13, 1968, page 79. Biography 1920–1940: Early life Helen Marion Walker was born July 17, 1920 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter ...

as Corey Sullivan *

Rudy Vallee Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

as Ormsby Jamison *

Ozzie Nelson Oswald George Nelson (March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975) was an American actor, director, producer, screenwriter, musician, composer, conductor and bandleader. He originated and starred in ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'', a radio and tel ...

as Leroy Brinker *

Phillip Reed Phillip Reed (born Milton LeRoy; March 25, 1908 – December 7, 1996) was an American actor. He played Steve Wilson in a series of four films (1947–1948) based on the ''Big Town'' radio series. Early years Reed was a star athlete at Eras ...

as John Guedel *Bob Graham as Luke *

Roy Atwell John Leroy "Roy" Atwell (May 2, 1878 – February 6, 1962) was an American actor, comedian and composer, known for playing characters that mis-deliver their lines or stammer, most notably Doc from Walt Disney's classic Snow White and the Seven Dwa ...

as Mr. Pippensigal *Barbara Roche as Aimee *

Clara Blandick Clara Blandick (born Clara Blanchard Dickey; June 4, 1876 – April 15, 1962) was an American character, film, stage and theater actress. She played Aunt Em in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's '' The Wizard of Oz'' (1939). As a character actress, she ...

as Grandma *

Art Linkletter Arthur Gordon Linkletter (born Gordon Arthur Kelly or Arthur Gordon Kelly; sources differ; July 17, 1912 – May 26, 2010) was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of ''House Party'', which ran on CBS radio a ...

as Master of Ceremonies *

Frances Langford Julia Frances Newbern-Langford (April 4, 1913 – July 11, 2005) was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades. She was known as the "GI Nighting ...

as Frances Langford *

Byron Foulger Byron Kay Foulger (August 27, 1898 – April 4, 1970) was an American character actor who over a 50-year career performed in hundreds of stage, film, and television productions. Early years Born in Ogden, Utah, Byron was the second of four ...

as Mr. Button (uncredited)

Production

Pine Thomas bought the screen rights to the radio show in 1944. Jack Haley who signed a two-picture deal with Pine Thomas was assigned to star.SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 10 June 1944: 12.

Soundtrack

with chorus -"I'm in the Mood for Love" (by

Jimmy McHugh James Francis McHugh (July 10, 1894 – May 23, 1969) was an American composer. One of the most prolific songwriters from the 1920s to the 1950s, he is credited with over 500 songs. His songs were recorded by many artists, including Chet Baker, J ...

and

Dorothy Fields Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include "The Way You Look Tonight" (1936), "A Fine Romance" (1936), "On th ...

(lyrics)) * Bob Graham - "Every Hour on the Hour" (by

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

and

Don George Don R. George (August 27, 1909 – 1987) was an American lyricist of popular music. His songs include " The Yellow Rose of Texas" " I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" (1937), "I'm Beginning to See the Light" (1944) and " Everything but You" (1945 ...

) *

with chorus - "Hey Jose" (by

Pepe Guízar José Guízar Morfín, better known as Pepe Guízar (February 12, 1906 – 27 September 1980), was a Mexican composer, poet and musician. He composed the song " Guadalajara", a popular mariachi song. His tune, "A Poco No", can be heard in the 1941 ...

and

Tito Guízar Federico Arturo Guízar Tolentino (; April 8, 1908 – December 24, 1999), known professionally as Tito Guízar, was a Mexican singer and actor. Along with Dolores del Río, Ramón Novarro and Lupe Vélez, as well as José Mojica, Guízar was ...

, English lyrics by

Jay Livingston Jay Livingston (born Jacob Harold Levison, March 28, 1915 – October 17, 2001) was an American composer best known as half of a song-writing duo with Ray Evans that specialized in songs composed for films. Livingston wrote music and Evans t ...

and

Ray Evans Raymond Bernard Evans (February 4, 1915 – February 15, 2007) was an American songwriter. He was a partner in a composing and song-writing duo with Jay Livingston, known for the songs they composed for films. Evans wrote the lyrics and Living ...

) * The Vagabonds (in

blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...

) - "Angelina" (by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher) * The Vagabonds - "The Old Squaredance is Back Again" (by Don Reid and

Harry Tobias Harry Tobias (September 11, 1895 – December 15, 1994) was an American lyricist. Like his younger brother Charles, he is an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Born in New York City, United States, but raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, ...

) *

with

and others - "Alouette" (traditional French Folksong, orchestrated and English lyrics by Rudy Vallee) * The Vagabonds (in drag)- "Chuck a Luckin'" (by

Archie Gottler Archie Gottler (May 14, 1896 – June 24, 1959) was an American composer, screenwriter, actor, and film director.

and Jay Milton and Walter G. Samuels) * Rosarita Varela - " Celito Lindo"

References

External links

* * * * 1946 films 1946 musical comedy films Films based on radio series American musical comedy films American black-and-white films Paramount Pictures films Films directed by Sam White (film producer) 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{musical-comedy-film-stub