''The Great American Broadcast'' is a 1941 comedy film directed by

Archie Mayo Archibald L. Mayo (January 29, 1891 – December 4, 1968) was a film director, screenwriter and actor. Early years The son of a tailor, Mayo was born in New York City. After attending the city's public schools, he studied at Columbia Unive ...

. It stars

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 ...

Alice Faye Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as '' On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime ...

and John Payne.

Plot

Impoverished roommates Rix Martin and Chuck Hadley have dreams of being the first to operate a coast-to-coast radio broadcast. They invest what little profit their small station makes into advanced equipment and finally get their wish when they bootleg the Jack Dempsey--Jess Willard 1919 heavyweight title fight from ringside. Meanwhile, the station's band singer is surrounded by suitors---Payne, Oakie, and Chadwick, without whose money the station could not operate.

Cast

as Vicki Adams * John Payne as Rix Martin *

as Chuck Hadley *

Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...

as Bruce Chadwick *

James Newill James Morris Newill (August 12, 1911 – July 31, 1975), sometimes credited as Jim Newill, was an American actor and singer. Early life Newill was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Mayme Newill and her first husband. His parents divorced, ...

as Great American Broadcast Lead Singer *

The Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American pop vocal group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style presaged the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ac ...

as themselves: Bill Kenny, Deek Watson, Charlie Fuqua, and Orville "Hoppy" Jones * Bill Kenny as Song Specialty ember of The Ink Spots*Orville "Hoppy" Jones as Song Specialty ember of The Ink Spots*Charlie Fuqua as Song Specialty ember of The Ink Spots*Deek Watson as Song Specialty ember of The Ink Spots* The Nicholas Brothers as themselves: ayard and Harold Nicholas*

Fayard Nicholas Fayard Antonio Nicholas (October 20, 1914 – January 24, 2006) was an American choreographer, dancer and actor. He and his younger brother Harold Nicholas made up the Nicholas Brothers tap dance duo, who starred in the MGM musicals ''An All-Co ...

as Railroad Station Dance Specialty ember of The Nicholas Brothers*

Harold Nicholas Harold Lloyd Nicholas (March 27, 1921 – July 3, 2000) was an American dancer specializing in tap. Nicholas was the younger half of the tap-dancing pair the Nicholas Brothers, known as two of the world's greatest dancers. His older brother was ...

as Railroad Station Dance Specialty ember of The Nicholas Brothers* The Wiere Brothers as themselves arry Wiere, Herbert Wiere & Sylvester Wiere* Harry Wiere as Chapman's Cheerful Chappies & The Stradivarians ember of The Wiere Brothers* Herbert Wiere as Chapman's Cheerful Chappies & The Stradivarians ember of The Wiere Brothers* Sylvester Wiere as Chapman's Cheerful Chappies & The Stradivarians ember of The Wiere Brothers* Mary Beth Hughes as Secretary *Eula Morgan as Madame Rinaldi * William Pawley as Foreman *

Lucien Littlefield Lucien Littlefield (August 16, 1895 – June 4, 1960) was an American actor who achieved a long career from silent films to the television era. He was noted for his versatility, playing a wide range of roles and already portraying old men befor ...

as Justice of the Peace *Edward Conrad as Conductor *Gary Breckner as Announcer * M.J. Frankovich illed as Mike Frankovichas Announcer * Frank Orth as Counter Man *

Eddie Acuff Edward DeKalb Acuff (June 3, 1903 – December 17, 1956) was an American stage and film actor. He frequently was cast as a droll comic relief, in the support of the star. His best-known recurring role is that of Mr. Beasley, the postman, in ...

as Jimmy *

Mildred Gover Mildred Gover (1905–1947) was an American film actress.Pitts p.207 Selected filmography * ''Alimony Madness'' (1933) * ''Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch'' (1934) * '' High School Girl'' (1934) * '' Ring Around the Moon'' (1936) * '' Penrod and ...

as Jennie *

Syd Saylor Syd or SYD may refer to: *Syd (name), including a list of people with the name * ''Syd.'', taxonomic author abbreviation of Hans Sydow (1879–1946), German mycologist * Sydney, New South Wales, Australia ** IATA code for Sydney Airport, New South ...

as Brakeman Cameo appearances by: * Milton Berle as Radio Announcer cenes deleted*

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...

as Self ncredited appearance in Opening Montage, taken from archive footage* Eddie Cantor as Self ncredited appearance in Opening Montage, taken from archive footage* Kate Smith as Self ncredited appearance in Opening Montage, taken from archive footage*

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 Self ncredited appearance in Opening Montage, taken from archive footage*

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...

as Self ncredited appearance in Opening Montage, taken from archive footage*

Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...

as Self ncredited appearance in Opening Montage, taken from archive footage

References

External links

* * * 1941 films 1941 musical comedy films 1941 romantic comedy films American musical comedy films American romantic comedy films American romantic musical films Films directed by Archie Mayo 20th Century Fox films Films produced by Darryl F. Zanuck 1940s romantic musical films American black-and-white films 1940s American films {{romantic-musical-film-stub