ALthough I gave this film only a 7 (because of the thin plot and trying to make Charlie into a solo character) it was a hoot to watch. Remember, humor was simpler back then and even spouses had to be shown sleeping in separate beds. To see Bergen and Charlie live along with other radio characters like Gildersleeves and Fibber and Molly (all three translating to the screen and a live performance just fine), spotting new young stars that later would go big time (like Ball and Holloway the soda jerk), and hearing not a swear word not seeing a risque scene was priceless. This was humor before it had to be off color.
An added bonus was to hear Molly do the voice of the little neighbor girl from the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show. I never knew she was the one that did the voice.
It is too bad Gildersleeves comes off as rather a cad on tv because he was much more likeable on his radio show.
Want to HEAR more? Seek out Greg Bell on Sirius XM for old time comedy radio shows. We have lost a great deal when it comes to today's humor.
15 Reviews
Wonderful show; corrections must be made on some reviews however
achristi-814-6319110 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I have just finished viewing "Look Who's Laughing" and enjoyed it very much. I am a big fan of Fibber McGee and Molly and couldn't wait to watch it as it was referenced on their radio program.
Did you spot Arthur Q. Bryant (Doc Gamble in the program; Elmer Fudd to the rest of you)? He was the one that informed the mayor that McGee resigned as president of the chamber of commerce. Sterling Holloway (Winnie the Pooh) was the soda jerk who talked to Charlie McCarthey. Even Harlow Wilcox is in it, though he isn't selling Johnson's wax as usual, but foreclosing on McGee's house. I am also astonished at how young "Uppy" is in this movie (imo she looks like Billie Burke); she always came across as someone much older in the program.
There is one thing I really need to correct, however. One reviewer commented that "Baby Snooks is even in this one but is not credited and is dubbed onto Mollie while she talks on the phone". THIS ISN'T TRUE. This is Molly's own voice when she does the character of the little girl in the radio program, named "Teeny". You can tell its her and NOT Baby Snooks (voiced by Fanny Brice) because Baby Snooks has a childish, almost infantile way of speaking; Teeny, on the other hand, is a more mature, wisecracking voice peppered with 1940s slang and "I betchas". If the reviewer actually listened to any of the episodes from Fibber McGee and Molly, he would have known this since Teeny appears on almost every episode Molly was on. Furthermore, his claim to "love OTR" (OTR-Old Time Radio; a website hosting hundreds of radio programs) is questionable since episodes of both Fibber McGee and Molly and Baby Snooks can be downloaded and listened to. He could have easily discerned the difference between the two characters.
That aside, one sorely missed actor from the radio series was Bill Thompson. I was really looking forward to seeing him in one of his many radio characters (especially Mr. Wimple and Old Timer)or even to hear his own voice. Ah well, all in all a good movie, and a great way to put faces to voices.
Did you spot Arthur Q. Bryant (Doc Gamble in the program; Elmer Fudd to the rest of you)? He was the one that informed the mayor that McGee resigned as president of the chamber of commerce. Sterling Holloway (Winnie the Pooh) was the soda jerk who talked to Charlie McCarthey. Even Harlow Wilcox is in it, though he isn't selling Johnson's wax as usual, but foreclosing on McGee's house. I am also astonished at how young "Uppy" is in this movie (imo she looks like Billie Burke); she always came across as someone much older in the program.
There is one thing I really need to correct, however. One reviewer commented that "Baby Snooks is even in this one but is not credited and is dubbed onto Mollie while she talks on the phone". THIS ISN'T TRUE. This is Molly's own voice when she does the character of the little girl in the radio program, named "Teeny". You can tell its her and NOT Baby Snooks (voiced by Fanny Brice) because Baby Snooks has a childish, almost infantile way of speaking; Teeny, on the other hand, is a more mature, wisecracking voice peppered with 1940s slang and "I betchas". If the reviewer actually listened to any of the episodes from Fibber McGee and Molly, he would have known this since Teeny appears on almost every episode Molly was on. Furthermore, his claim to "love OTR" (OTR-Old Time Radio; a website hosting hundreds of radio programs) is questionable since episodes of both Fibber McGee and Molly and Baby Snooks can be downloaded and listened to. He could have easily discerned the difference between the two characters.
That aside, one sorely missed actor from the radio series was Bill Thompson. I was really looking forward to seeing him in one of his many radio characters (especially Mr. Wimple and Old Timer)or even to hear his own voice. Ah well, all in all a good movie, and a great way to put faces to voices.
American radio institution
bkoganbing3 May 2018
This film based on the Fibber McGee And Molly radio series has Fibber enlisting
Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy to get industrialist Neil Hamilton to build
an aircraft plant in their town of lovely Wistful Vista. Looking to crab the deal
is speculator Charles Halton and the McGees neighbor the ever larcenous
Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve.
The McGees were quite the American institution on radio. The films that real life married couple Jim and Marian Jordan allowed America to see the McGees as well as follow them weekly on radio. So in fact was Edgar Bergen and his two wooden companions Charlie McCarthy and Knucklehead Smiff.
Another future legend this one on television Lucille Ball also appears Look Who's Laughing. And Harold Peary who began as a neighbor of the McGees on their show spun off on his own with The Great Gildersleeve. Both Fibber McGee And Molly and The Great Gildersleeve were tried on television with different actors in the starring roles and never found an audience.
The climax is a hoot with McGee accidentally pushing the start button on Edgar Bergen's airplane and taking off. Bergen performs a rescue a long the lines of one that Charlton Heston did in Airport 75. Of course with a lot more laughs than Heston got.
Nostalgia lovers like myself will enjoy this one.
The McGees were quite the American institution on radio. The films that real life married couple Jim and Marian Jordan allowed America to see the McGees as well as follow them weekly on radio. So in fact was Edgar Bergen and his two wooden companions Charlie McCarthy and Knucklehead Smiff.
Another future legend this one on television Lucille Ball also appears Look Who's Laughing. And Harold Peary who began as a neighbor of the McGees on their show spun off on his own with The Great Gildersleeve. Both Fibber McGee And Molly and The Great Gildersleeve were tried on television with different actors in the starring roles and never found an audience.
The climax is a hoot with McGee accidentally pushing the start button on Edgar Bergen's airplane and taking off. Bergen performs a rescue a long the lines of one that Charlton Heston did in Airport 75. Of course with a lot more laughs than Heston got.
Nostalgia lovers like myself will enjoy this one.
Pure nonsense, effectively produced and acted
sryder@judson-il.edu28 June 2003
As a contributor in the 45+ category, I was amazed and somewhat puzzled to note that the highest scores for this movie came from the 18+ group of viewers, and the LOWEST came from my and older generations who would have remembered fondly Fibber McGee and Molly, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy and the Great Gildersleeve as a result of listening to their weekly radio shows. Perhaps the evaluation reflects disappointment at seing their favorites not in their familiar formats (though the writers managed to include most of the familiar tag-lines from both radio shows) Certainly the plot (!) is paper-thin and full of inconsistencies. Still, the performers came across as very likeable and there were more than a few chuckles. Probably because of this, the film was a surprise box-office success in 1941. I watched it on tape last night, and had the same strange feeling as the other IMDB respondent, to see Charlie, not on Bergen's knee, interacting with other actors as though he was human. This was even stranger in the follow-up film Here We Go Again, when a midget dressed as Charlie dances on a ballroom floor. It reminds me of the puppets in Great Gabbo and Dead of Night, where the dummy overrides the personality of the ventriloquist.
silly but fun
ksf-224 November 2022
Holy guacamole, batman. Check out the comedy greats in this one! Neil hamilton was "the commissioner". Lucy. Edgar bergen. Jim and marian jordan, aka, fibber mcgee and molly, who had a huge radio show for twenty years. When edgar's secretary gets married, all heck breaks loose. Edgar and charlie end up in wistful vista, the home of fibber mcgee. Don't open the closet! They land right in the middle of a shady land deal between the town bigshot and a local businessman. Now the wedding may be off, and the mcgees might lose their house. Can they fix all this mess? Fun caper, moves along. Also keep an eye out for sterling holloway in the soda shop... he was winnie the pooh! And charles lane used to hold the record for the most bit parts in film... not sure if he still does. As silly as the story is, the whole point here is to see all the great comedians together in one film. Directed by allan dwan.
trio best
SnoopyStyle15 September 2022
Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy are on the air on NBC. Julie Patterson (Lucille Ball) is the third in the act as the standard hot blonde. It's their last show of the season. Julie is going to get married and leaving Edgar. He and Charlie get lost while flying. They land in Wistful Vista which is home to Fibber McGee (Jim Jordan) and Molly McGee (Marian Jordan).
Imagine what could have been. Edgar and Charlie are performing with a pre-TV Lucille Ball. She is great. More than anything, she actually has great chemistry with the duo. She's sassy and fun. It's ten years before her legendary TV show. If only...
Instead, the movie mostly pairs the duo with Fibber and Molly McGee. I've never heard of them but apparently, they were a popular married radio comedy duo back in the day. Those were the days. I don't think they're that funny but they are family friendly fun. It's a good fit with Edgar and Charlie. I like Edgar's hand puppet Ophelia more. She's better than Charlie. I don't really care about the plot. It's all meaningless contrivances. The movie is best with Lucy joining Edgar and Charlie. It's a fun trio but they don't have enough screen time. The highlight of the movie may just be the three of them on a plane. That's the best scene.
Imagine what could have been. Edgar and Charlie are performing with a pre-TV Lucille Ball. She is great. More than anything, she actually has great chemistry with the duo. She's sassy and fun. It's ten years before her legendary TV show. If only...
Instead, the movie mostly pairs the duo with Fibber and Molly McGee. I've never heard of them but apparently, they were a popular married radio comedy duo back in the day. Those were the days. I don't think they're that funny but they are family friendly fun. It's a good fit with Edgar and Charlie. I like Edgar's hand puppet Ophelia more. She's better than Charlie. I don't really care about the plot. It's all meaningless contrivances. The movie is best with Lucy joining Edgar and Charlie. It's a fun trio but they don't have enough screen time. The highlight of the movie may just be the three of them on a plane. That's the best scene.
Strictly for indulgent fans who will watch anything and everything!
JohnHowardReid3 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Producer: Allan Dwan. Copyright 8 September 1941 by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Palace: 24 December 1941. U.S. release: 21 November 1941. Australian release: 4 December 1942. 7,228 feet. 80 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: As president of the local Chamber of Commerce, a small-town bird-brain wants to lure a new airplane factory to the county.
COMMENT: As a general rule, the writers and producers of radio and television shows design their programs for what they euphemistically call mass appeal. In this endeavor, "mass" does not equal weight, but rather the reverse. In other words, light, as in light-headed.
Look Who's Laughing is a typical radio clone. The plot is slight, the material weak, the acting hammy, production values minimal.
I could go on for pages, detailing everything that's annoying about the movie from the flaccid direction, the boring slapstick, the criminal waste of some of our favorite character players, the tedious dialogue and the scene-chewing relish with which "actors" like Harold Peary bombard the audience with even the most insipid of their seemingly endless lines, but let me just pass over all that in silence and concentrate my venom on the gut-wrenching bombast of Fibber McGee and Molly, plus a few passing swipes at the mindlessly impossible charade perpetrated by Edgar Bergen and his alter ego.
No, out of respect for my auteur readers who have elevated Allan Dwan to the heights of the Hollywood masters, I will at this point desist.
P.S. Miss Ball's admirers won't have a ball either. She looks great, but her role is small being confined to beginning and "climax" only. Otherwise, this movie is strictly for simpletons and maybe indulgent relatives of the ill-used principals.
SYNOPSIS: As president of the local Chamber of Commerce, a small-town bird-brain wants to lure a new airplane factory to the county.
COMMENT: As a general rule, the writers and producers of radio and television shows design their programs for what they euphemistically call mass appeal. In this endeavor, "mass" does not equal weight, but rather the reverse. In other words, light, as in light-headed.
Look Who's Laughing is a typical radio clone. The plot is slight, the material weak, the acting hammy, production values minimal.
I could go on for pages, detailing everything that's annoying about the movie from the flaccid direction, the boring slapstick, the criminal waste of some of our favorite character players, the tedious dialogue and the scene-chewing relish with which "actors" like Harold Peary bombard the audience with even the most insipid of their seemingly endless lines, but let me just pass over all that in silence and concentrate my venom on the gut-wrenching bombast of Fibber McGee and Molly, plus a few passing swipes at the mindlessly impossible charade perpetrated by Edgar Bergen and his alter ego.
No, out of respect for my auteur readers who have elevated Allan Dwan to the heights of the Hollywood masters, I will at this point desist.
P.S. Miss Ball's admirers won't have a ball either. She looks great, but her role is small being confined to beginning and "climax" only. Otherwise, this movie is strictly for simpletons and maybe indulgent relatives of the ill-used principals.
Great Fun!
beatleman625 February 2005
I saw this movie about fifteen years ago on American Movie Classics. Having a great deal of interest in movies of this time period, I found it a lot of fun to watch. It is true that the plot is pretty thin, but for those familiar with the characters from repeats of old radio broadcasts it is great to put a face with the characters. I was surprised to see Lucille Ball in this picture. She really doesn't have a lot to do, but has some funny moments. I watch this movie with my children once or twice a year. They especially like the hand puppet Ophelia as well as the section where Charley McCarthy gets tipsy while drinking chocolate sodas. (They became familiar with Bergen by watching Disney's Fun and Fancy Free on DVD). Totally enjoyable and great for the whole family. Catch it when you can!
Your favorite stars from radio....Wait a minute, what's a radio?
mark.waltz20 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Edgar Bergen (with Charlie McCarthy), Fibber McGee and Molly, and the Great Gildersleeve all get together with a certain redhead named Lucy in this sitcom of the cinema pre-TV days about the golden age of radio programs. Lucille Ball gets to refer to Fibber as "McGillicuddy", yet other than a splendid display of her legs and comic temper, she is little more than window dressing. Fibber & Molly utilize Edgar in an Airport Landing field property scheme with Gildersleeve as the reluctant bad guy. Bergen and McCarthy, funnier on screen, need to be seen rather than just heard. "You're listening to a ventriloquist on the radio!", an exasperated husband in Woody Allen's "Radio Days" asked. This is his evidence.
The gags are mostly dated, yet historically, the film is definitely worth a study as are the two follow-ups reuniting most of the cast. Bergen and McCarthy could either be corny or creepy (depending on the feature or short), yet their best was the W.C. Fields gem "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man". Thi one combines those two adjectives.
Some great character performers, such as Sterling Holloway, Charles Lane, Jed Prouty, Isabel Randolph, Walter Baldwin and Neil Hamilton appear. Just love Holloway's line, "What fools these morons be!"
The gags are mostly dated, yet historically, the film is definitely worth a study as are the two follow-ups reuniting most of the cast. Bergen and McCarthy could either be corny or creepy (depending on the feature or short), yet their best was the W.C. Fields gem "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man". Thi one combines those two adjectives.
Some great character performers, such as Sterling Holloway, Charles Lane, Jed Prouty, Isabel Randolph, Walter Baldwin and Neil Hamilton appear. Just love Holloway's line, "What fools these morons be!"
A charming piece in spite of it all
johnericketts20 November 2006
No, radio characters often don't lend themselves to a visual medium, and this no exception.
Bergen and McCarthy look ridiculous. Bergen was always an obvious ventriloquist who kept moving his head to distract people from seeing his lips move so obviously. And then the worst, acting as if Charlie McCarthy is able to sit by himself and even answer the phone. Waaaaay better on radio.
Gildersleeve probably comes off better on screen than on radio because he's such a buoyant character to behold.
Lucy at the time was eye candy, and later it became harder to view her as so feminine.
Nevertheless, the audience of the day got to see people they loved for years. It was probably well worth it in the day. They likely suspended all of the shortcomings and came away feeling warm.
Bergen and McCarthy look ridiculous. Bergen was always an obvious ventriloquist who kept moving his head to distract people from seeing his lips move so obviously. And then the worst, acting as if Charlie McCarthy is able to sit by himself and even answer the phone. Waaaaay better on radio.
Gildersleeve probably comes off better on screen than on radio because he's such a buoyant character to behold.
Lucy at the time was eye candy, and later it became harder to view her as so feminine.
Nevertheless, the audience of the day got to see people they loved for years. It was probably well worth it in the day. They likely suspended all of the shortcomings and came away feeling warm.
Pretty Bad Showcase for Radio Shows
verbusen25 December 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I was pretty disappointed after watching this and I am a big fan of all these personalities. Maybe thats the problem, beyond the horrible joke writing, there are too many personalities and each seems to need as much time as the others so it's like many other movies with bad writing and too many stars, its pretty bad. Gildersleeves is a bad guy in this one. McGee and Mollie succumb to slapstick jokes instead of domestic wit, Baby Snooks is even in this one but is not credited and is dubbed onto Mollie while she talks on the phone. There's no Mortimer Snerd. It's just really long and a labor to watch. I'm really disappointed in that I made my wife watch it with me without pre screening it first, I doubt she'll grow to love OTR as I have. I give it a 4 of 10 and thats being generous to see the stars in a film, the writing in this is very unfunny. There are much better movies with Charlie in them, and those are when he is with WC Fields.
Pure delight for fans of Old-Time Radio
PaulCurt29 May 2002
Perhaps the audience for old radio comedy is dwindling, but those who enjoy Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve, and The Chase & Sanborn Hour will get a kick out of this silly movie. It's a crossover story in which Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy accidentally crash their plane at Wistful Vista. An added plus: Lucille Ball as Bergen's love interest. An added added plus: Sterling (Winnie the Pooh) Holloway as a soda jerk.
I can't be sure what effect the movie would have on viewers unacquainted with the radio series...the only reason for the existence of the film is for fans to be able to SEE people whose voices they've come to love, saying the popular catch phrases from the shows. Imagine "Where's the Beef? - The Motion Picture!" ...well, it's not that dreadful, but almost as nonsensical for the uninitiated.
Lovers of cinematic weirdness will enjoy a bizarre aspect of the story: Dummy Charlie McCarthy is depicted as a living, independently mobile creature, with several solo scenes. You can kind of accept him sitting there talking, but the effect is pretty eerie when he moves around. A friend of mine found it so disconcerting she left the room.
I can't be sure what effect the movie would have on viewers unacquainted with the radio series...the only reason for the existence of the film is for fans to be able to SEE people whose voices they've come to love, saying the popular catch phrases from the shows. Imagine "Where's the Beef? - The Motion Picture!" ...well, it's not that dreadful, but almost as nonsensical for the uninitiated.
Lovers of cinematic weirdness will enjoy a bizarre aspect of the story: Dummy Charlie McCarthy is depicted as a living, independently mobile creature, with several solo scenes. You can kind of accept him sitting there talking, but the effect is pretty eerie when he moves around. A friend of mine found it so disconcerting she left the room.
Semi-Successful Comedy
atlasmb24 October 2021
This film pairs Fibber McGee and Molly with Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy. Bergen holds up as fun entertainment, using Charlie as a separate entity who has
his own contrary personality. Fibber and Molly, unfortunately, do not translate well from radio. No doubt radio "watchers" used to scream with anticipation whenever Fibber even thought about opening that closet, but on film it is as dull as a doorknob.
It's fun to see Lucille Ball, though she doesn't get to spread her comedy wings much in this role.
It's fun to see Lucille Ball, though she doesn't get to spread her comedy wings much in this role.
Great, fun film.
wkozak22122 October 2021
This is my opinion. I disagree with the previous review. How old is the previous reviewer? I am 63. I love old time classic Hollywood films. Bergen did not move his lips. There are great comic actors and actresses in this film. They are very funny. To this day!
Better Than Expected
dougdoepke12 March 2014
A minor gem thanks to a clever script, fast-paced direction, and top radio stars of the day. Fibber McGee wants to locate a new aircraft plant in Wistful Vista, and gets Edgar Bergen to help him. The machinations fly fast and furious, along with a hair-raising finale where non-pilot McGee is at the controls of a twirling airplane. Everyone gets a turn at getting laughs, including Lucille Ball who already shows a flair for comedy along with a shapely leg. Then there's that blustery small-town blowhard Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, who would soon star in his own movie series. Fibber's wife Molly also gets to do her little girl voice that's so amusing. But the real star is the inimitable Charlie McCarthy. I hate to say so, but after awhile I started thinking he was a real person. I expect he has that effect on a lot of viewers. Anyway, the movie remains a minor delight, and I don't think that's just nostalgia for the entertainment I grew up with.
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