Moonlight in Hawaii (1941) User Reviews

Hollywood's Hawaii, a tropical splendor, a fable of the real thing.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 8 September 2018]

This amusing B Universal musical is a passable time filler, enjoyable nonsense for the masses who needed distractions in 1941 for rumblings of another world war. This was definitely out to please the masses with its abundance of youthful energy and some veteran older character actors who get their own romantic triangle, all over a shady business deal involving a pineapple plantation and the factory who processes them for sale. That involves a feud between rubber legged factory owner Leon Errol and plantation owner Richard Carle, with wealthy tourist Marjorie Gateson pursued by both so they can break out on their own.

The younger folks enjoyed the songs by the Merry Macs, romantic issues between Errol's daughter (Jane Frazee) and Gateson's assistant (Johnny Downes), and the energetic swinging atmosphere. The songs are invigorating, if rather standard, but performed with pep. The highlight is a drunk scene with Errol where he practically destroys an entire room of priceless antiques just purchased by Carle. Mischa Auer provides some funny moments as the orchestra leader, and Maria Montez makes a brief appearance as a sassy femme fatale. At just an hour, this provides the right amount of entertainment, laughs and songs, and for a World War II era musical, that's just the right ingredient for a spirited time.

You're In Hawaii, So Where's Your Ukulele?

[boblipton · 6/10 · 12 July 2019]

Johnny Downs and his musical cohort, the Merry Macs, wind up in Hawaii. There, Jane Frazee gets them a deal to sing on a radio show that her father, Leon Errol will sponsor, promoting his cannery's pineapple juice. However, when Errol feuds with his pineapple supplier, Richard Carle, all the younger people come up with schemes to either get Errol a source of pineapples, or Carle a cannery. Those, however, take money that neither man has -- especially after Errol smashes all of Carle's Ming pottery and Michelangelo sculptures -- so they set up a competition to marry rich Marjorie Gateson.

Miss Frazee gets top billing, so it's a musical, of course, although most of the tunes are carried by the Merry Macs. There's a lot of decent but forgettable music written by Don Raye and Gene De Paul. The highlight for me was a swing version of "Hawaiian War Chant" sung by the Merry Macs. Under the direction of Charles Lamont the comedy is more well-timed frenzy than funny. Still, it's short, fast-moving and musically ok. The music is swing boogie with Hawaiian guitars, lots of ukuleles and good orchestration.

Enjoyable Universal Studios fluff.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 7 October 2023]

Interesting timing--1941.

Trio is like the ritz brothers.

The timing for "Moonlight in Hawaii" is interesting, as it came out just before the Japanese attack on Pearly Harbor. However, as you'd suspect, it actually was just filmed in California.

The story is very slight. A quartet of guys and their girlfriends all want to be on the radio, as they are talented singers. One of them happens to have a father who is rich and could put them on the air, but Walter Spencer (Leon Errol) has had an argument (one of MANY) with his friend, J. B. (Richard Carle), and the deal is off. So, they need to get these two friends to talk again and make up...but it won't be easy.

The quartet really has a leader (Johnny Downs) and the other three really act much like a poor man's Ritz Brothers...though less annoying and better singers. As for the plot, there really isn't much and the whole thing is just an excuse for MANY musical numbers. While I usually hate this sort of thing, their music was catchy and the whole thing results in a decent little time-passer.

I am gob-smacked!

[JohnHowardReid · 1/10 · 19 February 2018]

Yes, I am gob-smacked, as my daughter would say. Here's a movie that just about every critic in the world would agree was one of the very worst ever made, yet this movie that has not even one single redeeming feature, manages a to attract a reasonably high score here at IMDb!

I will admit that it is sad to see that this trash was photographed by Stanley Cortez, one of Hollywood's finest cameramen.

But even Stanley's beautiful camerawork cannot compensate for the drivel we actually see on the screen thanks to a bum script, an inept producer and a strictly no-account director named Charles Lamont.

I will admit that although Lamont's work was trashed by every critic in the country, he did manage to hang in there. He was fast and he was cheap and he was loved by people like Marjorie Man and Abbott and Costello who really hated everything about making movies, but really enjoyed appearing on a stage in person.

Lamont did manage to make one film that pleased me and all the other critics (I'm sure it was an accident but nonetheless) namely "Curtain Call at Cactus Creek".

MOONLIGHT IN HAWAII- JUST BEFORE PEARL HARBOR

[wise1too · 8/10 · 22 February 2021]

Released just a few weeks before the attack at Pearl Harbor, this has everything you'd want in a Universal pre- WW2 swing-musical. With a "in the groove" plot, this has the best elements that made these B musicals fun. Jane Frazee and Johnny Downs exemplify what you want in leads, comedy with Leon Errol, one of the era's best singing group[s, The Merry Macs, singing the songs of Universal's house swing writing team of Raye & DePaul, some fine swing dancing and Mischa Auer, perfectly cast. (The only things missing are Shemp Howard and the Jivin' Jacks and Jills) Solid photography by Stanley Cortez and direction by Charles Lamont, one of the best B directors of the 1930s, who went on to helm Abbott & Costello . As long as it moves, plot doesn't matter much. Yesiree, this is Universal swing at it's B best! Just imagine seing this on a double bill with a Universal mystery or horror film such as Man Made Monster, released a few months later.