''Look Who's Laughing'' (aka ''Look Who's Talking'') is a 1941 film from

RKO Radio Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

. The film is built around a number of

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

stars from the

Golden Age of Radio The Golden Age of Radio, also known as the old-time radio (OTR) era, was an era of radio in the United States where it was the dominant electronic home entertainment medium. It began with the birth of commercial radio broadcasting in the earl ...

and centers around radio personality

Jim Jordan James Daniel Jordan (born February 17, 1964) is an American politician currently serving in his ninth term in the U.S. House of Representatives as the representative for since 2007. A member of the Republican Party, he is a two-tim ...

as Fibber McGee from the comic duo,

Fibber McGee and Molly ''Fibber McGee and Molly'' (1935–1959) was a longtime highly popular husband-and-wife team radio comedy program. The situation comedy was a staple of the NBC Red Network from 1936 on, after originating on NBC Blue in 1935. One of the most p ...

, who plans to build an aircraft factory in a small town. ''Look Who's Laughing'' was followed by '' Here We Go Again'' (1942), with many of the radio stars reprising their performances.

Plot

In New York,

Edgar Bergen Edgar John Bergen (born Edgar John Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, actor, comedian, vaudevillian and radio performer, best known for his proficiency in ventriloquism and his characters ...

does his last radio performance of the season, a doctor's sketch with his puppet, Charlie McCarthy, and his assistant, Julie Patterson (

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...

). After the performance Bergen hosts an engagement party for Julie and his business partner, Jerry Wood. The next day, Bergen and Charlie are set for their summer vacation. Flying in his new aircraft, Bergen gets lost and lands in Wistful Vista, home of

. Bergen's almost crash landing interrupts a meeting with Wistful Vista's Chamber of Commerce. Fibber, president, has just proposed the selling of the town's airstrip to Hilary Horton, owner of the Horton Aircraft Factory. The Commerce and townspeople thought Bergen's aircraft was carrying Horton. Bergen and Charlie are welcomed with Fibber and Molly inviting them to stay at their home. Learning of Fibber's plans, Bergen offers to convince Hilary, his friend, to build his factory at Wistful Vista. Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve (

Harold Peary Harold "Hal" Peary (July 25, 1908 – March 30, 1985) was an American actor, comedian and singer in radio, films, television, and animation. His most memorable role is as Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, which began as a supporting character on r ...

), secretly working for Ironton Realty, a rival company wanting to purchase Horton's factory, gets a scoop of Fibber and Bergen's plans. He goes to Sam Cudahy (

Charles Halton Charles Halton (March 16, 1876 – April 16, 1959) was an American character actor who appeared in over 180 films. Life and career Halton trained at the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his Broadway debut in 1901, after which he ...

), owner of Ironton Realty, planning to back out of Cudahy's schemes. Threatened by blackmail, Gildersleeve tricks Fibber into paying for an elaborate luncheon to honor their guest. Gildersleeve's trickery continues when he meets Charlie McCarthy, fed up staying at Wistful Vista and wanting to find a way to leave town. Gildersleeve suggests that Charlie sends a fake telegram to Bergen saying that his former assistant, Julie Patterson (

), is ill. On the day Bergen is to fly Hilary Horton to Wistful Vista, he receives the telegram, thus suddenly changing his plans. Bergen arrives back in New York, discovering Julie is well. Returning quickly to Wistful Vista with a protesting Julie in tow. Bergen's business partner, Jerry (Lee Bonnell), with his former fiancée and Julie's replacement, Marge (

Dorothy Lovett Dorothy Lovett (February 16, 1915 – April 28, 1998) was an American film actress. Biography Early and personal life Lovett was born in Providence, Rhode Island. She married director Jack Hively (1910-1995) on December 25, 1941, wh ...

), search for Julie. Meanwhile, Fibber, humiliated, resigned from the Chamber of Commerce. His house is also in foreclosure and Cudahy purchased the airstrip. Charlie confesses to Julie that Gildersleeve suggested sending the fake telegram. Julie then devises a scheme to foil Cudahy into investing in some worthless land belonging to Fibber and for Gildersleeve to trade his land for the airstrip. Bergen successfully convinces Hilary to fly into Wistful Vista. Meanwhile, Jerry and Marge, still searching for Julie, have decided that they are still in love and get married. Back at the McGees', Molly discovers that Julie is in love with Bergen and advises her to "sabotage" him into marriage. Everyone drives to the airstrip to meet Horton. As Fibber and Molly wait in Bergen's aircraft, he and Julie greet Jerry and Marge, who have just driven into town. When Fibber accidentally takes off, Julie and Bergen follow in another aircraft. Horton's aircraft is also coming and Fibber nearly crashes into him. Bergen climbs aboard the aircraft, and safely lands Fibber and Molly. After returning to the McGee house, Jerry and Marge announce their marriage. At that moment, Horton arrives and informs Bergen that he owns a controlling interest in the Horton company and can build a factory wherever he desires. So, with Fibber's good name restored, Julie embraces Bergen.

Cast

as Himself * Charlie McCarthy as Himself *

as Fibber McGee * Marian Jordan as Molly McGee *

as Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve *

as Julie Patterson *

as Marge *

Isabel Randolph Isabel Randolph (December 4, 1889 – January 11, 1973) was an American character actress in radio and film from the 1940s through the 1960s and in television from the early 1950s to the middle 1960s. Early life She was born in 1889 in Ch ...

as Abigail Uppington * Lee Bonnell as Jerry Wood *

as Sam Cudahy * Neil Hamilton as Hilary Horton *

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 Motel Manager * Jed Prouty as Mayor *

Dot Farley Dorothea "Dot" Farley (February 6, 1881 – May 2, 1971) was an American film actress who appeared in 280 motion pictures between 1910 and 1950. She was also known as Dorothy Farley. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dorothea Farley was ...

as Mary Blaize * Dorothy Lloyd as Maisie/Matilda *

Sterling Holloway Sterling Price Holloway Jr. (January 4, 1905 – November 22, 1992) was an American actor and voice actor who appeared in over 100 films and 40 television shows. He did voice acting for The Walt Disney Company, playing Mr. Stork in '' Dumbo'', A ...

as Rusty *

George Cleveland George Alan Cleveland (September 17, 1885 – July 15, 1957) was a Canadian film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1930 and 1954. Career Cleveland was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. His first appearance on the stage ...

as Kelsey

Production

Principal photography on ''Look Who's Laughing'' took place beginning on May 13, 1941 and ending late June 1941. The working title of the film was ''Look Who's Talking''. In the opening credits of ''Look Who's Laughing'', "the two "O's" in the word "look" become eyeballs and the "O" in the word "who" turns into a laughing mouth." In a March 1, 1941 story on its pre-production, the New York Times headlined "

and Husband,

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', in which he c ...

, to Co-Star." Arnaz ended up being replaced. It would take ten more years to act with wife Ball, in TV's ''I Love Lucy'' in 1951.

Reception

Film historians Richard Jewell and Vernon Harbin in ''The RKO Story'' (1982) considered ''Look Who's Laughing'' a surprise winner at the box office. "Released just after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, it had a certain topicality and lunatic attractiveness, but the precise reasons for the picture's sizeable box-office success must forever remain a mystery." The film historians did pinpoint one performance, "Lucille Ball gave a standout performance as Bergen's secretary." Film reviewer Jim Craddock in a recent review of ''Look Who's Laughing'' in the ''VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 2001'' compendium was charitable about a film where radio stars conveniently drop into a town, writing, "Not much plot here, but it might be worth a look to fans of the stars, including Jim and Marion Jordan, better known as Fibber McGee and Molly."Craddock 2001, p. 580.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Craddock, Jim, ed. ''VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 2001''. Detroit: Gale/Cengage Learning, 2001. . * Jewell, Richard B. and Vernon Harbin. ''The RKO Story''. New York: Arlington House, 1982. .

External links

* * * * {{Allan Dwan 1941 films 1941 comedy films American comedy films American aviation films American black-and-white films Films scored by Roy Webb Films based on radio series Films directed by Allan Dwan RKO Pictures films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films