''Millions in the Air'' is a 1935 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Ray McCarey Raymond Benedict McCarey (September 6, 1904 – December 1, 1948) was an American film director, brother of director Leo McCarey. Biography McCarey began working at Hal Roach Studios, where he did work on short films with Our Gang and L ...

and written by

Sig Herzig Sig Herzig (July 25, 1897 – March 12, 1985) was an American screenwriter and playwright. Biography Born Siegfried Maurice Herzig in New York City, Herzig began his career as the director of the comedy short ''Husband and Strife'' (1922), ...

and Jane Storm. The film stars

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...

Wendy Barrie Wendy Barrie (born Marguerite Wendy Jenkins; 18 April 1912 – 2 February 1978) was a British-American film and television actress. Early life Barrie was born in London to English parents. Her father, Francis Charles John Graigoe Jenkin KC ...

Willie Howard Willie L. Howard (born December 26, 1977) is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft and played for them for two seasons be ...

, George Barbier, Benny Baker,

Eleanore Whitney ''See also Eleanor Bull (maiden name Eleanor Whitney) Eleanore Whitney (April 12, 1917 – November 1, 1983) was an American film actress and tap dancer. She was born on April 12, 1917, in Cleveland, Ohio. At the age of 10, she began studying ...

and

Robert Cummings Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as '' The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941) and ''Princess O'Rourke'' (1943), and in ...

. The film was released on December 12, 1935, by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

Amateur performers on Colonel Edwards' popular radio show get a gong rung by the show's sponsor, soap mogul Calvin Keller, if they aren't any good. It doesn't surprise the audience when would-be opera singer Tony Pagano is judged a disappointment, but the act of Eddie Warren and Marion Keller wowed the crowd. Everyone is stunned when they, too, get the gong. Marion's fiancé Gordon Rogers dislikes her being a vaudeville entertainer. Eddie, an ice cream vendor, wants to succeed with or without her, but he's jealous when he learns of Marion's relationship with Gordon and parts ways with her. He is also irked when his pal Jimmy wins the radio contest along with his old dance partner, Bubbles. During the next show, Keller gets so many complaints from listeners and audience members that he insists Colonel Edwards reunite the team of Eddie and Marion that very night. It takes some doing, but ultimately the twosome steals the show.

Cast

as Eddie Warren *

as Marion Keller *

as Tony Pagano * George Barbier as Calvin Keller *Benny Baker as Benny *

as Bubbles *

as Jimmy *

Catherine Doucet Catherine Doucet (born Catherine Green; June 20, 1875 – June 24, 1958) was an American actress. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1915 and 1954. Her film debut came in ''As Husbands Go''. Doucet's work on Broadway began with ''B ...

as Mrs. Waldo-Walker * Samuel S. Hinds as Colonel Edwards *

Halliwell Hobbes Herbert Halliwell Hobbes (16 November 187720 February 1962) was an English actor. Early years The future actor was the son of William Albert Hobbes (1841-1909), a Warwickshire solicitor, and his wife, Marion Hobbes, née Dennis, (1838-1925). ...

as Theodore *Dave Chasen as Dave *Stephen Chase as Gordon Rogers III *Benny Bartlet as Kid Pianist *

Billy Gilbert William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects ...

as Nikolas Popadopolis *Ralph Malone as Jason *Frances Robinson as Sally * Irving Bacon as Mr. Perkins *

Inez Courtney Inez Courtney (October 12, 1897 – April 5, 1975) was an American actress on the Broadway stage and in films. Early years Born in Amsterdam, New York, Courtney came from a large Irish-American family. After her father's death when she was fif ...

as Miss Waterbury * Harry C. Bradley as Mr. Waldo-Walker * Russell Hicks as Davis *

Harry Tenbrook Harry Tenbrook (born Henry Olaf Hansen, October 9, 1887 – September 4, 1960) was an American film actor. Henry Olaf Hansen was born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway. His family migrated to the United States in 1892. Under the stage nam ...

as Mike * Paul Fix as Hank * Marion Hargrove as Blonde *

Joan Davis Josephine "Joan" Davis (June 29, 1907 – May 22, 1961) was an American comedic actress whose career spanned vaudeville, film, radio, and television. Remembered best for the 1950s television comedy ''I Married Joan'', Davis had a successful earl ...

as Singer * Adrienne Marden as Girl *

Paul Newlan Paul Emory Newlan (June 29, 1903 – November 23, 1973) was an American film and TV character actor from Plattsmouth, Nebraska. He was best known for his role as Captain Grey on the NBC police series ''M Squad'' and for his roles in films incl ...

as Charles Haines

Production

Cummings was cast in August 1935.Luise Rainer and William Powell, "Escapade" Stars, United for "Ziegfeld": Los Angeles Times 26 Aug 1935: 19.

References

External links

* 1935 films Paramount Pictures films American comedy films 1935 comedy films Films directed by Ray McCarey American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-comedy-film-stub