Broadminded
Broadminded (1931) is one of those films that must have looked outstanding on a producer's desk, but fails to live up to the ability of its technicians when seen on a movie screen. This early sound comedy was made by Warner Brothers and features such studio stalwarts as Mervyn LeRoy at director and Joe E.…
https://s1.wp.com/i/favicon.ico
Classic Film Astronomy
Broadminded (1931) is one of those films that must have looked outstanding on a producer’s desk, but fails to live up to the ability of its technicians when seen on a movie screen. This early sound comedy was made by Warner Brothers and features such studio stalwarts as Mervyn LeRoy at director and Joe E. Brown as star.

Although Brown is most remembered today for his role in Some Like It Hot (1959), he was a popular comedian in the 1930s and the biggest comedic talent Warner Brothers had at the time. He’s an oddity in film history. He is not known for his pantomime skills like the great silent comedians, nor is he known for a particular routine like some of the vaudeville comedians, and he does not have a discernible character type like you find in some of the comedy teams, like the Marx Brothers. Instead, he is known for making sounds with his mouth. They are odd and they can be amusing, but only on occasion are they truly funny.

That’s the biggest problem with this film — it’s hardly funny. Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby were commissioned to write the screenplay. They were fresh off a Broadway success with the Marx Brothers’ Animal Crackers. They spent over a year on the script before the executives at Warner Brothers got tired of waiting and let them go. The two do receive script credit, but there were extensive revisions in an attempt to make the story and comedy work.

The story revolves around William Collier Jr., who is a playboy. His father wants him to get away from the New York party lifestyle, so he tells him to go somewhere. His chaperone is his cousin (Brown), an equally adept ladies man. The two make it to California where Collier Jr. falls for Ona Munson and there is little comedy or drama during these scenes. Even when Collier’s former lover shows up, there is little drama or comedy. The only real highlights are Bela Lugosi and Thelma Todd as one of the most perfect odd couples in film history. Lugosi and Brown get into a tussle after Brown spills ink all over Lugosi’s strawberry shortcake. Their paths cross constantly and there is great comedy as Lugosi’s Count Dracula image is combined with the Latin lover stereotype (his character constantly talks about being from the country of South America). Todd plays an actress who Brown used to know in New York. She does great playing off of Lugosi and Brown. Both are over-the-top, while she is understated. She deliverers yet another good performance.