International House

Viewed March 17, 2022. This has a bunch of great 30s personalities in it, puts them in amusing combinations and gives them some ribald dialogue, while moving at a fleet pace and finding time for a few musical numbers (including Cab Calloway singing “Reefer Man”). This film is an unassuming gem. It gets its biggest laugh (and, really, one of the best line deliveries ever) when W.C Fields is introduced to Gracie Allen and deadpans, “What’s the penalty for murder in China?”

Not quite the madcap romp you'd think it'd be.

A bit of froth, but charming, with great work--as always from Burns and Allen and Field.

Fields is just a hired hand in this novelty item, a kind of vaudeville with TV and a plot, but what a hired hand and what a great moment in movie history.

Exoticisms, racism, yellowface, annoying characters and generally vey unfunny. Some of the costumes the girls wore (in the tea cup song) were surprisingly revealing, like nipple stickers basically. The little girl’s number was better though but Cab Calloway’s was of course the best, like come on, he sings about weed!

The basic non-important plot is that a bunch of representatives are at the International House hotel in China to look at Dr. Wong's invention, which basically is a TV. Combine all those acts, celebrities, musical stars of W.C. Fields, Stuart Erwin, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Cab Calloway and Bela Lugosi you get a hot mess. Tons of little genius moments, but with glue so loose it barely holds it together as a film. This is funny and even has Field's do a pussy reference in regards to Mrs. Joyce!