Walking on Air (1936) Online

Walking on Air is a fortunate Musical Comedy of the 1930's. It is fortunate to have the lovely and talented Ann Sothern at her radiant best, Gene Raymond (real-life husband of musical great, Jeanette MacDonald) at his popularity peak, plus veteran character actors, Jessie Ralph and Henry Stephenson, having considerable fun with their roles. Fortunate also for the lilting tunes by Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Students of vintage dance music will recognize the musical director, Nathaniel Shilkret, from many recordings of the era. His work here adds a richness to the score that is often lacking in similar musical pictures. What this all adds up to is a fun way to spend 70 minutes. This viewer likes it well enough to keep a 16mm print on the shelf and has never tired of repeated screenings over the years. Walking on Air is not only a uniformly likable musical - never ponderous - always pleasing, it also looks good. The entire cast seems to be having fun working together. Certainly a cut above the average musical comedy of its period.

Ann Sothern and Gene Raymond star in "Walking on Air," a 1936 comedy with music. Sothern and Raymond were thrown together a lot in the early to mid-thirties, and they're an attractive team. Raymond is a fledgling singer named Pete Quinlan whom Kit Bennett (Sothern) hires to play an annoying boyfriend. Her father (Henry Stephenson) refuses to allow her to be with the man she loves (Alan Curtis), so Sothern figures if she can come up with someone worse, her real boyfriend will start to look good.

Raymond gets to sing some pleasant songs, and the scenes where he insults the family are fun.

Raymond and Sothern sing "Let's Make a Wish" and sound wonderful together.

It's cute, it's predictable, but it has nice music and a good cast. Recommended.

I think Walking on Air is a very refreshing movie with a humorous story-line and great singing! I thought Gene Raymond, Ann Sothern, Henry Stephenson and Jesse Ralph were superb in their performances.

I especially wanted to comment on the great singing of Ann Sothern and Gene Raymond in Let's Make a Wish. Also, there was a wonderful singing group that accompanied them in harmony at the nightclub.

The story concerns a rich girl who wants to marry a divorced man. When her father opposes the match, she hires a poor man (aspiring to be a radio singer) to impersonate a count with poor manners, to show her father than titles are not everything.

A merry mix-up ensues, and Ann finds herself falling for her count, played by Gene Raymond.

Gene Raymond & Ann Sothern in another of the "boy meets girl, silly identity mixups, arguments, boy tries to win back girl " stories. Raymond and Sothern made a whole bunch together. Raymond's occupation as on-air singer in Walking on Air allows him to sing the songs highlighted in the movie, which he does quite well. (among his other "occupations" in this movie.) Jessie Ralph (made David Copperfield and Bank Dick with W.C. Fields) is Auntie to Kit Bennett (Sothern), and plays referee between Kit, Horace, (Henry Stephenson) and Kits' boyfriends. Kit hires Pete Quinlan (Raymond) to hang around and annoy her father so her own boyfriend looks better and better. That boyfriend Fred (Alan Curtis) has his own tricks up his sleeve. George Meeker (plays Tom Quinlan) has a pretty impressive history himself, frequently playing cowboys & soldiers. Meeker also had parts in Gone with the Wind and Casablanca. Directed by Joseph Santley, who directed Raymond in five films in the 1930s. Fun flick. Some clever bits as we watch Pete (Raymond) try to insult the family, but has the tables turned on him. Does not seem to be at all related to the later movies made in 1946 & 1986 by the same name.

This entertaining springtime Musical reunites one of Hollywood's reportedly most reluctant screen-teams for the second of their five pairings at RKO Radio Pictures. Yet Ann Sothern and Gene Raymond accept the challenge to deliver fine performances in Song and Comedy, and willingly to tackle new skills for their roles: for Gene, he continually practices the art of monocle-wearing, and for Ann, she learns automobile driving maneuvers, such as to brake before colliding with her co-star. Yet their collective singing talents remain perfectly harmonious.

Well, at the Bennett estate, in Beverly Hills, Mr. Horace Bennett (Henry Stephenson) locks his determined daughter, Kit Bennett (Ann Sothern), into her second-story room for threatening to elope with that ne'er-do-well gold-digger Fred Randolph (Alan Curtis), whose ex-wife, the Ex-Mrs. Fred Randolph (Anita Colby) doesn't care as long as Fred meets her outrageous demands for back alimony or else.

Evelyn Bennett (Jessie Ralph) serves as a voice of reason, of sorts, as the sister who stands up to Horace and as spinster aunt of Kit, who genuinely cares for Kit's well-being, while efficiently lacing with clever wisecracks many resulting confrontations with everyone else.

Now, unbeknown to each other, Kit and Horace each places a newspaper want ad to search for assistance regarding that there Fred Randolph: Horace intends to hire a burly guard to ward off Fred in the event that he sets foot upon the Bennett estate to attempt to elope with Kit, while Kit intends to hire a decoy to impersonate an insulting French nobleman to ire her father into yielding to her plans with Fred.

Joe (Gordon Jones), an unemployed job seeker, spots the items in the want ads and convinces his roommate to apply for the one, and Joe for the other. Roommate, Pete Quinlan (Gene Raymond), who anticipates success with his forthcoming audition to sing upon a Radio Station KARB program, initially disregards Joe's suggestion, at least until he realizes that they're down to their bottom dollar, while staying at the apartment of Pete's vacationing brother and sister-in-law, Tom Quinlan (George Meeker) and Flo Quinlan (Maxine Jennings), after Joe convinces them that a change of scenery might be nice.

Well, Horace takes to hiring Joe, as Kit pays a visit to Pete, to make him over into the fashionably insulting Count Pierre Louis de Marsac, a plot device reportedly borrowed from the career of comedian Vincent Barnett, who was often invited to Hollywood dinner parties, to portray an insulting waiter.

But Horace takes to the notion of Kit's hosting Count Pierre Louis de Marsac, greatly preferring him to Fred, and hoping that Kit does, as well, even though that's hardly her intention, while Aunt Evelyn attempts to understand Kit and Horace's mindsets once events begin to go awry before her very eyes.

In addition to his household staff, including Bennett's Maid (Fern Emmett) and Vincent, Bennett's Butler (Charles Coleman), Horace hires Albert, the French Valet (George Beranger) to serve Count Pierre Louis de Marsac with provincial hospitality. But once Albert discovers certain newspaper clippings inserted into the pockets of Kit and Pete's clothing, Horace decides to warn Kit that the Count may not be French at all, or maybe that this French pancake may not be a Count, while Evelyn begins to see the overall picture.

So, at the Beach Club restaurant one evening, the tide begins to turn for one and all, as Kit ponders Horace's unanticpated reactions to Pete, and Pete decides to try to turn the tables on Fred, before the schemes begin to spiral out of control. Patricia Wilder has a role as the wisecracking KARB Receptionist, advancing yet another plot twist.

This includes three songs performed at least twice each, consisting of "Cabin On The Hilltop," "My Heart Wants To Dance," and the show-stopping "Let's Make a Wish," as the lovely soprano Ann Sothern harmonizes with the smooth tenor Gene Raymond, accompanied by that docile but very capable group around the beach campfire in the Beach Club backdrop.

It's spring… and kindly but stern old gentleman Henry Stephenson has his daughter upstairs locked in her room. He sends up the butler with a tray of food; she throws it out the window.

Ann Sothern is the spirited young woman engaged to a cad her father refuses to accept. Her backup plan involves a help wanted ad: She hires a young man to pose as her replacement fiancé and assigns him to behave so rudely toward her father that he will change his mind about the original cad. Gene Raymond has some uproarious moments as the fake suitor—a French count complete with phony mustache—who digs right in to the job of insulting the girl's father and aunt.

It's a very lightweight comedy of impostors, wrong impressions and late revelations. A pretty typical plot—but lots of fun nevertheless.

Of course, Raymond and Sothern are meant to get together eventually, but only if they can get past the usual set of misunderstandings. Both stars are energetic and appealing. Raymond—whose character is also an aspiring crooner—gets to sing a couple of fine songs, as well.

Jessie Ralph is excellent as always as the witty aunt who offers advice, support and wisecracks. Ralph and Stephenson make a good pair as the older generation who may be misled by the youngsters' schemes but soon catch on.

Sothern and Raymond make a neat match and look like they are having a good time. The story moves along briskly and while the picture doesn't leave a deep impression, it's sure easy to watch!

Great moment: "You're losing your mustache!"

Copyright 22 August 1936 by RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Palace: 11 September 1936. Australian release: 30 September 1936. 8 reels. 70 minutes. DVD scheduled for Warner Archive.

SYNOPSIS: Spoiled beauty hires a young man to impersonate a French count and irritate her father to such an extent that he will agree to her marriage to the wastrel she really loves.

VIEWER'S GUIDE: The heroine's defiance of her father makes this comedy unsuitable for all but mature children.

COMMENT: A most entertaining comedy of manners, fluidly directed and most ingratiatingly played. If some of the ingenious plot twists are not wholly unexpected, the charm and charisma of the players more than make up for any such lapses in novelty. In fact, Raymond never gave a more easy and personable performance. Usually he's somewhat stiff. Here he is relaxed and amusing. He also sings more than adequately too. (Naturally Kalmar and Ruby, who both worked on the script also supplied the songs, including the cleverly highlighted "Cabin on the Hill" which is first murdered by a basso profundo before its most pleasant reworking by Raymond).

Ann Sothern — a player who rarely seemed to get the plum roles she deserved — has one of her best roles too, managing the difficult feat of being thoroughly spoiled, willfully selfish yet still retaining 100% audience sympathy. And of course no audience could fail to warm to Jessie Ralph who handles some of the script's wittiest comebacks with grace and aplomb.

Good to see Henry Stephenson in a major role too, even if he is mainly along to feed funny lines to the rest of the principals (including Gordon Jones).

In this sort of picture, the players are all dressed to the nines and move through surroundings of the utmost in middle-class luxury. Butlers (a nice performance by Charles Coleman), nightclubs, gorgeous clothes — all are agreeably realized. Credits are super- glossy, production values sparkle.

OTHER VIEWS: A charming reverse-Cinderella romance with Gene Raymond risible playing a phony count who does everything possible to insult his prospective father-in-law short of trying to sell him insurance. Attractively gowned Ann Sothern is the fairy-tale princess, Jessie Ralph the godmother, Alan Curtis the caddish villain. Three or four catchy songs round out a most enjoyable, wittily pacey, beautifully photographed comedy.

Although the authors of The RKO Story opine that "Walking On Air" is a "B", they are most definitely wrong on this score. The film is lavishly produced, with the sort of fluid direction, stunning costumes and many-peopled sets that could only flow from an "A" budget... Among the many pleasing players, we must cite cute Patricia Wilder who gives her all to that famous refrain of all hirers of theatrical talent: "We'll let you know. — JHR writing as George Addison.

In one of the most amusing screwball pairings of Ann Sothern and Gene Raymond, she is a temperamental socialite who schemes to deceive her over-protective papa and acidic aunt by presenting them to an insulting fake count in order for them to approve of the man she really loves. Of course, she doesn't count on falling hard for the great pretender, and this leads to the taming of a Beverly Hills shrew. A top notch supporting cast adds great fun, including Henry Stephenson and Jessie Ralph who delivers each line as if she was cracking a lobster shell with her teeth. A few sweet songs pop in for romantic moments to make the comedy stand out a bit more when it does crop up.

In Beverly Hills, California, wealthy Henry Stephenson (as Horace Bennett) is unhappy with the man daughter Ann Sothern (as Kit) plans to marry. Locked in her room, Ms. Sothern has food delivered on silver platters, which she immediately throws out the window. Meanwhile, aspiring singer Gene Raymond (as Peter "Pete" Quinlan) is preparing to audition for a job at radio station KARB. His roommate Gordon Jones (as Joe) places ads for himself and Mr. Raymond in the "wanted" section of the local newspaper...

Father Stephenson hires Mr. Jones to watch over Sothern while Raymond is hired by Sothern to pose as an obnoxious French Count. She hopes her father and perceptive aunt Jessie Ralph (as Evelyn Bennett) will find Raymond distasteful and comparatively approve of fiancé Alan Curtis (as Fred Randolph). There is very little original creative energy in "Walking on Air" - but Raymond's tenor is pleasant, his French is funny, Sothern is a fine leading lady and they get two of the best supporting characters in town.

***** Walking on Air (9/11/36) Joseph Santley ~ Gene Raymond, Ann Sothern, Jessie Ralph, Henry Stephenson

"Walking on Air" is a reasonably enjoyable piece of fluff punctuated with some awful music. Without the music, it would be an agreeable time-passer.

Kit Bennett (Ann Sothern) is a rich girl with lousy taste in men. Not surprisingly, they aren't particularly impressed by her new boyfriend. So, to get their approval of the guy, she pretends to be in love with an absolutely awful person--so the boyfriend would look great compared to this new guy. So she hires Pete (Gene Raymond) to play an annoying French member of the nobility. However, the family soon realizes Pete's a phony and they pretend to like him just to irritate Kit and upset her plans. In the process, it's not surprising that she falls for Pete.

Overall, this is a very slight but reasonably enjoyable film which is seriously marred by some of the blandest and dullest music you could imagine. And, because there's a lot of music, the film is pretty tough going at times.

Walking On Air (1936) Ann Sothern, Gene Raymond, Jessie Ralph and Henry Stephenson. Formula B musical about a rich girl who wants to marry one guy and hires another to pretend to be a rich obnoxious count so her father will reconsider his unfavorable view of the one she thinks she loves. In the meantime, her father hires a bodyguard to keep her at home and she is locked in her room. She throws her meals, that are served on a tray of fine china and silver, out the window. Her pretend suitor is really trying to be hired by a radio show and we get to hear his audition and first broadcast. The 3 songs are forgettable and the script is predictable. Ann is okay and Gene is his usual smarmy sophomoric self. The two character actors steal the show. Which is a dud. 5/10