[tps_title]10. Hellzapoppin’ (1941)[/tps_title]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8okW69O4mY
Dir. H. C. Potter
Due to a number of rights issues, H. C. Potter’s delirious adaptation of the Broadway musical revue Hellzapoppin by John “Ole” Olsen and Harold “Chic” Johnson has never been released for sale in the United States. And considering that the film is one of the most compact concentrations of comedic anarchy ever committed to film, this is one of the great tragedies of our time. Seeking to capture the anything goes spirit of the stage musical, Hellzapoppin’ features a dizzying stream of meta-humor (Olsen and Johnson break the fourth wall and get into a disastrous argument with the projectionist showing the film, who happens to be played by Shemp Howard), preposterous sight gags (a gaggle of gowned women literally fall into Hell where they are turned on giant spits by demons), chaotic musical numbers (check out Martha Raye’s ode to photography entitled “Watch the Birdie”), and delightful movie references (both Rosebud and the Frankenstein Monster make guest appearances).
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