People Are Funny (film)

People Are Funny
Directed by	Sam White
Written by	Dorcas Cochran John Guedel David Lang Maxwell Shane
Produced by	William H. Pine William C. Thomas Sam White
Starring	Jack Haley Helen Walker Rudy Vallee
Cinematography	Frank Jackman Jr.
Edited by	Henry Adams
Music by	Rudy Schrager
Production company	Pine-Thomas Productions
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	January 11, 1946 (1946-01-11)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

People Are Funny is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Sam White and starring Jack Haley, Helen Walker and Rudy Vallee. It is based on the popular radio show of the same name and was produced by Pine-Thomas Productions for release by Paramount Pictures.

Plot summary

Radio producer John Guedel is panicked and dumbfounded when his popular radio show Humbug is immediately taken off the air for making fun of the legal profession. Given a deadline to produce a replacement, Gudel contacts his writer girlfriend Corey Sullivan to help him but Corey has another client, Leroy Brinker seeking a radio show for himself. The two come across a radio show put on in a small town called People Are Funny that mixes bizarre challenges to contestants with musical entertainment. Corey gets the show's producer Pinky Wilson to bring his show to Mr Guedel.

Cast

• Jack Haley as Pinky Wilson
• Helen Walker as Corey Sullivan
• Rudy Vallee as Ormsby Jamison
• Ozzie Nelson as Leroy Brinker
• Phillip Reed as John Guedel
• Bob Graham as Luke
• Roy Atwell as Mr. Pippensigal
• Barbara Roche as Aimee
• Clara Blandick as Grandma
• Art Linkletter as Master of Ceremonies
• Frances Langford as Frances Langford
• Byron Foulger as Mr. Button (uncredited)

Production

Pine-Thomas bought the screen rights to the radio show in 1944. Jack Haley, who signed a two-picture deal with Pine-Thomas, was assigned to star.^[1]

Soundtrack

• Frances Langford with chorus -"I'm in the Mood for Love" (by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields (lyrics))
• Bob Graham - "Every Hour on the Hour" (by Duke Ellington and Don George)
• Jack Haley with chorus - "Hey Jose" (by Pepe Guízar and Tito Guízar, English lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans)
• The Vagabonds (in blackface) - "Angelina" (by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher)
• The Vagabonds - "The Old Squaredance is Back Again" (by Don Reid and Harry Tobias)
• Rudy Vallee with Ozzie Nelson and others - "Alouette" (traditional French Folksong, orchestrated and English lyrics by Rudy Vallee)
• The Vagabonds (in drag)- "Chuck a Luckin'" (by Archie Gottler and Jay Milton and Walter G. Samuels)
• Rosarita Varela - "Celito Lindo"

References

1. SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 10 June 1944: 12.

External links

• People Are Funny at IMDb
• People Are Funny at the TCM Movie Database
• People Are Funny is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive