User reviews

A really crazy, fun ride through a Broadway show, there are moving sets, one liners and all around comic mayhem. The irrepressible Martha Raye is all over this film, being a bit obnoxious, overbearing and, eventually, kind of humiliated. But she is just one person in a seemingly endless array of actors who walk in and out of scenes. I loved the film'special effects, they were actually fairly impressive for a film from the early 1940's. There is lots of music, lots of dancing, slapstick, drama and..well, you get the idea. The film whizzes along quickly, and its this pace that makes it never boring. As a matter of fact, blink your eyes and you'll miss something. Enjoy this, it really was a lot of fun.

The first thing I noticed about 'Hellzapoppin' (1941)' was its title. It seemed to have no place in the 1940s, sounding more like the debut album of a bad 1980s rap duo. However, the film's title is by no means its most surprising feature. You wouldn't be wrong to compare 'Hellzapoppin'' to a Marx Brothers comedy, but it's even crazier than that. The story is essentially an 80-minute string of random gags, held together only by the thread of a narrative. I'd best explain by describing the first five minutes: a group of chorus-girls are destroyed in an explosion, tumble down into Hell, and are beset upon by devils. Our comedic stars (Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson) arrive on the scene, are attacked by a midget taxi-driver, and turn to the camera to ask the projectionist to rewind their last gag. The movie director interjects and demands that a romantic subplot be added to the film, much to the comedians' chagrin.

Admittedly, the film never really tops its opening minutes of madness, but there remain plenty of good jokes: in mid-story, the projectionist becomes distracted by a beautiful woman and forgets to follow the main characters; Elisha Cook Jr. is pumped with bullets because the director hates his screenplay – and his punctured torso spurts water like Jim Carrey in 'The Mask (1994).' There's also a talking bear, and a talking dog that remarks "whaddya know, a talking bear!" Also, don't miss a very topical 'Citizen Kane (1941)' reference. As Olsen and Johnson walk through a movie studio, they pass a sled bearing the words "Rosebud," and one remarks: "I thought they burned that!"

Amid the random anarchy, however, is an intriguing element of self- reference. The movie that the audience sees is essentially a film- within-a-film-within-a-film, as the movie projectionist (Shemp Howard, of the Three Stooges) watches Olsen and Johnson watch the first cut of their new movie. The stars frequently acknowledge their presence in a movie (or, more accurately, their own approximation of a movie), directly addressing both the audience and the projectionist. This cinematic self-awareness would be completely unique to its era if Buster Keaton and 'Sherlock, Jr. (1924)' hadn't done it first. Still, shades of Woody Allen (the fourth-wall monologues in 'Annie Hall (1977)' and particularly 'The Purple Rose of Cairo (1984)') and Charlie Kaufman are clearly evident. In one scene, the actors struggle for their existence as the projector- reel is knocked out of alignment, fighting frantically against the edges of the frame: one would expect to find this sort of deconstructionist gag in an Owen Land or Peter Tscherkassky film, certainly not in a 1940s comedy.

"Hellzapoppin"" is the signature film from the signature Broadway and stage show of the comedy team of John 'Ole' Olsen and Harold 'Chic' Johnson. Olsen and Johnson started on the vaudeville circuit, soon added radio, graduated to the big stage with a string of Broadway and other stage shows, and then had a run of movies on the silver screen. The shows were usually different versions of "Hellzapoppin," the stage revue that itself was never the same from one performance to the next. That's because each show had impromptu gags, songs, dance numbers, various interruptions and anything crazy anyone could think of to put on the stage, drop into the orchestra pit or toss into the audience.

The Broadway show set the record at the time with 1,404 performances from 1938 to its last show on Dec. 17, 1941. It was every bit as wacky as the film, but the movie provided more opportunities for goofy bits and pieces. The live stage shows had dupe members in the audience and performers going into the audience. The film shows that and adds more. It also allows the use of every film gimmick possible. Thus there are scenes of still scenes, split frames of film, and projection room viewing, Other things include writing over the film, erasing parts of Ole and Chic on the film, and film scenes within film scenes within the film, where characters talk from one medium to people in the others.

Olsen and Johnson were comedians and musicians, and they put on some zany performances. If one can imagine a vaudeville show, a musical revue, a sitcom, a circus with animal acts and acrobats, and a nightclub floor show all rolled into one - you would have the basic start. Then, throw in a fire alarm and air raid warning in the middle of a real show, and the release of a million ants in the audience with a brawl in the orchestra pit. All of that would then be "Hellzapoppin."

This is a frenzied conglomeration of gags, music, dance, animals running around, explosions, scenery splitting and people falling off stage. It's the craziest revue ever put on film with absolutely no plot, but numerous funny little stories within. The comedy was probably generally funny and enjoyed at the time, and some of it might still have received some laughs into the late 20th century. But most of the jokes are of the vaudeville type that were no longer funny to most people must past the mid-20th century.

The film doesn't have any leading stars of the day, but it has a few other well-known comedians and actors. Martha Raye is a lead singer and female comic. Hugh Herbert and Shemp Howard provide some comedy. The best individual role in this film is that of Mischa Auer. That consummate actor had some talent at dance and more comedy than he usually had in his supporting roles in most films.

While not so much entertaining in modern times for its music, story or acts, this film would probably be interesting to many movie buffs just to see the many deviations, gimmicks and oddities that aren't part of normal movies.

This movie pops up regularly on TV or at revue cinemas and I'm always surprised at how many youngsters are familiar with it.

Olsen and Johnson never had the following of Laurel and Hardy or Abbott and Costello but they were capable vaudeville comics who made a few movies, Hellzapoppin and Crazy House are the best remembered. Hellzapoppin is the a much sanitized film version of Nat Perrin's famous stage revue.

The jokes come fast and furious, some of them are very dated now and some were never very funny to begin with, but you don't have time to analyze, you're into the next before you know it. There are some familiar faces Misha Auer, who had a long career playing the same character (a Russian aristocrat with dubious credentials), the loud and brassy Martha Raye and the very funny Hugh Herbert with his "yoo-hoo's" and mumbled asides the audience. The special effects were innovative for their time.

As brief respites from the madness there are a number of variety acts, synchronized swimming, crazy diving, a few pleasant songs with the corny lyrics typical of the period and the fantastic dancing of the Harlem Congeroo Dancers which even today is greeted by gasps of amazement and applause.

Well you can't say the maker's of this movie weren't trying to entertain.

I grew up on this movie, I have the movie completely memorized and I still laugh at the jokes. Granted I must say that its not for everyone, people who like a more sophisticated kind of humor may not like this movie. But if you want good old fashioned slap stick, one-liner, running gag, and completely random kind of comedies this is for you. I must say that the jokes do go by pretty fast and you could miss a good one liner really easily if you don't give the movie your full attention. Also, a good copy of the film may be a little difficult to come by, but its worth watching. If anyone in the movie business is reading this that has the power to do so, please get this out on DVD!

You can't really describe Hellzapoppin' because it's so anarchistic. In fact the bare semblance of a plot in this film was put in because the folks at Universal Pictures thought it needed one. My guess is that if Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson had their way it would have been a straight comedy review as it was on Broadway where it ran for three years.

So when we get the adaption it's about Elisha Cook as the Olsen and Johnson writer describing to director Richard Lane his story idea. And it's typical of so many plots of many Broadway plays and musicals of the time. A romantic triangle between heiress Jane Frazee, playwright Robert Paige, and director Lewis Howard. Olsen and Johnson are written into the story as a pair stagehands who are trying to aid their friend Paige with his romance. Throw in a Russian prince played by Mischa Auer and a private detective in Hugh Herbert and knowing those players and their shtick and you have a funny comedy. And then there's also Martha Raye.

The last 25 minutes gives you some idea of the real Hellzapoppin' as was seen on Broadway. Maybe a better word is experienced because audience participation is taken to new heights. The kind of monkeyshines that Chic and Ole pull in trying to wreck the debut of the play and you see the film to find out why is what went on during the Hellzapoppin' sketches.

It took Rowan&Martin and Laugh-In to really put across on the small screen what Ole and Chic wanted to do. Still the film version of Hellzapoppin' is popping with laughter and wonderful character players to support the madcap leads.

Hellzapoppin' is brilliant - fast, funny, visual, one-liners, dance numbers, romance - just pure and simple escapist entertainment - It is a feast of corny, surprising, surreal, slapstick, pratfall humor that will work until the end of time.

Moreover it uses tricks and ideas, like talking to the audience, that were way ahead of its time.

The show about a show plot works wonderfully, but it is the little surprises, the oddities, and the fun that make this one of the best laugh-out comedies of all time and should be seen by every comedy writer and actor - pure joy from beginning to end - and above all pure entertainment.

Huge fun and very much recommended.

20 minutes into this I'd concluded it was definitely wacky, but not enjoyable, and I was feeling strongly disinclined ever to watch it again. I thought maybe it had inspired Woody Allen's "Purple Rose", because sometimes the characters would jump out of the screen. I struggled on. After about 60 minutes it seemed to get better. But perhaps I was only getting used to it. There were some really good dance performances, though, and some fine parodies of Busby Berkeley. It grew generally more impressive and enjoyable. It will nevertheless be some time before I bother to watch it again.

Based on Olsen and Johnson's long running Broadway show this film is probably only a shadow of its source, which changed from night to night as material was ad-libbed and current events were made fun of. On stage the show had an anything can happen feel that is nicely mirrored in the opening scenes as Olsen and Johnson throw everything you can think of at the audience in a rapid fire sequence of gags about the making of the Hellzapoppin movie. Not all of them are apparent with many being purely visual and in the background. After about 15 minutes of uncontrolled madness the film settles down as Olsen and Johnson go off to an estate to put on a show. Here the rapid fire nature slows a bit as the film is forced to conform to a "plot", however its still just as funny as characters wander in and out creating an ever changing sense of madness.

I admit thats a poor description of the film, but how to you describe chaos? You can't, you have to experience it, and anyone who loves great movies and great comedy really should see this movie. Its pure mindless fun that will keep you laughing from start to finish. This is the best Olsen and Johnson film that I've seen. While it could be argued that some of the gags in Crazy House are funnier, Hellzapoppin holds all of the insanity, and the occasional musical numbers together better (In Crazy House the madness stops for each song, here the insanity keeps right on going). If you see one Olsen and Johnson film in your life this should be it.

A film to be searched out and watched repeatedly, Hellazapoppin is one of the greatest comedies ever made. (now if someone would be smart enough to put this out on DVD in the US more people could enjoy it)

It seems a lot of reviewers have branded this movie as "dated but good"...when in fact it's incredibly ahead of its time.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the surrealists cried tears of jealousy when it premiered; the neverending, irreverent gags and complete disregard for time and space leaves avant-garde films like Un Chien Andalou in the dust.

The humour of Hellzapoppin' is not dumb or childish but incredibly smart.

A beautiful, fun, hilarious movie and arguably a proto-postmodern classic

that deserves a reevaluation and wider circulation.

My Rating : 7/10

Stupidly entertaining - here's a movie where anything goes!

The special effects are worth a mention - innovative and creative.

A funny slapstick from the get-go!

Hellzapoppin' -- you're gonna hate it or love it!

Not nearly as smitten with this film as so many others apparently are(I was SO surprised!). The film brings forth that great comic duo Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson. What's that? You never heard of them? Well, neither had I before I saw this film. Laurel and Hardy. Abbott and Costello. Lewis and Martin. Even Davis and Lawford. Move over for Olsen and Johnson. Okay, I guess I am being a bit tough. These guys have some talent but this film really makes very little sense. It is suppose to make little sense. And literally(almost) throws everything at you including the kitchen sink to get a chaotic laugh from all the lack of meaning. I don't see anything profound as two guys try and get a guy with his gal while their cousin Shemp Howard controls the film. Loaded with musical numbers dispersed throughout(only the number by the servants really was any good - unless you are a fan of Martha Raye belting out songs)the film has as unconventional a storyline of any film. Is that a good thing? Maybe. It just isn't my cup of tea. I like good comedy and feel comedy has meaning behind its chaos(such as in the Marx Brothers films), but Hellzapopin just didn't land that many jokes for me. yes, I know it was a smash Broadway success. The jokes here just do not transcend time well at all, and that must have something to do with the anonymity of the comedians starring in this vehicle. I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable guy where film is concerned, but I never heard of these guys. Why? Well, enough of that. The film isn't bad and it does have some funny spots. Martha Raye is a good comedienne. Mischa Auer is very good in a Lothario type role. Olsen and Johnson have chemistry but maybe not chemistry for the camera. One side note of interest is that the film is a Universal film and one scene does have the Frankenstein monster briefly make an appearance.

I've wanted to see this movie for a long time, after reading about it in a book on "movie comedy teams."

I finally got the chance after purchasing it on eBay in vhs format. All I can say is...It was worth the wait!

Jokes, mayhem and madness run rampant throughout this movie! It's like an old version of AIRPLANE! It almost seems like an abridged version of a Marx Brothers movie. Even when the "love story" slows things down...jokes "pop up" when you least expect them.

I'm really surprised that nobody has mentioned the scene where Olsen, Johnson and the Director of the film are sitting down (with the backs of their heads to us) watching a film on a small screen and commenting on it. This scene screamed, "MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000!"

If you get the chance to see this, do! And then watch it again to catch all of the jokes you missed the first time.

Hellzapoppin' is not available in the U.S. But it is now available on Region Code 2 DVD.

Originally a hit late 1930's Broadway Review, there was one major problem in turning it into a movie; Hellzapoppin' had no plot. Hollywood demanded a plot. So Olsen & Johnson tell the audience upfront that they are adding a plot...a love story...even though they really don't want one. They do get their revenge on Hollywood in the end, however, by shooting the writer.

I admit, the "plot" is the least interesting part of the film. The marvel of this 1941 film is the breaking of the fourth wall. The actors talk to both the audience and the projectionist (played by Shemp Howard of "Three Stooges" fame). Enjoyable? The jokes are corny. The music is 1940. Still, the pure subversion of standard cinematic conventions turns a standard 1941 musical comedy into a classic of what can happen in film when you think outside the box. Funny. Ridiculous. Pure lunacy. You owe it to yourself to see Hellzapoppin' at least once.

I understand "Hellzapoppin'" was originally a stage production in New York and you could go see it every night of the week and never see the same show twice. The film version makes fun of the fact that they had to stick to a script but is as surrealistic and anarchic as possible anyway. Many, many hilarious skits are tied together as loosely as possible and people step in and out of movie screens a la "Purple Rose of Cairo" whenever they feel like it. It's loaded with memorable lines too such as one where Olsen walks past a sled with "Rosebud" stenciled on it, glances at it momentarily and comments "I thought they burned that". And remember, this film was made in 1941.

Although this wonderful movie is unavailable on video from the major distributors Moviesunlimited is offering what appears to be a commercial VHS version for sale on their web site; some years ago it was shown on Canadian TV and I made a very high quality recording from my satellite dish at that time. It remains a cherished possession.

This has to one of the strangest movies I have ever seen. It's dated, but I could not get over the weirdness of it. Films like 'The Producers', and TV shows like 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' had to have been inspired (stolen ideas) from this one. If it was made in the 1960's, the critics would have said the directors' must have been on a bad LSD trip. Shemp Howard starred in film this 5 years before rejoining 'The Three Stooges'.

I came across this film researching some of the background on the Monkees' movie 'Head' 1968. You can see some comparisons, but thing that stood out to me was how fast this movie moves along with the gags, jokes, etc. If you are not paying attention you will probably miss something.

The story line of the movie within the movie and the constant breaking of the 4th wall, make this a very unique film.

I saw this movie as a teenager and always remember it for its so many continuous gag scenes. I especially remember the potted plant that a delivery person was attempting to deliver and kept calling out "delivery for Mrs. ????) and each time the gag came up the plant was larger until at the end, the delivery vehicle was a flat bed truck and the plant was now a full grown tree. There were many other memorable scenes and gags. I have told my wife and children about this movie and keep looking for a copy of the movie to show them.

Is this movie still available in some form - Video tape, DVD? I would love to obtain a copy.

A pair of stage comedians (Olsen and Johnson), try to turn their play into a movie and bring together a young couple in love, while breaking the fourth wall every step of the way. A musical is being filmed in a mansion that is the background for the development of two love triangles. They have to support Jeff and Kitty in setting up a musical revue in their garden and want to bring it up on Broadway. The projectionist (shemp Howard of Three Stooges fame) attempts to run the film while arguing with his girlfriend and the stars have to step out of it and remonstrate with him. And Mischa Auer plays a real Russian nobleman who is pretending to be a fake Russian nobleman. A woman with a potted lant wanders through the movie looking for Mr Jones and a mad private eye (Hugh Herbert) keeps adressing the audience. At last it's on the screen! Greater than the Stage Show! Best dance scenes and wildest cinematic tricks for its time!. Blazing, blasting, exploding, fun !. Just The Type Of Entertainment For The Blues !. At last it's on the Screen!. Bigger, better, Funnier, crazier with those two howling madcaps Olsen and Johnson who will have you roaring with glee from start to finish!. The stage's zaniest show...becomes the slap-happiest film ever made!. What show rocked Broadway for 4 solid years? What show is now on the screen...Funnier, wilder, Crazier than ever? Starring the Kings of the Screwball...!.

Amusing and entertaining Olsen and Johnson picture with enough gags for give several movies. It has a lot of funny material and unfortunately intrusive songs. Wisecracks and the incomparable Olsen an Johnson carry the movie. We are faced with a delirious and crazy musical comedy, adapted from Broadaway's hit "Anything Goes", starring the same actors as the film adaptation: Ole Olsen and Choc Johnson. Hollywood's craziest comedy this side of the Marx Brothers , only originally less madcap than the long-running stage show on which it was based. Many funny sequences , this is the most sustained bit of insanity, full of crazy gags , antics and amusement , being now deemed a satiric masterpiece ,and one of the biggest hits. Although it suffers from staginess and musical comedy plotting but gives the zany duo Olsen and Johnson, along with Martha Raye and Mischa Auer, plenty of comic elaboration. It revived the dormant cinema careers of Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson.

There are some of the craziest moments in an unique Hollywood experience, being directed in freewheeling fashion by H. C. Potter. Although few of his films are really distinguished, Potter was a very successful stage director, directing three top Broadway plays which eventually became highly successful films. In 1927 he founded and was a director for the Hampton Players, a Long Island (NY) repertory group. He later worked as a director on Broadway, then moved to Hollywood in 1935. At first he freelanced, then went under contract at MGM (1939-40), RKO (1947-48) and United Artists (1948). Also directed for Disney and Goldwyn. Returned to the theatre in the 1950s. He directed a number of films, the following being worth highlighting: The Miniver story, The Time of Your Life, Mr Lucky, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, A likely story, The Shopworn Angel, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, You Gotta Stay Happy, The cowboy and the lady, The Farmer's Daughter . Rating: 7/10. Better than average.

The first fifteen minutes of this offbeat lunacy seems as if it was the grandfather of AIRPLANE, HOT SHOTS, THE NAKED GUN, and other wild comedies. The story behind it is fascinating as well; Olsen and Johnson deserve to be much better remember

I confess that I didn't know this comedian duo Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, but I want to know more. This film, an absolute madness, which could very well be elevated to the title of king of slapstick comedy, is anything but banal. It's true that physical comedy is out of fashion, but there's something here, for all tastes, and usually happening simultaneously. It's a mix of a circus show, a Marx Brothers musical comedy and an extravagant Busby Berkeley musical, all at the same time.

Also noteworthy is the little-recognized actress Martha Raye, one of the few female comedians of her generation, who masters physical comedy with the boldness of a Jerry Lewis.

Without a doubt, a pleasant surprise.

It's pretty wild to see a screwball comedy of this era. This is a movie with no regard for the fact it's a movie. As I understand it, Hellzapoppin' was based on the (at the time) longest running Broadway stage show of the same name. Descriptions liken it more to a circus, where two comedians did irreverent, rapid-fire comedy bits that frequently broke the fourth wall, demanded audience participation, and were just generally as outrageous (and as creative) as they could get away with.

The movie frames itself as a send-up of 1941 Hollywood, lampooning everything from the movie making process, common narrative tropes, to even the act of just showing the film itself in a theater. The two leads (Chic and Ole) frequently banter with the projectionist (played here by Shemp Howard) and talk directly to the audience. This is where I would say "it feels like the movie only has a plot because the studio mandated it" but they literally have a scene during the opening where the director pretty much says this out loud while the guys protest.

And it's surprisingly ahead of its time, too. There are digs at specific censorship laws, call outs for Westerns with their "fake Indians", and more. Plus some fun use of special effects for some really good sight gags.

Fun sums things up, really. The whole movie is just playful and chaotic, with these two goofballs running roughshod over what's trying to be a (intentionally boilerplate) love story.

Was it laugh-out-loud hilarious? Well, not really, I guess. But it was still unquestionably funny and very entertaining. It's about as close to a live-action cartoon as you could probably get in 1941. The gags come fast and frenetic and the movie doesn't slow down for much of anything. If you can vibe with vintage film and you haven't seen Hellzapoppin', you should consider rectifying that.

Hellzapoppin' begins like absurdist theater, a crazed set of gags and nonsequitors at a rapid-fire pace. This, I imagine, is what the original hit Broadway musical the movie was based on was like, a night of craziness and anarchy.

Now that the show has come to Hollywood, stars Johnson and Olsen are told it must be Hollywoodized with a story and a little romance. This starts as a screenwriter's description magically viewed on the wall before it becomes the movie itself.

While none of these early craziness is especially funny, it is some of the craziest material ever to be seen in a movie, so kudos for that.

Even though the film wants to mock conventional Hollywood stupidity, it finds itself trapped in the formula. The romantic couple is bland, as are Olsen and Johnson themselves. The film relies heavily on Martha Raye, who probably has the most screen time, as well as Hugh Herbert and Mischa Auer, who give it their all with mixed success.

Among swing dancers the film is best known for a musical number by the "Harlem Congeroos" (a part of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers) that is generally considered to be the best Lindy Hop performance ever filmed. There's also a little dancing by another famous swing dancer, Dean Collins.

Perhaps I would have liked this move as a kid, when frenetic and slapsticky was enough for me. As an adult, I found very little amusing, although I did laugh at the guy using a dancer's spotlight for a reading lamp.

I suspect it would have been more fun to simply film the original stage show.