Colleen (1936)

Excellent but underrated film

Absolutely Fantastic

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I was surprised to see how many IMDb contributors gave this movie a thumbs down. The story isn't any more substantial than a few dozen other romantic comedies of the time. But it moves along at a merry pace, especially when the cast takes over an ocean liner. And there are enough plot twists to keep it rolling. Dick Powell is his usual easygoing self. Ruby Keeler is surprisingly good --for an actress who had more than her share of detractors. Hugh Herbert dithers amusingly. And even Joan Blondell scores as a woman on the loose. Add some stylish production numbers-- with the usual bevy of toe-tapping chorus girls led by Keeler and Paul Draper -- and you've got a pleasant 90 minutes or so.

A fine cast outperforms the material that was given. Two of the dance numbers are worth the price of admission. The major number with Ruby Keeler and Paul Draper leads me to reevaluate Keeler's ability. I have seen a Dick Powell interview in which he stated that Ruby was only an average dancer. She certainly was not an Eleanor Powell or Ann Miller, but "The Stomper" was better than I had thought.The Joan Blondell/Jack Oakie ballroom type segment was truly enjoyable. In fact, I'll call it delightful. Watched it four times before proceeding with the remainder of the movie.Two of the reviewers of this movie have each made an incorrect statement. 1.)Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler were not married at the time this movie was made. They never were married to each other. Keeler was married at the time to Al Jolson. The reviewer might have been thinking thinking of Dick's marriage to co-star Joan Blondell. They were wed from September 19,1936 to July 14,1944. 2.)Cast member Hugh Herbert did not co-write the script for "Colleen". F. Hugh Herbert was the co-writer. These were two different persons.

Sorry to have to disagree with the "disaster" rating in the previous "user comments". Just for the record, Dick Powell/Ruby Keeler musical comedies aren't supposed to have thick plots.This film is supposed to be a light hearted musical comedy for the depression-era audience, and that is just what it is. I'll grant you that the musical numbers aren't as memorable as other Powell/Keeler films(by the way, they were never married - Powell married Joan Blondell that year). I'd also say that Paul Draper's tap dancing is a cut below the flowing moves of Fred Astaire.However, the film has some redeeming comedic value. Hugh Herbert is a gem of a bumbling business executive, and Joan Blondell was in her element as Jack Oakie's conniving sidekick.Overall, I found this film to be quite acceptable.

I cannot find much to say about this movie. For a supposedly WB event Dick Powell/Ruby Keeler, it is very cheap looking as if all the money went into extravagant looking Bubsy Berkeley inspired number that is dull. Worse of all, it is not funny and the songwriting fail to deliver one memorable song (they all sound the same; heck they seem as though they were recycled from other Dick powell hits). This was the end of Dick powell, once this movie seriously underperformed. (I don't know if it bombed). The plot - what there is of it - has Uncle Cedric who is pulled in by a golddigger,Joan Blondell and is taken away from the focus of his business, by the golddigger who uses sex -it's implied - to make her a daughter and thus an inheritor. Dick Powell is the one brought in to look over the business and falls for his Uncle's secretary, Ruby Keeler -Dick and Ruby were married at the time - and snoop out the golddiggers. His relationship with this lower class girll who is also an upcoming fashion designer creates a scandal and you can figure out the rest. This film contains a lot of bad crooning and extremely ineffeciently displaying of ugly tap dancing. Dick Powell is much better in Hollywood Hotel. But avoid Cowboy in Brooklyn and Going places. It wouldn't be long before Dickie's contract was not renewed an d he left WB.