While virtually hanging around the 1930s and realizing that it's been over a year since our last Barry MacKay lesson, I thought it was time to watch another of his movies!
So, I tracked down "Gangway" from 1937, his second co-starring film with Jessie Matthews, following 1934's "Evergreen."
This is another British musical from Gaumont Studios and it's a lot of fun!
It has a mistaken identity plot, which is so common in 1930s musicals and I can see this being adapted for Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers without too much trouble.
Jessie plays a newspaper movie reviewer who gets mistaken for an international jewel thief by most of the rest of the cast, including Barry as an inspector from Scotland Yard.
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| Alastair Sim and Nat Pendleton provide the comedy relief |
The movie is something of a spoof of American gangster movies and American actor Nat Pendleton is a riot as the main gangster, spouting gangster-lingo in a way that British filmmakers would think Americans actually talk!
Also on hand is Alastair Sim in an early role as a wacky insurance investigator. In a movie filled with screwball characters, he's the screwiest!
Mr. Sim looks younger than he did as Scrooge, but he still doesn't look young, despite being only 37 at the time. Some people never looked young!
So, how's Barry MacKay here? He's very good and has great chemistry with Jessie Matthews.
She's a way better singer and dancer than he is, but the numbers are staged in a way that he does what he does and more or less stays out of the way while she is showcased.
Jessie Matthews is definitely the star attraction here and she's billed in huge letters above the title, but Barry's role is also pretty big.
Here's a promo clip from VCI's DVD release:
VCI offers a number of Jessie Matthews movies in nice prints!
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| Small font or not, at least Robert Young's name is on this lobby card! |
In the meantime, I had also seen Jessie Matthews in 1936's "It's Love Again" opposite Robert Young and I'm officially a fan!
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