Phil Harris stars in SO THIS IS HARRIS, the winner of the 1933 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject. With Walter Catlett and James Finlayson. From an original 16mm print.
And a remarkable absence of petticoats under those transparent skirts. How prudish and stuffy Hollywood became when the mothers league of decency (or whatever they called themselves) heard about things and spoiled the fun by 1935 or 6 on.
Phil Harris moved to LA bc he wanted to break into movies. Residencies at the Beverly Wilshire and (as shown here) the Cocoanut Grove soon caught the eye of RKO, the new kid on the Hollywood block anxious to sign talent. This short was a hit and Harris quickly followed it with 'Melody Cruise', also written by Ben Holmes and Mark Sandrich. Production in late '32 accounts for the chorines' lines about presidential nominations: FDR had just won the New Deal race against Hoover. The title riffs on 'So This is Paris', a 1926 Silent by Lubitsch. Nice to see Jimmy Finlayson as the golf pro in plus fours. Scotland, disputably, was thought to be where the game began. Never fail to be amazed by the revolution in couture between the Silent flappers of the 1920s in their cloches and short skirts and the long hemlines and wide-brimmed hats that came in with talkies and the Depression. It was as if American women all grew six inches taller overnight.
I saw this just once on BBC television in 1986 and have been looking for it ever since. Thanks so much for putting this up. I'm not really a big fan of films but this is one of just a handful of films I love/like. Brilliant.
I’ve hard about this. It’s a short demonstrating for the first time synchronous playback for much more dimensional musical sequences. Up until then numbers were performed and in a continuous take with an orchestra n set. This new technique allowed them to patch together many takes shot at different times sewn together in one seamless number. Followed by the feature, Melody Cruise starring phil Harris. Gary Stuart
Co-written and directed by Mark Sandrich, when he was about to move up permanently from short subjects to features. He was a vital contributor to the style of RKO musicals starrring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, working with dance director Hermes Pan and Fred to shoot routines straight, with unobtrusive camera movement. He directed five Astaire-Rogers entries out of nine at Radio. Two years after this humdrum (albeit Oscar-winning) featurette, Sandrich would helm possibly the greatest 1930s musical- 'Top Hat'. And ten years after that, he worked himself to death at 44.
Jack Benny had a formula. Band Leader was just one piece. Singer was another just like announcer Don Wilson, Rochester and the rest of the cast. Harris had several shows as singer when they needed a "Phil in".
This is a rather racy and suggestive movie for it's time. Oh, our granparents in the day were quite risque. This was filmed before the Hollywood Production Code Authority was established in 1934.
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Thanks for letting me discover Phil Harris! What a career!
I've been hunting this down for ages!
That upskirt and "Be careful with your putts" double-entendre makes the movie!
And a remarkable absence of petticoats under those transparent skirts. How prudish and stuffy Hollywood became when the mothers league of decency (or whatever they called themselves) heard about things and spoiled the fun by 1935 or 6 on.
In the same year RKO made 'Flying Down to Rio' in similarly 'naughty but nice' vein.
Wow knew he was a bandleader but never realized the wonderful Phil Harris was an actual stick waver.
A bandleader, acted in movies until the late 40s or so and voiced for Disney films like The Jungle Book in the 1950s. Married to singer Alice Faye,
A very slim Phil Harris. Married Alice Fay in 1941.
One of the best Disney voice actors.
Archie ah yes!
Walter Catlett too, in Pinocchio!
Or was it Ed Wynn? But, no, it was somebody called Walter Catlett.
Phil Harris moved to LA bc he wanted to break into movies. Residencies at the Beverly Wilshire and (as shown here) the Cocoanut Grove soon caught the eye of RKO, the new kid on the Hollywood block anxious to sign talent. This short was a hit and Harris quickly followed it with 'Melody Cruise', also written by Ben Holmes and Mark Sandrich.
Production in late '32 accounts for the chorines' lines about presidential nominations: FDR had just won the New Deal race against Hoover.
The title riffs on 'So This is Paris', a 1926 Silent by Lubitsch.
Nice to see Jimmy Finlayson as the golf pro in plus fours. Scotland, disputably, was thought to be where the game began.
Never fail to be amazed by the revolution in couture between the Silent flappers of the 1920s in their cloches and short skirts and the long hemlines and wide-brimmed hats that came in with talkies and the Depression. It was as if American women all grew six inches taller overnight.
Saw this a long time ago on AMC tv. Love seeing this again it is so 1930s America.
I saw this just once on BBC television in 1986 and have been looking for it ever since. Thanks so much for putting this up. I'm not really a big fan of films but this is one of just a handful of films I love/like. Brilliant.
And it led directly to the RKO feature MELODY CRUISE!
I love the shower song. Phil Harris is a treasure :)
Phil performed regularily at the Wilshire Bowl for many years in Los Angeles.
I’ve hard about this. It’s a short demonstrating for the first time synchronous playback for much more dimensional musical sequences. Up until then numbers were performed and in a continuous take with an orchestra n set. This new technique allowed them to patch together many takes shot at different times sewn together in one seamless number. Followed by the feature, Melody Cruise starring phil Harris.
Gary Stuart
In that regard, Musical Director Max Steiner considered this one of his top early achievements.
Co-written and directed by Mark Sandrich, when he was about to move up permanently from short subjects to features. He was a vital contributor to the style of RKO musicals starrring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, working with dance director Hermes Pan and Fred to shoot routines straight, with unobtrusive camera movement. He directed five Astaire-Rogers entries out of nine at Radio.
Two years after this humdrum (albeit Oscar-winning) featurette, Sandrich would helm possibly the greatest 1930s musical- 'Top Hat'. And ten years after that, he worked himself to death at 44.
Phil, Jack and Mary were playing golf. Jack asked Mary what was the score...Mary told Jack "Phil is winning by one point, he has 28 and you have 128."
I wonder why he didn't sing on THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM. He was way better than Dennis Day or Kenny Baker.
He did sing on Jack's show a few times.
Jack Benny had a formula. Band Leader was just one piece. Singer was another just like announcer Don Wilson, Rochester and the rest of the cast. Harris had several shows as singer when they needed a "Phil in".
Jackson knew what he was doing. 🤔
Hahahahaha! Phil wasn't a singer. Was wasn't even a crooner. He talked the songs. Oh my.
SO THIS IS HARRIS❤😂😅❤❤
Two Disney stars in one short.
His marriage to Alice hit the rocks after 25 years. He said so. He loved another non show biz lady but remained married to Alice.
This is a rather racy and suggestive movie for it's time. Oh, our granparents in the day were quite risque. This was filmed before the Hollywood Production Code Authority was established in 1934.
Thomas o malley and honest john
I was thinking the same thing but with Baloo the bear. I know their both played by Phil
Who knew O'Malley the Alley Cat once looked like Dick Powell?
Disney voices 3
baloo
Thomas
little John
Question is, was Harris as glamorous as the place called Paris? Hmm.
Yes suh, boss!
LMAO 🤣