“Going Places”

Northern Advocate, 24 February 1940, Page 10

“Going Places”

Marking one of the brightest spots in the year’s cinematic entertainment, "Going .traces” is a highly hilarious farce with music, witn Dick Powell and Anita Louise heading the cast. The name of Powell suggests that there must be some music in the picture, and that supposition is right, for there are four Harry Warren-Johnny Mercer songs in the piece, but, witn the exception of one romantic ballad, even the song numbers contribute to the general hilarity," for those other three are all highly diverting novelty numbers.

Because of the demonstration of his comic gifts he gave in “Cowboy From Brooklyn,” it is no surprise this time to see Powell enacting a role which is pure comedy from start to finish. Again he proves that he knew what ne was doing when he decided to give up straight romantic leading men roles and concentrate on comedy. In “Going Places,” he sets the pace —and a fast and furious pace it is—for as skilful an aggregation of comedians as has ever been gathered together in one production. Notable among the funny men are Allen Jenkins, Walter Catlett, Harold Huber and Tnurston Hall, and they all live up to their reputations. Miss Louise is, of course, Powell’s romantic vis-a-vis, and it is not her job to be funny but to be desirable and sympathetic. And she demonstrates that she can be just as warm and appealing as her loveliness to the eye promises. The other prominent memoers of the cast who serve well as the more or less seriotis contrasts to the comedians are Ronald Reagan, Larry Williams and Minna Gombell. Powell, of course, assumes most of the musical burden, but part of it is taken—and how!—by Louis Armstrong and Maxine Sullivan. Louis Armstrong, if you don’t already know, is the world's foremost hot trumpet virtuoso, and Maxine Sullivan is the dulcet-voiced young coloured girl who gave swung music an entirely new and somewhat less noisy direction when she began to give “sweet” though swingy interpretations to familiar folk songs.

“Going Places” is a farce, and all its complications arise from the fact that Powell, who is a rather timid salesman in a sporting goods store, has decided, for business reasons, to pass himself off as a famous Australian steeplechase rider. Although his only riding experience has been aback an electric hobby-horse, he is forced to make good on his boasts.