Name: People Are Funny
Genre: Musical
Released: 1946
Duration: 1 min 33 s
Cast: Jack Haley, Helen Walker, Rudy Vallee, Ozzie Nelson, Philip Reed

Brief Synopsis

A comedy based on NBC's "People Are Funny" radio (and later television) program with Art Linkletter with a fictional story of how the program came to be on a national network from its humble beginning at a Nevada radio station. Jack Haley is a producer with only half-rights to the program while Ozzie Nelson and Helen Walker are the radio writers and supply the romance. Rudy Vallee, always able to burlesque himself intentional and, quite often, unintentional, is the owner of the sought-after sponsoring company. Frances Langford, as herself, sings "I'm in the Mood for Love" while the Vagabonds quartet (billed 12th and last) chimes in on "Angeline" and "The Old Square Dance is Back Again."

Cast & Crew

Film Details

Genre

Musical

Release Date

Jan 11, 1946

Premiere Information

not available

Production Company

Pine-Thomas Productions

Distribution Company

Paramount Pictures, Inc.

Country

United States

Screenplay Information

Based on the radio series People Are Funny created by John Guedel (3 Apr 1942--1959).

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 33m

Sound

Mono

Color

Black and White

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

1.37 : 1

Film Length

10 reels

Synopsis

After an unhappy sponsor cancels his radio show, Hollywood radio producer Johnny Guedel is given one week to come up with a new program. Desperate, Johnny calls his fiancée, writer Corey Sullivan, in Las Vegas, and asks for her help. Corey drives back to Hollywood with Leroy Brinker, a saxophone player, who sees Johnny's troubles as an opportunity to pitch his idea for a radio show. Near the town of Clearwater, Nevada, Corey's car breaks down. She and Leroy are picked up by an elderly woman, who introduces herself as the grandmother of local radio personality Pinky Wilson. She takes Leroy and Corey to the set of her grandson's radio show, where the stranded motorists get an idea to use Pinky's audience participation format as a model for a new program for Johnny. When Pinky refuses to sell his show to Leroy and Corey, the two decide to steal a sound recording of one of Pinky's shows and take it to Johnny. Feigning a sprained ankle and using it as an excuse to remain in Clearwater, Corey tries to persuade the naïve Pinky to sell his show and sends Leroy to Hollywood to deliver the recording. As soon as Leroy leaves, though, Corey tries to cut him out of the deal by calling Johnny and instructing him to steal the recording when it arrives. Back in Clearwater, Pinky tells Corey that his radio show belongs to the townspeople, and remains firm in his refusal to sell the program format. However, when Corey works her charms on him, he changes his mind and agrees to go to Hollywood. Pinky's arrival at the NBC studios gets off to a bad start when he mistakes executive producer Ormsby Jamison for a contestant and humiliates him during one of the new show's gags. The incident prompts Jamison to cancel Johnny's show, and gives Leroy an opportunity to show Jamison his idea for a new show. Leroy interests Jamison in Pinky's People Are Funny show, but Jamison later learns that Pinky has been signed to an exclusive contract with Johnny. Feeling dejected and believing that he let down the people of Clearwater, Pinky returns home. Pinky's depression quickly turns to joy, however, when he discovers that Johnny and Corey have made a success of his show.