Rent The Milky Way (1936)

Comic Misfire. - The Milky Way review by Steve

Another frantic yet unsuccessful attempt to update the silent-era box office appeal of Harold Lloyd to the talkies. Which only ever really happened on Movie Crazy (1932). He's a dedicated milkman who gets involved with some crooked boxing promoters and hyped to a world title fight, despite his feeble anatomy and powder-puff punch.

But he's an enthusiast who kind of gets to believe in the publicity himself. It's based on a big Broadway hit from a couple of years earlier and would be remade as a vehicle for Danny Kaye a decade later (The Kid from Brooklyn). But this version doesn't spark. Leo McCarey's direction is flat, and the slim premise is stretched way too far.

And Harold sadly just isn't a good sound comedian. There are a few positives, mainly Verree Teasdale (real life wife of co-star Adolphe Menjou) who is a fine fast talking dame and gets all the best lines. And Harold's horse is also pretty good... This gets called screwball comedy, but that's marketing.

There is no viable romance or feel for the state of the US in the depression. The thrill for hardcore fans of the star is that Harold's shuffle in the boxing ring recalls the one he did in The Freshman (1925)! There was a troubled production (apparently the milk made everyone sick) and it shows.