Going Highbrow (1935)

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

What can you say about a 1930s Cinderella plot done up as a screwy comedy wherein all the men's voices are twice as high as the women's? Theatrical married couple, out of work and on the rocks, are brought together again by fate after the wife, working as a waitress, is asked to impersonate the daughter of a high society twosome, while the husband is asked by the father of a potential new suitor to act as a suave former lover. Edward Everett Horton, playing meddlesome matchmaker Augie Winterspoon (!), dashes about like a mad pixie in spats; he's good for a few big laughs, but nothing Horton does here (or ever) is enough to bolster a wafer-thin plot full of romantic entanglements and complications. The dialogue comes fast and furious, but most of the wisecracks and put-downs are dated now, and embarrassing to witness. *1/2 from ****

Not as bad as some here say. A tremendous showcase for Edward Everett Horton. His talking/singing duets with Ross Alexander are marvels of comic timing. Horton was in many better films than this, but few that showcased his talent as vividly. Ross Alexander has several scenes where he carries himself with great poise and comic sophistication. There is evidence here he could have been a stylish leading man had he not killed himself. Little known June Martel is surprisingly fetching as diner waitress, though she fades a little when masquerading as a debutant. The story construction is awful in this film but there is some snappy dialogue. In the end a must-see for Horton's and Alexander's musical numbers.

Even the presence of EDWARD EVERETT HORTON who is at his flustered best, can't save this innocuous little comedy from being a total bore.ROSS Alexander's career never did materialize as Warner Bros. hoped, and this film must be one of the reasons why. He's the spoiled rich boy in a girl meets boy story striving for a Cinderella touch, since the girl is a poor waitress posing as the daughter of a rich couple so that they can mingle with high society.Nothing works, not even the idea of a waitress disguised as a rich girl. ZaSu PITTS and GUY KIBBEE are the wealthy couple and JUNE MARTEL plays the hapless girl, making no impression at all.Even for a programmer, it's a total waste of time.

"All in all, "Going Highbrow" (1935) is a pretty good post production code comedy although its rather fragmented structure works against efforts to make it a unified story.Cora (Zasu Pitts) and Matt (Guy Kilbee) Upshaw are hicks from Wellington, Kansas who accidentally made big money at the start of the stock market crash. Matt's broker misunderstood Matt's instructions and invested all his money in put (sell) options for a single stock, the total opposite of Matt's intentions. After the price declined no one exercised their options to buy and Matt got to keep all the proceeds. Matt is still simple and unpretentious but Cora is determined to crash New York's "Society 400" list. The "nouveau riche" Upshaws enlist the old money (but none left) Marsh family to introduce Cora to the proper people. Part of the scheme involves hiring struggling actress Sandy Long (June Martel) to play Cora's daughter. This sets up an extremely lame romance between Martel and Ross Alexander, who plays the Marsh son. Edward Everett Horton plays Augie Winterspoon, the Marsh's financial adviser. He tries valiantly to link the story elements together. The soon to be famous singer, yodeler, cowgirl Judy Canova does a nice job in a small supporting part as Sandy's coworker."Going Highbrow" is a must see for fans of Zasu Pitts as she dominates the first half of the film with a somewhat different variation on her airhead character. Instead of her usual scatterbrain adventures she plays a self-absorbed social climber, but still manages to infuse the role with her usual comic touches. Pitts was one of the few comedians whose gift for dialogue and expression was effectively complemented by a talent for physical comedy. Because her technique has never gone out of style, her films (including this one) do not seem nearly as dated as other productions from the same time period. Credit Una Merkel, Gloria Grahame, Goldie Hawn, and Brittany Murphy with keeping the Pitts' style alive down though the years.Horton is almost young looking in this film but has already developed most of the comedic touches he would apply to countless character roles during his long career. He really has too much screen time and during the second half you keep wishing for more of Pitts who effectively disappears from the second half of the film. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.