Hollywood has always been on the lookout for new ideas and fresh, adaptable material from other sources to create new Cinematic Works of Art and Pot Boiler Programmers alike. The constant demand to produce critically appealing yet salable features and shorts created a voracious literary appetite in the Studios. And regardless of available sources of fodder for the writers, they would sometimes suffer from a sort of "collective writers cramp." And the universal axiom was, "When all else fails, do a drama or farce about show business.
We needn't look too far to find so many examples which serve us well in making our point. Consider Warner Brothers' 42ND STREET (1933), RKO's ROOM SERVICE (1938) and its musical remake, STEP LIVELY (RKO, 1944). All add credence to that vain, narcissistic and self praising film type.
As for this KNIFE OF THE PARTY (1934), it was a live action 2 reel Comedy, which was a production of Van Beuren Studios, a New York based animation Production Company. As we previously mentioned, they built their 20 minute script around that same basic plot line of a Theatrical Company's facing bankruptcy while being stuck in a hostile town, miles from home, in a hotel where they are already well in arrears in payment of their bills. The whole plot revolves around the troupe having to work in order to compensate the Hotel owner.
The story always gets interrupted with musical numbers; including the song. "Whistle While You Work!" But please, have no fear; for it's not the Award Winning Song from Walt Disney's SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (Walt Disney/RKO Radio 1937), but a whole, completely different breed of cat altogether.
The production had a certain primitive, staginess and closed in look about it. In that regard it bore a strong overall resemblance those Warner Brothers/Vitaphone Shorts, which, incidentally were also shot in New York. Both in the sound quality and the physical appearance of the sets, there was never any delusions about its being any sort of exponent of movie magic.
As for the cast, we give them an E for effort, for each and every player sure did his best in giving a pretty fair performance. The male and female leads did a decent job of trying to impart a little entertaining' to the movie audience; as did the rest of the cast. The group were doubtless New York actors and musical performers, hence there was likely to be an experienced company with regards to the 'legitimate theatre, but not so to films.
And this movie featured appearance by 'Shemp Howard & His Stooges'. This group of four, diminutive and nondescript characters had some potential, but never had the chance to shine, as there was never any chance to develop any personalities or to get into any trademark schtick all of their own. Shemp, after leaving the act in favor of youngest brother Curly, was making personal appearances with his own band of 'Stooges'. These are probably the most unappreciated comic answers around, anywhere.
If this KNIFE OF THE PARTY is any indicator, it is the decision of this court that this VAN BEUREN STUDIO should have stuck with their animated output.
We needn't look too far to find so many examples which serve us well in making our point. Consider Warner Brothers' 42ND STREET (1933), RKO's ROOM SERVICE (1938) and its musical remake, STEP LIVELY (RKO, 1944). All add credence to that vain, narcissistic and self praising film type.
As for this KNIFE OF THE PARTY (1934), it was a live action 2 reel Comedy, which was a production of Van Beuren Studios, a New York based animation Production Company. As we previously mentioned, they built their 20 minute script around that same basic plot line of a Theatrical Company's facing bankruptcy while being stuck in a hostile town, miles from home, in a hotel where they are already well in arrears in payment of their bills. The whole plot revolves around the troupe having to work in order to compensate the Hotel owner.
The story always gets interrupted with musical numbers; including the song. "Whistle While You Work!" But please, have no fear; for it's not the Award Winning Song from Walt Disney's SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (Walt Disney/RKO Radio 1937), but a whole, completely different breed of cat altogether.
The production had a certain primitive, staginess and closed in look about it. In that regard it bore a strong overall resemblance those Warner Brothers/Vitaphone Shorts, which, incidentally were also shot in New York. Both in the sound quality and the physical appearance of the sets, there was never any delusions about its being any sort of exponent of movie magic.
As for the cast, we give them an E for effort, for each and every player sure did his best in giving a pretty fair performance. The male and female leads did a decent job of trying to impart a little entertaining' to the movie audience; as did the rest of the cast. The group were doubtless New York actors and musical performers, hence there was likely to be an experienced company with regards to the 'legitimate theatre, but not so to films.
And this movie featured appearance by 'Shemp Howard & His Stooges'. This group of four, diminutive and nondescript characters had some potential, but never had the chance to shine, as there was never any chance to develop any personalities or to get into any trademark schtick all of their own. Shemp, after leaving the act in favor of youngest brother Curly, was making personal appearances with his own band of 'Stooges'. These are probably the most unappreciated comic answers around, anywhere.
If this KNIFE OF THE PARTY is any indicator, it is the decision of this court that this VAN BEUREN STUDIO should have stuck with their animated output.
