IslandGuru Who payed the critics

SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Aspen Orson There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

JohnHowardReid Franchot Tone (Peter Lawrence), Mickey Rooney (Mike), Ralph Morgan (Reggie Odell), Jessie Ralph (sheriff), Barnett Parker (Hotchkiss), Gladys George (Carlotta Lee), Ted Healy (Jimmy Slattery), Frank Jenks (Joe Cannon), Virginia Weidler ("Jake"), Fay Holden (Mary), Julius Tannen (Mr Hiller), Henry Kolker (Sam Ellinger), Robert Middlemass (police commissioner), Bea Nigro (elegant woman at dock), Jack Norton (barkeep), Lillian Read (hat check girl), Gil Patric, Ernie Alexander, Don Brodie, Cyril Ring (reporters), Sam Ash (headwaiter), Georgie Billings, Leonard Kibrick, Buster Slaven (Mike's friends), Marie Blake (Hillier's secretary), Sidney Bracey (waiter), June Brewster (Betty Bartholomew, a chorus girl), Chester Clute (pants salesman), Oscar O'Shea ("Pop", the stage doorman), Jules Cowles (hotel doorman), Richard Cramer (process server), Edgar Dearing (Detective "Pinch"), Leigh De Lacey (neighbor), Sarah Edwards (Mrs Warden), Jim Farley (plainclothesman), Chester Gan (Louie), Howard Hickman (editor), Leyland Hodgson (chauffeur), Phillip Terry (Club 44 radio man).Director: RICHARD THORPE. Screenplay: Marion Parsonnet, Harry Ruskin, William R. Lipman. Original screen story: Lou Heifetz and Herbert Klein. Photography: John Seitz. Film editor: Conrad A. Nervig. Music: Edward Ward. Supervising art director: Cedric Gibbons. Set decorator: Edwin B. Willis. Costumes: Adrian. Art director: Joseph C. Wright. Assistant director: Tom Andre. Sound recording: Douglas Shearer. Producer: Frederick Stephani. Copyright 10 January 1938 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. New York opening at the Rialto, 27 January 1938. U.S. release: 14 January 1938. Australian release: 14 July 1938. 8 reels. 73 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Fading Broadway star adopts two orphans as a publicity stunt.NOTES: Academy Award, Mickey Rooney, Best Male Juvenile of 1938. Last film of Ted Healy. COMMENT: A pleasant film with a most attractive cast going their customary paces in a zippy little script worked up by no less than five writers. True, Mickey Rooney has all the best lines, but he makes the most of them. In fact, director Richard Thorpe virtually allows Mickey the run of the movie. Only Virginia Weidler and the late Ted Healy (the originator of "the Three Stooges". The original billing in both vaudeville and Hollywood was Ted Healy and his Three Stooges) are occasionally allowed to give Mickey any real competition.

jarrodmcdonald-1 In the late 1930s, MGM turned out some high-concept programmers that are fun to watch. None of these, to my knowledge, cause migraines-- just fits of laughter. Love Is a Headache is one of these charming films.The story, which is rather simplistic, is about a fading actress (Gladys George) who adopts two street urchins as a publicity stunt. The urchins are portrayed by Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler, who convey a realistic and believable sibling relationship. (The studio would re-team Rooney and Weidler in a few other films, notably in an installment of the Andy Hardy series.) The picture also benefits from the presence of MGM contract player Franchot Tone (who was Mr. Joan Crawford at this time). Tone plays Miss George's love interest and is in all likelihood going to become a daddy to the two urchins. It's nice to see him in more of a 'family'-type comedy.

David (Handlinghandel) This gives the superb Gladys George a good, meaty role. The plot is a bit well-worn. But she is in all her glory as a temperamental grand lady of the stage with a heart of gold. (The plot involves no drinking on her part, which is a nice change from the general typecasting her tough voice and soft manner brought.) Let's get one thing clear: The title means nothing. It seems slapped on out of desperation. What romantic title could not be called "Love Is A Headache"? From "Gone With the Wind" to "Mala Noche," with many stops in between, there could have been hundreds of movies with that title.The supporting cast is fun. Franchot Tone is fine. Mickey Rooney and Virginia Weidler are real pros.Though I liked this primarily because of Ms. George, I have to say that Rooney shines. He had that quality the camera loved that certain big stars had. Marilyn Monroe is one of them. When either of these two appeared in a movie's early scenes, the audience sits up and says "Whoa! Who is THIS?"

Clay Loomis TCM to the rescue again with another little gem from the "You Won't See This Anywhere Else" vault. From 1938, this is one of those films that has nothing to really recommend it, but is not offensive either. It can only be shown on TCM because no advertiser is going to pay money to put commercials on during its showing.Mickey Rooney plays one of the adopted poor kids of a rich actress who only wants them for the good PR it will give her. (Will she come around for a happy ending? Hey, it was the Depression, what do you think?) This is some early Mickey from about the time he started his Andy Hardy phase. He's charming enough, as are the other actors. The writing is OK, as is the direction, but while everyone tries, the movie just plods along trying to make everyone feel good.From late in the Depression, everyone in the film is depicted as either extremely rich, or extremely poor. But everyone has a hat! It was like the law in the 30's that everyone had to wear a hat when outdoors. Men, women, kids, cops, chauffeurs, milkmen, dockworkers, it didn't matter, they had to wear a hat. One line in the film has the rich adoptive Mom asking her new poor kids, "Are those the only clothes you kids have?" And Rooney answers, "No, we have hats!" If you appreciate the old potboiler films of less than 90 minutes duration, you'll certainly be able to sit through this one, as it is better than many of its type. If you were raised on Star Wars films, you'll probably hate it.Well, I have to go. Where's my hat?