Are You There? on AllMovie

Are You There? is a characteristically lumpy but enjoyable early-talkie musical from Fox Studios. Broadway luminary Beatrice Lillie stars as a looney lady detective with a penchant for disguises. This plot device allows her to parade her astonishing versatility in a wide array of characterizations, including a dotty nurse in a hospital where a criminal gang is encamped. Are You There? came at the tail end of the first movie-musical cycle; Fox, fearing that musicals were on the way out, removed four of Ms. Lillie's seven musical numbers. This butchery resulted in the negative reputation Are You There? has earned among Bea Lillie's staunchest fans, though even in its truncated form the film is extremely entertaining.