(1936)
3
Craig Butler
A middling but entertaining featherweight of a musical, Colleen is an amiable way to spend a little time, especially if you are someone who is willing to put up with a silly plot and a merely serviceable score in order to listen to Dick Powell sing, watch Ruby Keeler dance, laugh at a few Joan Blondell wisecracks, and lapse into giggles at Hugh Herbert's "woo woo" routine. Indeed, Colleen is the kind of film that rises or falls depending upon one's enjoyment of the cast. Keeler is no better an actress and possesses no finer a voice here than she does in any other film, so if her naïve charm and style of dancing have never worked for you, they won't here. Powell does well with a part he could play in his sleep, and Blondell again shows that she can get laughs even from a weak retort. A little of Herbert tends to go a long way, but he's actually shown off to good advantage here. Colleen also boasts one of the rare performances of Paul Draper, a poor actor but a very special dancer; his work with Keeler here, especially in the finale, is worth keeping an eye out for. The Harry Warren-Al Dubin score is not a standout, but it's certainly catchy enough.
Colleen on AllMovie
Colleen (1936)
