Merry-Go-Round of 1938 (1937)
Directed by Irving Cummings
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Merry-Go-Round of 1938 was the first (and last) of a proposed series of films spotlighting top Broadway talent. Three headliners from the Great White Way--comedian Bert Lahr, pantomime artist Jimmy Savo and monologist Billy House--team with veteran Hollywood scene-stealer Mischa Auer. The storyline has our four heroes taking care of a cute little girl, but the plot is forgotten amidst a series of choice specialty acts, including Lahr's legendary "Woodman Spare That Tree." Universal took a bath with Merry-Go-Round of 1938, which explains why you never saw the 1939 edition. As for the stars, Bert Lahr went on to Wizard of Oz; Jimmy Savo returned to Broadway; Billy House became a Hollywood character actor; and Mischa Auer continued to be everyone's favorite "Gloomy Russian."
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Keywords
adoption, mime, orphan, performer, vaudeville, high-wire, monologue