There's Sometimes a Buggy: Irresponsible Opinions About Classic Film: Red Time For Bonzo

Red Time For Bonzo - Episode 11A: Going Places (1938)

Nov 21, 2018

This time on the podcast, journey back to August 2018, when your faithful panelists projected their hopes and fears onto the post-Midterm landscape. After 38 minutes' worth of our deathless political prognostication, journey back even further to yet another lackluster late-1930s Dick Powell film. Ol' Dick must have considered the Gipper a jinx - most of his non-Reagan films are so much better (at least Dave thinks so - Gareth and Romy were far more favorably disposed toward Going Places). Everyone did agree on one thing: Louis Armstrong dominates the proceedings and naturally generated the lion's share of the discussion.

We also found a little time to delve into William Randolph Hearst's Cosmopolitan Productions (which was roosting at Warner Brothers by 1938) and reflect back on that miserable magnate's malign militarism (inspired by a little Maine-based "fake news" gloat planted in this film). Also discussed: the star-crossed life of that "Dirty Little Rat Nunheim" (Harold Huber), Ladies Love Cool (Allen) Jenkins, Dorothy Dandridge's debut, and the deathless Johnny Mercer classic "Jeepers Creepers". Meanwhile, an ebullient (if perfunctory) Dutch gets another chance to dazzle us with his play-by-play patter.