Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!

HeadlinesExotic Boring

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

moonspinner55 What can you say about a 1930s Cinderella plot done up as a screwy comedy wherein all the men's voices are twice as high as the women's? Theatrical married couple, out of work and on the rocks, are brought together again by fate after the wife, working as a waitress, is asked to impersonate the daughter of a high society twosome, while the husband is asked by the father of a potential new suitor to act as a suave former lover. Edward Everett Horton, playing meddlesome matchmaker Augie Winterspoon (!), dashes about like a mad pixie in spats; he's good for a few big laughs, but nothing Horton does here (or ever) is enough to bolster a wafer-thin plot full of romantic entanglements and complications. The dialogue comes fast and furious, but most of the wisecracks and put-downs are dated now, and embarrassing to witness. *1/2 from ****

MartinHafer This film is a wonderful example of a rotten plot yet wonderful characters. It appeared as if the film were actually written by two people--one for the plot and one who strictly designed the characters and wrote the dialog. As for the plot itself, it's easy to sum up with one word--"stupid". Instead of trying to describe it, just let it go with that! But as for the characters, I have always been a sucker for colorful character actors and this one has Edward Everett Horton, Guy Kibbee and Zasu Pitts (in a rather restrained performance, thank goodness). And the writers infused these characters with wonderful personalities that were very much in line with their normal screen personas. Kibbee was a not overly bright but decent "normal guy", Zasu played a bumpkin of sorts who wanted "class" and Horton played a rich but decent schemer. Together, they helped to infuse the film with enough warmth and humanity that I was able to overlook the films MANY deficiencies and just enjoy it. While this is certainly NOT a film you should rush to see, it's a very amiable time-passer and a good example of a quality B-movie.

aimless-46 "All in all, "Going Highbrow" (1935) is a pretty good post production code comedy although its rather fragmented structure works against efforts to make it a unified story.Cora (Zasu Pitts) and Matt (Guy Kilbee) Upshaw are hicks from Wellington, Kansas who accidentally made big money at the start of the stock market crash. Matt's broker misunderstood Matt's instructions and invested all his money in put (sell) options for a single stock, the total opposite of Matt's intentions. After the price declined no one exercised their options to buy and Matt got to keep all the proceeds. Matt is still simple and unpretentious but Cora is determined to crash New York's "Society 400" list. The "nouveau riche" Upshaws enlist the old money (but none left) Marsh family to introduce Cora to the proper people. Part of the scheme involves hiring struggling actress Sandy Long (June Martel) to play Cora's daughter. This sets up an extremely lame romance between Martel and Ross Alexander, who plays the Marsh son. Edward Everett Horton plays Augie Winterspoon, the Marsh's financial adviser. He tries valiantly to link the story elements together. The soon to be famous singer, yodeler, cowgirl Judy Canova does a nice job in a small supporting part as Sandy's coworker."Going Highbrow" is a must see for fans of Zasu Pitts as she dominates the first half of the film with a somewhat different variation on her airhead character. Instead of her usual scatterbrain adventures she plays a self-absorbed social climber, but still manages to infuse the role with her usual comic touches. Pitts was one of the few comedians whose gift for dialogue and expression was effectively complemented by a talent for physical comedy. Because her technique has never gone out of style, her films (including this one) do not seem nearly as dated as other productions from the same time period. Credit Una Merkel, Gloria Grahame, Goldie Hawn, and Brittany Murphy with keeping the Pitts' style alive down though the years.Horton is almost young looking in this film but has already developed most of the comedic touches he would apply to countless character roles during his long career. He really has too much screen time and during the second half you keep wishing for more of Pitts who effectively disappears from the second half of the film. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

malcolmgsw I was really full of anticipation before i viewed this film.What a great cast,full of great comedy actors from the 30s.I was about to uncover a forgotten masterpiece.How wrong i was.This was an extremely lame comedy,of the sort spawned by production requirements that one film a week be shipped out to the theatres.It just goes to show that you can have great talents but if you do not have a good script there is no likelihood that you will have a good film.Guy Kibee as usual plays a business man flirting with a younger woman,Zasu Pitts as so often plays the fretful wife and Edward Everett Horton plays Edward Everett Horton.Ross Alexander sings,if that is his own voice,a rather pleasant song.So the best that you can say about this film is that at 66 minutes it doesn't linger around too long.