GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

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

jotix100 What a novel idea, have a talented group of entertainers be the opening number in political campaign rallies for a candidate to office. Which is what Ned Lyman discovers, as he and his troupe appear in a small auditorium where a political speech is to be given later on at the same theater by the candidate for governor of the state, Judge Culliman. Mixing theater people with politicians will appeal to voters, or so Ned thinks. The Judge in his run for governor of the state hasn't elicited much sympathy. Add to that a drinking problem and Ned sees a great opportunity. Ned Lyman is a resourceful man that sees an angle in which keep the company he has assembled together and precede the aspiring candidate's spiel to the crowd. Since Judge Culliman can't get it together, Ned appeals to his star crooner, Eric Land, to read the speech to the audience. The singer becomes a hit and what's more, the political machinery behind the campaign see in him a person that can be manipulated. Are they in for a surprise! "Thanks a Million" is a delightful comedy with music directed by Roy Del Ruth. Dick Powell, who appears as Eric Land at the height of his singing career is the best thing in the movie. Equally effective is Mel Allen, the radio personality in a rare screen appearances. Ann Dvorak is seen as Eric's love interest, and Patsy Kelly is a singer with the company and Ned's girl.The film is entertaining as well as has an important message as the end when Eric Land unmask all the people that thought they could use him for their own personal gain.

blanche-2 Dick Powell sings "Thanks a Million" in this 1935 film also starring Fred Allen, Ann Dvorak, Patsy Kelly and Paul Whiteman and his band. A group of stranded entertainers find work performing during political rallies. When the candidate shows up drunk, Powell pinch-hits for him, and the party machine decides to make him their candidate for governor.This ridiculous premise gets wonderful, satiric treatment from director Roy del Ruth, and the songs are wonderful. Powell sings what became a hit for him, "Thanks a Million," as well as "Sittin' on a Hilltop" and "A Pocket Full of Sunshine." Ann Dvorak and Patsy Kelly dance and sing to "Sugar Plum." They're all absolutely delightful. Powell's acting is charismatic, his voice charming, and who would have ever guessed that under all that juvenile sweetness there was a tough actor and an excellent producer waiting to emerge.The film pokes great fun at local government, and Fred Allen and Patsy Kelly keep the jokes going. A look back and more innocent times at a film that hopefully lifted some people out of doldrums when they saw it.

lugonian THANKS A MILLION (20th Century-Fox, 1935), directed by Roy Del Ruth, ranks one of the finer musical-comedies released during the initial years of the newly formed 20th Century-Fox studio. Although reportedly successful, it's so overlooked these days as musicals are concerned that after viewing it, one wonders why it isn't better known. It comes near to something of a political satire from the Preston Sturges (THE GREAT McGINTY, 1940) school for comedy, or Frank Capra's (MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, 1939) common man making good philosophy. Starring Dick Powell and Ann Dvorak, both on loan-out assignments from Warner Brothers, the feature film debut of radio comedian Fred Allen, musical antics by the Yacht Club Boys, along with delightful wisecracking Patsy Kelly, notable faces of Alan Dinehart, Paul Harvey, Edwin Maxwell, Russell Hicks and Andrew Toombes, character actor Raymond Walburn in a memorable performance, and special guest appearance of Paul Whiteman and his Band, THANKS A MILLION should get enough votes to be declared a winner.The story opens on a rainy night where Ned Lyman (Fred Allen) and his musical troupe riding on a bus bound for New York City. Departing a bus in New City, Pa., only to have to wait two hours for the next bus to their destination, the troupe decide to escape the rain by entering a building where a political rally is taking place. Campaigning for governor is Judge A. Darius Culliman (Raymond Walburn), making his long-winded speech that puts his attendees to sleep, although many are there only to wait until the rain stops. Noticing a disaster, Lyman suggests to the candidates that the only way for Culliman to get a full house is to try a new approach in hiring his troupe entertain with songs and dancing in between speeches, with Eric Land (Dick Powell) acting as crooner, and Sally and Phoebe Mason (Ann Dvorak and Patsy Kelly) performing as dancers. The idea practically works until one night Culliman arrives drunk, leaving Eric to fill in and campaign for Culliman.Eric's trusting and pleasing personality has the public wanting Culliman to withdrawn his ticket and have Eric run for governor instead. At first he refuses, but Eric does it anyhow, but for the wrong reasons, thus, causing him to lose the love and trust of his girlfriend, Sally, especially after spending more time with Betsy Kruger (Margaret Irving), his campaign manager's (Alan Dinehart) wife, who wants Eric for herself.On the musical program, with music and lyrics by Arthur Johnston and Gus Kahn, songs include: "Thanks a Million" (instrumental, violin played by David Rubinoff); "Sugar Plum" (danced by Ann Dvorak and Patsy Kelly); "I've Got a Pocketful of Sunshine" (sung by Dick Powell); "Square Deal party" (written and performed by The Yacht Club Boys); "Thanks a Million" (sung by Powell and Dvorak); *"A Fella Has to Learn His A.B.C's Today" (written and performed by The Yacht Club Boys); "Sugar Plum" (sung by Dvorak and Kelly); "Sittin' High on a Hill Top" (sung by Powell); "The Belle of New O'Leans" (sung by Ramona playing piano); "Happy Days Are Here Again" (instrumental); "Thanks a Million" (sung by Powell); and "Square Deal Party" (reprise/sung by cast). Good tunes with optimistic titles quite popular during the Depression era, most largely forgotten today.*A Fella Has to Learn His A.B.C.'s Today" is a comic number deleted from the final print that exists on a motion picture soundtrack album (double featured with HAPPY GO LUCKY, a 1942 Dick Powell musical) as distributed by Caliban Records in 1981.Singing dominates dancing in this production, with Dick Powell keeping himself busy in his sixth 1935 theatrical film release, putting his vocal chords to good use. A likable box office attraction, it's no wonder why anyone wouldn't want to vote for him. In 1937, Powell was invited back to 20th Century-Fox for another successful musical, ON THE AVENUE, featuring Madeleine Carroll and Alice Faye, with score by Irving Berlin.Summed up best as an Election Day movie, THANKS A MILLION was remade by 20th-Fox as IF I'M LUCKY (1946) starring Carmen Miranda, Perry Como, Vivian Blaine and Phil Silvers. Both musicals, currently presented on the Fox Movie Channel, were formerly shown on the American Movie Classics cable channel from 1991-92. (***1/2)

doc-55 If you can accept the premise: that an out-of-work crooner can be nominated for governor of a state on the basis of a single speech, there are some attractive moments in this film. Dick Powell moves beyond his ingenuous Warner Brothers musical style, and seems on his way to becoming the actor he later showed himself to be. Fred Allen replicates his sharp-tongued radio persona, and is able to provide most of the humor, even though he clearly did not have a charismatic screen presence even as real as that of Jack Benny or Eddie Cantor. The satirical treatment of small-state politics is rather heavy-handed, suggesting that there is nothing but self-interest involved. The songs are nothing special, but Powell delivers them in his usual off-hand yet convincing manner. For me, the most interesting and surprising episodes in the film were the two song and dance numbers by Ann Dvorak and Patsy Kelly. Having known Dvorak only as a performer in melodrama, from Scarface to Rebel Without a Cause, I looked closely, to see whether there was a double; but there were enough close-up shots to let one see that her dancing wasn't faked.(Whether the singing was dubbed is another matter). She was always an actress whose work I found compelling, though she never achieved top stardom at Warners; perhaps because Bette Davis was slated for some roles Dvorak might have played. Probably not a "gem", but a film many will enjoy.