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When's Your Birthday?

1937, Movie, NR, 77 mins

When's Your Birthday?: Review

In 1937 Joe E. Brown left Warner Bros. to work with independent producer David Loew on what the two hoped would be a successful string of movie comedies. Though the venture never reached the level they hoped for, this first effort is amusing. The film opens with an animated piece showing the influence of the moon over the planets. We then meet Brown, an amiable sort who's working his way through astrology school as a boxer. Eventually his talents take him to a carnival midway, where he's hired as a fortune teller. Minor Watson is a gambler who decides having an astrologer around could be a handy thing. He hires Brown, telling the stargazer to start picking winning horses and boxers for Watson to place wagers on. Marian Marsh and Suzanne Kaaren add to the hijinks as Brown's two romantic interests. In the end Marsh's charms win out as things wind up to a happy conclusion. The story is slight, but punched up with some good gags and a fine supporting cast. Edgar Kennedy, master of the slow burn, is funny as a newly rich plumber. Though the film is black and white, the opening sequence was animated in Technicolor. This charming comedy was produced by Leon Schlesinger, better known for his work with the zanies over at the Warner Bros. animation department. leave a comment