bkoganbing Not to put too fine a point on it, but Frank Morgan who is the top billed player in this B film from MGM is a deadbeat dad. An old vaudevillian, Morgan is trying to get a break in radio because he really needs the money.In Hullabaloo Frank Morgan has got three ex-wives with a child by each and these women want the back alimony that Morgan hasn't sent them for years. This formidable trio of ex-wives are Connie Gilchrist, Sara Haden, and Billie Burke and their kids respectively are Virginia Grey, Leny Lynn and Larry Nunn.The kids kind of bond with each other and together they help dear old dad pull together a radio show. It's either that or marry a 4th time to Nydia Westman who is sponsor Donald Meek's sister.Dan Dailey is here as a radio executive and love interest for Virginia Grey and another Virginia, O'Brien that is gets a couple of songs to sing in her deadpan fashion. The real revelation is Charles Holland an opera singing bellhop. Not too many black artists were doing material like that for films in 1940.Because it's lovable old Frank Morgan the whole thing works somehow. But I doubt a deadbeat dad would get treated so well in today's cinema.

vincentlynch-moonoi Frank Morgan was a gem, and a very busy actor in 1940, appearing in 7 films for MGM...and this one was filmed less than a year after his wonderful role of the Wizard in "The Wizard Of Oz". Among his great roles of 1940 were "The Shop Around The Corner", "The Mortal Storm", and "Boom Town", all notable. This trifle -- "Hullabaloo" -- was not one of his notable films, however, although it is a pleasant enough light musical.In the film, Morgan -- an out of work actor -- puts on a "War Of The Worlds"-type radio program, getting him fired (yet again). But, he has an ace in the hole -- the sponsor's sister-in-law is quite taken with Morgan. What's most delightful about this film is Morgan's opportunity to really ham it up...and he does! Particularly amusing is when three ex-wives (with long lost children) pop up demanding alimony...much to the shock of the sponsor's sister-in-law! Along the way there are a number of pleasant performances -- Virginia O'Brien, Dan Dailey, and Billie Burke among them.Not a great film, but worth seeing at least once.

MartinHafer This movie is a real mixed bag. While it is moderately entertaining, the story is also pretty ridiculous and formulaic--plus there are a bits and pieces that were just plain bad.The story is about a lovable conniver played by Frank Morgan--and this is pretty much the role he played in almost every movie he made. However, it's a little bit different this time in that he's a performer on radio and not a typical con man. But, he lies constantly and has a string of ex-wives chasing him--once again, typical Morgan story elements. And, as usual, despite his being disreputable and a horrible father, his kids rally inexplicably to his defense. All this is so formulaic and a retread of so many Morgan movies that I found myself getting bored with the plot.To make it worse, since this was about producing a radio show, several god-awful acts were included in the movie--as well as one excellent one. The old racist song "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" (singing about the "good old days" of slavery) was performed twice when the film began--once masterfully by a Black bellhop and once horribly by a zombie-like woman who was awfully scary to behold as she sang! Later, it turned out that one of Morgan's daughters could apparently sing, and she sang a couple numbers in the highest pitch operatic style. Technically, I guess it was pretty good, but I hated it and it hurt my ears. I could almost swear I could hear the neighbor's dogs barking as she sang! Now as for Morgan's radio show goes, the initial gimmick was pretty funny, though as it was repeated throughout the movie it just seemed awfully silly. Apparently Morgan's character had a genius for mimicry, as he could perform ALL the voices in a radio drama alone--men, women and children. To do this, the film makers actually dubbed these voices as Morgan's lips moved. Later, it turned out he could reproduce ANY Hollywood star's voice, and he pretended to be Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr, Mickey Rooney and Wallace Beery. So all these actors get to make a cameo in the film--or at least their voices did.So overall, the movie was very predictable, formulaic, silly but still somehow watchable. This is NOT a film I'd recommend you rush to see, but there are certainly worse films out there.Oh, and by the way, there is a strange mistake in the film due to poor editing. At one point late in the film, Billie Burke says to Morgan "you're a vulture" and then Morgan responds. Then, one of Morgan's other ex-wives begins talking and yet no words come out of her mouth due to an editing mistake. I am really surprised no one caught this, as it was strange to see a woman speak an entire line and yet you can't hear a thing!

boblipton Frantic unfunny comedy about how Frank Morgan panicked the nation on radio -- a gloss on Orson Welles' broadcast of WAR OF THE WORLDS -- and the lives, loves and generally unfunny situations surrounding his newfound success. Frank Morgan doubles sixteen times a second and an impossibly young Dan Dailey plays the juvenile lead. Give it a miss.