Ready, Willing and Able

Director: Ray Enright Ray Enright

Overview

The Warner Bros. musicals began running out of gas in the late 1930s, yielding such lukewarm efforts as Ready, Willing and Able. Ruby Keeler, as charmingly ingenuous as ever, plays Jane, a college student with show-biz aspirations. In order to land a role in an upcoming Broadway spectacular, Jane impersonates famous British stage luminary Jane Clarke (and never mind that her British accent is as transparent as a plastic bag). On the strength of Jane's supposed reputation, fly-by-night producers Pinky Blair (Lee Dixon) and Barry Granville (Ross Alexander) convince a movie studio to pony up the money for their Broadway show. The trouble begins when the real Jane Clarke shows up, threatening lawsuits left and right. Somehow, Pinky and Barry are able to make both of their leading ladies happy, and the show goes on. The film's solitary musical highlight is "Too Marvelous For Words," performed by a battalion of leggy chorines on a huge typewriter; curiously, this very famous sequence was barely mentioned at all in the original reviews for Ready, Willing and Able. Sadly, co-star Ross Alexander died before the film was released nationally.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/02/2009
UPC:	0883316164501
Original Release:	1937
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Archives
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:33:00
Sales rank:	50,405

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ruby Keeler	Jane Clarke
Winifred Shaw	The English Jane Clarke
Ross Alexander	Barry Granville
Lee Dixon	Pinky 'Pinkie' Blair
Allen Jenkins	Jay Van Courtland
Louise Fazenda	Clara Heineman
Carol Hughes	Angie,Angie
Teddy Hart	Yip Nolan
Hugh O'Connell	Truman Hardy
Addison Richards	Edward McNeil
E.E. Clive	Sir Samuel Buffington
Jane Wyman	Dot
May Boley	Mrs. Beadle
Adrian Rosley	Angelo the Tailor
Lillian Kemble-Cooper	Mrs. Buffington
Barnett Parker	Reginald Fortescue
Charles Halton	Brockman
Dick Jones	Kid
Milton Kibbee	Steward,Steward
Carlyle Moore Jr.	Reporter
Dennis Moore	Reporter
Saul Gorss	Cameraman
Gertrude Pedlar	Eldery Couple
William Worthington	Eldery Couple
Elsa Buchanan	Maid
Cliff Saum	Yip's Assistant
Richard Whiting	Composer

Technical Credits

Jerry Wald

Warren Duff

Sig Herzig

Samuel Bischoff	Producer,Producer
Ray Enright	Director
Jerry Wald	Screenwriter
Warren Duff	Screenwriter
Sig Herzig	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Definitely a second-tier musical, Ready, Willing and Able is remembered today for its "typewriter" staging, set to the wonderful Johnny Mercer-Richard Whiting song, "Too Marvelous for Words." It definitely is a memorable five minutes, although it must be admitted that this is due more to conception than execution. It's not that the execution is bad, mind you, for Bobby Connolly's staging is sprightly and engaging, and the number is certainly satisfying. It's simply that one can't help but imagine what Busby Berkeley (in his prime) would have done with the same idea, taking the number to dizzying new heights. Even without Berkeley, however, "Marvelous" makes a deep impression for the sheer surreality of it all. Ready features a couple of other pleasant if undistinguished songs, as well as a tired story that stretches credulity in any number of places. Ruby Keeler and Lee Dixon perform their numbers well; they do less well in the dialogue scenes. Ross Alexander is quite fine in his dialogue, but far too obviously dubbed when singing. And Winifred Shaw score solidly throughout. Throw in some nice bits by Teddy Hart and Louise Fazenda, and the result is an accommodating if generally unexceptional little tuner.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler