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      The Big Broadcast of 1938

      Released Feb 11, 1938 1h 31m Musical Comedy List
      Reviews 67% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings The S.S. Gigantic competes with the S.S. Colossal in a luxury liner race from New York to France. S.B. Bellows (W.C. Fields), the bumbling brother of the owner of the Gigantic, accidentally wrecks the sophisticated engine of his sibling's ship, built by brilliant engineer Bob Hayes (Leif Erickson). Meanwhile, radio entertainer Buzz Fielding (Bob Hope), aboard the Gigantic with his girlfriend, Dorothy (Dorothy Lamour), is hoping to win so he can pay alimony to his three ex-wives. Read More Read Less

      Critics Reviews

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      John Kinloch California Eagle Big Broadcast of 1938 brings back to the screen W.C. Fields, which would have been five if it hadn't also returned twenty or more others, each and every one of whom had to occupy the screen for the duration of five to ten minutes. Oct 31, 2019 Full Review Ann Ross Maclean's Magazine Since W. C. Fields heads the passenger list, there's plenty of excitement. Jul 24, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Chris M The plot feels less like a plot and just a premise for wacky hijinks. There are mild character issues like W.C. Field's character T. Frothingill Bellows is bit of a jerk. The ship models they use are very good, but you can tell that they are models and this is the feature film debut of Bob Hope who has a minor role in this but is a scene stealer whenever he is on. Overall, with the limitations of the 1930s. This is a really good musical comedy and worth a watch, even if it's not the most exciting movie. But that was rare in the 1930s. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/17/24 Full Review Audience Member A fun collection of comic / stage shorts notable for Bob Hope and probably the best film capture of the famous W.C. Fields vaudeville pool hall sketches - it just makes you sad that the heyday of a true master at his craft existed well before film could record him for future generations Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The best musical movie ever made! With the best movie song ever sung: Thanks for the Memory! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Big Broadcast of 1938

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis The S.S. Gigantic competes with the S.S. Colossal in a luxury liner race from New York to France. S.B. Bellows (W.C. Fields), the bumbling brother of the owner of the Gigantic, accidentally wrecks the sophisticated engine of his sibling's ship, built by brilliant engineer Bob Hayes (Leif Erickson). Meanwhile, radio entertainer Buzz Fielding (Bob Hope), aboard the Gigantic with his girlfriend, Dorothy (Dorothy Lamour), is hoping to win so he can pay alimony to his three ex-wives.
      Director
      Mitch Leisen
      Producer
      William LeBaron
      Screenwriter
      Walter DeLeon, Francis Martin, Ken Englund
      Distributor
      Paramount Pictures
      Genre
      Musical, Comedy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Feb 11, 1938, Original
      Release Date (DVD)
      Nov 14, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 31m