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The Big Broadcast of 1938

Play trailer Poster for The Big Broadcast of 1938 1938 1h 31m Musical Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 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.

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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Jeff D W.C. Fields pool hall routine is a classic… preserved for eternity in this picture Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/31/25 Full Review 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
The Big Broadcast of 1938

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Cast & Crew

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Mitch Leisen

Director

W.C. Fields

T. Frothingill Bellows

Martha Raye

Martha Bellows

Bob Hope

Buzz Fielding

Dorothy Lamour

Dorothy Wyndham

Shirley Ross

Cleo Fielding
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The Big Broadcast of 1938

The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1938) View more photos

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
Harlan Thompson
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