Shoot The Works (1934)
Director:
Wesley Ruggles
Writers:
Claude Binyon, Gene Fowler (play), Howard J. Green, Ben Hecht
Stars:
Jack Oakie, Ben Bernie, Dorothy Dell, Alison Skipworth, Roscoe Karns, Arline Judge, William Frawley
The Ben Hecht-Gene Fowler Broadway flop The Great Magoo formed the basis of the 1934 Paramount comedy Shoot the Works. Jack Oakie stars as seedy sideshow barker Nicky, who uses everyone he meets to get ahead. Nicky isn't even above exploiting his singing sweetheart Lily (Dorothy Dell) to suit his purposes, but this time it is he who ends up the loser -- at least until he gets wise to himself. Bandleader-comedian Ben Bernie and perennial second lead Arline Judge contribute a few laughs, but the hit of the show is gorgeous Dorothy Dell, who tragically died in a car crash just before this film was released. Shoot the Works was remade by Bob Hope as Some Like It Hot (1939).