Gift of Gab (1934)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Karl Freund

Writers:

Lou Breslow (writer)
Philip G. Epstein (story)
(more)

Release Date:

1 September 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

The Low Down on the High-Ups of Radioland! A Knockout Cast, IN THE YEAR'S SNAPPIEST SHOW!

Plot:

Conceited radio announcer irritates everyone else at the station. |

Cast

Edmund Lowe	...	Phillip "Gift of Gab" Gabney
Gloria Stuart	...	Barbara Kelton
Ruth Etting	...	Ruth
Phil Baker	...	Absent-minded Doctor
Ethel Waters	...	Ethel
Alice White	...	Margot
Alexander Woollcott	...	Cameo Appearance
Victor Moore	...	Colonel Trivers
Hugh O'Connell	...	Patsy
Helen Vinson	...	Nurse
Gene Austin	...	Radio Artist
Tom Hanlon	...	Radio Announcer
Henry Armetta	...	Janitor
Andy Devine	...	McDougal the waiter
Wini Shaw	...	Cabaret Singer
Marion Byron	...	Telephone Girl
Sterling Holloway	...	Sound Effects Man
Sid Walker	...	Stooge
John 'Skins' Miller	...	Stooge
Jack Harling	...	Stooge
Edwin Maxwell	...	Norton, President WGAB
Leighton Noble	...	Orchestra Leader
Maurice Black	...	Audition Room Owner
Tammany Young	...	Thug
James Flavin	...	Alumni President
Billy Barty	...	Baby
Florence Enright	...	Mother
Dick Elliott	...	Father (as Richard Elliott)
Warner Richmond	...	Cop
Boris Karloff	...	Cameo Appearance (as Karloff)
Paul Lukas	...	Cameo Appearance
Roger Pryor	...	Cameo Appearance
Bela Lugosi	...	Cameo Appearance
June Knight	...	Cameo Appearance
Chester Morris	...	Cameo Appearance
Binnie Barnes	...	Cameo Appearance
Douglass Montgomery	...	Cameo Appearance
Graham McNamee	...	Cameo Appearance
Beale Street Boys	...	Cameo Appearance
Downey Sisters	...	Cameo Appearance
Douglas Fowley	...	Cameo Appearance
Sidney Skolsky	...	Cameo Appearance
Gus Arnheim	...	Cameo Appearance
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Davis	...	Member, Beale Street Boys
Dave O'Brien	...	(uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Karl Freund

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Lou Breslow		writer
Philip G. Epstein		story
Rian James		writer
Jerry Wald		story

Produced by
Rian James	....	associate producer
Carl Laemmle Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
Edward Ward		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
George Robinson
Harold Wenstrom

Film Editing by
Ray Curtiss		(as Raymond Curtiss)

Art Direction by
David S. Garber		(as David Garber)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(as Vera)

Music Department
Edward Ward	....	musical director
Sam Perry	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Carl Laemmle	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1934) (USA) (theatrical)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Universal Pictures

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Haunted World of Edward D. Wood Jr. (1996)

Soundtrack:

Talking to Myself

Really Bad

Gift of Gab (1934)

* (out of 4)

A fast talking con man (Edmund Lowe) becomes a huge radio star and soon it all goes to his head. It appears Universal Studios threw everything but the kitchen sink into this film but it easy to see why the studio has never issued this on home video. Legendary cinematographer Karl Freund directed this film, which co-stars Gloria Stuart with guest performances by Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Victor Moore, Hugh O'Connell, Gene Austin, Ruth Etting, Ethel Waters, Paul Lukas and various others. The film is very fast moving but also quite annoying as is the over the top performance by Lowe who we tire of within the opening minutes. The only reason to watch this turkey is due to all the guest appearances but be warned that the stars are only on screen for a few seconds up to a minute. Karloff and Lugosi appear in the same mystery skit but sadly (and dumbly) they don't share any time together.