The Big Broadcast of 1936

The Big Broadcast of 1936

20/9/1935 1h 38m 5.5/10

Overview

Two-bit radio station owner Spud Miller doubles as the station's sole announcer. On the verge of bankruptcy, Spud is receptive to the wacky notions of George and Gracie, who've just invented a television device that can pick up and transmit any signal, any time, anywhere.

Director

Norman Taurog

Top Billed Cast

George Burns

George Burns

George

Wendy Barrie

Wendy Barrie

Sue

Jack Oakie

Jack Oakie

Spud Miller

Gracie Allen

Gracie Allen

Gracie

Henry Wadsworth

Henry Wadsworth

Smiley Goodwin

Lyda Roberti

Lyda Roberti

Countess Ysobel de Naigila

Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

6/29/2025

6/10

To be fair to director Norman Taurog, at least he has tried to inject the semblance of a story into this otherwise entertaining but routine revue-style film showcasing a plethora of talent strutting their stuff! That story is put into the safe hands of George Burns and Gracie Allen who have invented a gizmo that could give Orwell’s “Big Brother” a run for its money! Not only can it intercept transmissions from anywhere in the world, but it can see what is going on in the privacy of people’s living rooms. This is of great interest to the sceptical radio entrepreneur “Spud” (Jack Oakie) who sees great potential for it to help him win a competition worth $250,000 of advertising revenue. There are loads of familiar faces playing straight and comic roles throughout this feature and in many ways it offers us quite an interesting look at just how important radio was in 1935. Some of it, tap-dancing for example, did not seem the most obvious to work on the wireless, but by manufacturing audience scenarios via his “Radio Eye”, we are led to appreciate just how popular many of those more visual acts were. There’s plenty of humour here ranging from the slapstick to the witty; Ethel Merman belts out “It’s the Animal in Me”, Bing Crosby croons “I Wished on the Moon” and although it is an easy enough watch, it did strike me as being more of a celebration of the theatre rather then the silver screen. An engaging anthology of what we watched back then, but maybe not one you’d need to watch too often.

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