Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Featuring Moe, Larry and Curly
84.75 min. (Feature Film)
A reluctant Captain who'd rather be piloting a barge, and his busy-body steward, command a cruise ship to Panama. Several storylines revolve around the passengers... A retired cop, now a private detective, tails the bond thief that has always eluded him, and falls for the crook's partner-in-crime and fiance. An alcoholic has-been actor running away from the society woman who loves him. A social-climbing man, ashamed of his ex-call girl wife. An exiled Panamanian general, who leaves his family to return to Panama and command a planned coup. And, a no-nonsense widow who befriends them all.
The Three Stooges appear as the ship's lounge musicians. Their screentime is limited to background players in a handful of scenes, and only Larry enjoys a few lines of dialogue.
The film premiered with a running time of 103 minutes, but was cut to 85 minutes for its general release. Many of the cast members listed do not appear in the released version, victims of the edited 18 minutes. Survivng bits of business between the Stooges and costar Arthur Treacher imply that they had an earlier setup scene, lost to editing.
John Gilbert was one of the greatest leading men of the 1920s, starring in films like MGM's THE BIG PARADE (1925). A soured relationship with Greta Garbo, disagreements with MGM chief Louis B. Mayer, and Gilbert's alcoholism combined to make him a liability in Mayer's eyes. After a couple box-office disappointments, MGM's publicity machine circulated the untrue story that Gilbert's voice was not suitable for sound films, and John found himself in supporting roles. Garbo used her influence to cast him as her costar in the pre-code QUEEN CHRISTINA (1933), but the Hays office's objections to the film gave MGM the reason it wanted to terminate his contract. After a few more roles, including Columbia's THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA (1934), depression, stress and alcoholism led to Gilbert's death from a heart attack in 1936.
Walter Connolly
Captain Helquist
Leon Errol
Layton, ship's steward
John Gilbert
Steve Bramley
G. Pat Collins
Mr. Donlin
Akim Tamiroff
General Salazaro
Victor McLaglen
Julius 'Sarge' Schulte
Wynne Gibson
Mrs. Jeddock
John Wray
Mr. Jeddock
Arthur Treacher
Major Warringforth
Helen Vinson
Janet Grayson
Fred Keating
Danny Checkett
Emily Fitzroy
Mrs. Griswold
Claude Gillingwater
Judge Griswold
Alison Skipworth
Mrs. McGruder
Donald Meek
Josephus Bushmills
Walter Catlett
Joe Silvers, bartender
Larry Fine
Bartosh, orchestra musician
Moe Howard
Orchestra musician
Jerry Howard
Orchestra musician
Fred Santley
Reporter
Fred Howard
Reporter
Ray Turner
Sam, Bramley's chauffeur
Tala Birell
Gerta Klargi
A. R. Haysel
Private detective
Tamara Shayne
Mrs. Salazaro
George Villasenor
Andrecito Salazaro
Tony Casten
Mong
B. B. Creary
Quartermaster
Franco Corsaro
Ship's officer
Robert Cauterio
Ship's officer
Emmett Vogan
Ship's doctor
Ray Spiker
Sailor
Blackie Whiteford
Sailor
Frank Walsh
Sailor
Harry Wilson
Sailor
Buddy Mason
Sailor
Max Wagner
Sailor
Abdullah Abbas
Felix
Luis Alberni
Juan Gilboa
Serge Temoff
Captain of the firing squad
Miki Morita
Sato
Sammee Tong
Sin Kee
Lew Davis
Deck steward
Fred Watt
Deck steward
Harrison Greene
Passenger
Carl M. Leviness
Passenger
Jay Eaton
Passenger
Harry Dunkinson
Passenger
Maude Truax
Passenger
Isabelle LaMal
Passenger
George Nardelli
Passenger
Carlton Griffin
Passenger
Gladys Gale
Passenger
Beatrice Roberts
Passenger
Larry Wheat
Passenger
Harry Holman
Passenger
Eddie Baker
Purser
Matthew Betz
Gus
James Blakeley
Pinky
Dell Henderson
Mr. Holman
Geneva Mitchell
Miss Hockson
Lowden Adams
1st butler
Pietro Sosso
2nd butler
George Beranger
Jeweler
Edmund Burns
Assistant jeweler
George Humbert
Head barber
Monte Carter
Barber
Heinie Conklin
Assistant bartender
Joe Dominguez
Sergeant
Budd Fine
Keeper
Charles H. Hickman
Pilot
Gladden James
Clerk
Harry Tenbrook
Taxi driver
Charles King
Taxi driver
Charles Sullivan
Taxi driver
Jim Farley
Conductor
Charles R. Moore
Train porter
Sam Rice, Jr.
Newsboy
Frank Conroy
State's Attorney, scene deleted
Unidentified THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA 1
Ticket agent
Unidentified THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA 2
Bon voyage docksiders
Unidentified THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA 3
Engine room
Unidentified THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA 6
Waiters and stewards
Unidentified THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA 7
Deck and gangplank passengers
Unidentified THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA 8
Dining room passengers
Unidentified THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA 9
Lounge passengers
Unidentified THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA 10
Poolside passengers
Unidentified THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA 11
Panamanian soldiers
Lewis Milestone
Producer
Lewis Milestone
Director
Wallace Smith
Novel
Wallace Smith
Screenplay
Arnold Belgard
Continuity
Joseph August
Photography
Gene Milford
Film Editor
George Cooper
Sound Engineer
Louis Silvers
Original Music
Robert Kalloch
Costume Design
Nate Watt
Assistant Director
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