Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Featuring Joe Besser (Solo)
65 min. (Feature Film)
Heavyweight champ Joe Palooka marries his longtime girlfriend Ann Howe, and the two head off to a country resort hotel for their honeymoon. But not before a car accident introduces them to a country bumpkin and strongman, Humphrey Pennyworth. Pennyworth fixes the Palookas' car and decides to follow them to guarantee his repairs. Meanwhile, Ann's innocent remark to a reporter creates headlines incorrectly claiming that the champ is retiring. In order to squelch the story, manager Knobby Walsh (Leon Errol) leads a group of reporters to the honeymooners for a face-to-face rebuttal. With them is rival fight promoter Mr. Belden (Jerome Cowan), who wants his fighter to challenge Palooka, until Humphrey takes him out with one blow. The hotel manager Mr. Carlton (Joe Besser) and the local mayor (Donald MacBride) ask Palooka to fight a benefit for a local boys' club, and Belden tries to sign on as Humphrey's manager. Knobby comes up with the idea to masquerade as European sports promoter Lord Poole to keep Humphrey from Belden's grasp, and ensure that the country boy doesn't knock Palooka from the championship spot.
Joe Kirkwood Jr.
Joe Palooka
Pamela Blake
Ann Howe
Leon Errol
Knobby Walsh / Lord Cecil Poole
Robert Coogan
Humphrey Pennyworth
Frank Sully
Looie
Eddie Gribbon
Canvasback
Don McGuire
Mitchell
Lillian Bronson
Prunella Pennyworth
Jerome Cowan
Belden
Russ Kaplan
Johnson
Joe Besser
Mr. Carlton
Clem Bevans
Ed Jones
Donald MacBride
Mayor
Curt Bois
Pierre
Sandra Gould
Laurine
Knox Manning
Radio announcer
Ray Walker
Lefty
Bert Conway
Shorty
Meyer Grace
Referee
Sam Balter
Fight announcer
Frosty Royce
Farmer
Jean Yarbrough
Director
Hal E. Chester
Producer
Bernard W. Burton
Associate Producer
Ham Fisher
Characters
Henry Blankfort
Screenplay
William A. Sickner
Director of Photography
Otho Lovering
Film Editor
Dave Milton
Art Director
Raymond Boltz Jr.
Set Decoration
John K. Kean
Sound
Edward Kay
Music
Leonard Harris
Wardrobe
Esther Krebs
Wardrobe
Charles Huber
Makeup
Lela Chambers
Hairdresser
Melville Shyer
Assistant Director
Allen K. Wood
Production Manager
Gabe Dell
Dialogue Director
Mary Chaffee
Script Supervisor
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