Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Featuring Moe Howard and Curly Howard (Solo)
85 min. (Feature Film)
Fictional show biz saga of the Hackett family, covering three generations. Turn-of-the-century vaudeville headliners Lulu and Ted Hackett bring their young son Ted Jr. into the act, and watch him become the star as vaudeville matures into an American entertainment tradition. The act graduates to Broadway and young Ted's rise to fame is spectacular... and so is his downfall. Lulu and Ted are left to raise their young grandson Ted III, and try to keep him from falling into his father's bad habits when Hollywood beckons.
Moe and Curly Howard cameo as Dutch-accented stage clowns of dubious character (virtually unrecognizable in full clown makeup), who mug a drunken Ted Jr. for his bankroll.
The story is loosely based/inspired by the Cohan and Foy families.
Frank Morgan
Ted Hackett
Alice Brady
Lulu Hackett
Russell Hardie
Ted Hackett Jr.
Jackie Cooper
Ted Hackett Jr., as child
Madge Evans
Anne Ainsley
Eddie Quillan
Ted Hackett III
Mickey Rooney
Ted Hackett III, as child
Bobby Somers
Ted Hackett III, as baby
Robert Greig
Diamond Jim Brady
Edward Brophy
Joe Mannion
Nelson Eddy
John Sylvester
Edwin Maxwell
Rockwell
Jean Howard
Grace
Ruth Channing
Wanda
Claire DuBrey
Clara
Tad Alexander
David
Helen Parrish
Cousin
Tenen Holtz
Max, booking agent
Muriel Evans
Maid
May Robson
Elderly actress
Moe Howard
Dutch clown # 1
Jerry Howard
Dutch clown # 2
Fay Templeton
Production number singer
Una Merkel
Chorus girl
Tom Nawn & Company
Performers
Frank Jenks
Call boy
Miriam Marlin
Chorine
Isabelle Keith
Girl in movie clip
The Albertina Rasch Girls
Dancers
Rice & Cady
Performers
Edward Peil, Sr.
Stage manager
Forrest Taylor
Mr. Conway, Director
Sherry Hall
Assistant on movie set
Lew Fields
Himself
Joe Weber
Himself
Jimmy Durante
Himself
Leo White
Mr. Weber
Marie Dressler
archive footage
Josephine Sable
archive footage
DeWolf Hopper
archive footage
William Collier Sr.
archive footage
Louis Mann
archive footage
Barney Fagan
archive footage
Willard Mack
Director
Jules White
Assistant Director
John Waters
Assistant Director
Harry Rapf
Producer
Edgar Allan Woolf
Screenplay
Willard Mack
Screenplay
Norbert Brodine
Photography
William H. Daniels
Photography
William S. Gray
Film Editor
Ben Lewis
Film Editor
Douglas Shearer
Recording Director
Stanwood Rogers
Art Director
Edwin B. Willis
Set Decoration
William Axt
Musical Arrangement
Dimitri Tiomkin
Music
Albertina Rasch
Dance Director
Sammy Lee
Dance Director
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