Difference between revisions of "Whoopee!"

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[[File:Whoopee poster.jpg|250px|thumb]]
 
[[File:Whoopee poster.jpg|250px|thumb]]
'''Whoopee!''' is a 1930 comedy film by Florenz Ziegfeld, Samuel Goldwyn. Directed by Thornton Freeland and released October 5, 1930, this movie starring [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Cantor Eddie Cantor], Ethel Shutta, Paul Gregory, and Eleanor Hunt. It was photographed in two-color Technicolor. Its plot closely follows the 1928 stage show produced by Florenz Ziegfeld.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoopee!_ Whoopee!]. Retrieved December 29, 2020.(film)</ref>
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'''Whoopee!''' is a 1930 comedy film created by Florenz Ziegfeld, Samuel Goldwyn. Directed by Thornton Freeland and released October 5, 1930. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Cantor Eddie Cantor], Ethel Shutta, Paul Gregory, and Eleanor Hunt star in this film directed by Thornton Freeland and released on October 5, 1930. It was shot in Technicolor in two colors. Its plot is based on Florenz Ziegfeld's 1928 Broadway production.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whoopee!_ Whoopee!]. Retrieved December 29, 2020.(film)</ref>
  
 
Whoopee was part of a wave of “all-singing, all-dancing” musicals that hit the U.S. with the advent of talking pictures.
 
Whoopee was part of a wave of “all-singing, all-dancing” musicals that hit the U.S. with the advent of talking pictures.
  
 
==Plot==
 
==Plot==
Sally Morgan has long been in love with Wanenis, an Indian who lives near her father's ranch, her father has convinced her to become engaged to Sheriff Bob Wells while Wanenis is away being educated in the ways of the white man. Unwilling to go through with the marriage, Sally, who hopes to convince Wanenis to elope with her, prevails upon Henry Williams (Eddie Cantor), a kind-hearted hypochondriac living on the ranch, to take her away in his ramshackle Ford. With her father and Wells in pursuit, Sally and Henry run out of gas, but steal fuel from a car belonging to Jerome Underwood, whose ranch they later go to for food. When Wells and his deputies arrive at the ranch, Henry, now working as the cook, disguises himself in blackface. Later he narrowly escapes the sheriff and takes refuge in an Indian reservation. Wanenis, believing that his race makes his love for Sally impossible, has abandoned white civilization, and Sally is about to be carried off by her father when Matafay, an Indian woman who is to marry Wanenis, forces Chief Black Eagle to reveal the truth, that he adopted Wanenis, who was the orphaned baby son of a white couple who died. Sally's father now consents to the marriage and Henry finally proposes to his devoted nurse, Mary Custer.<ref>[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95738/whoopee#synopsis Whoopee!], Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved December 29, 2020.</ref>
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Sally Morgan has long been in love with Wanenis, an Indian who lives near her father's ranch, but her father has persuaded her to marry Sheriff Bob Wells while Wanenis is away learning white man's ways. Sally, who hopes to persuade Wanenis to elope with her, convinces Henry Williams (Eddie Cantor), a kind-hearted hypochondriac who lives on the ranch, to drive her away in his ramshackle Ford. Sally and Henry run out of gas while being pursued by her father and Wells, so they rob gas from a car belonging to Jerome Underwood, whose ranch they later visit for food. When Wells and his deputies arrive at the ranch, Henry, who is now working as a chef, wears blackface to conceal his identity. He somehow manages to elude the sheriff and seeks shelter on an Indian reservation. Wanenis has betrayed white society, thinking that his race prevents him from loving Sally, and Sally is about to be abducted by her father when Matafay, an Indian woman who is to marry Wanenis, causes Chief Black Eagle to discover the truth: Wanenis was the orphaned baby son of a white couple who died. Sally's father now agrees to the engagement, and Henry proposes to Mary Custer, his faithful nurse.<ref>[https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/95738/whoopee#synopsis Whoopee!], Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved December 29, 2020.</ref>
  
 
[[File:Whoopee.jpg|250px|thumb]]
 
[[File:Whoopee.jpg|250px|thumb]]
 
==Blackface==
 
==Blackface==
According to a 2 Jul 1971 DV article, The Museum of Modern Art in New York had recently located a print of the film in a Czech film archive and would be working on a restoration and possible re-issue. According to the article, a print of the film had been kept in a Berlin archive, but when Russian troops took control of that section of the city in 1945, they took possession of the archive and subsequently transferred the original nitrate print onto safety stock using the Ferrania color process. As noted in 1977 news items, when the film was revived for a Los Angeles showing that year, the racial stereotypes, including Cantor's sequence in blackface, were criticized.<ref>[https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/1766 WHOOPEE!], AFI Catalog. Retrieved December 29, 2020.</ref>
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The Museum of Modern Art in New York had recently found a print of the film in a Czech film archive and will be working on a revival and future re-issue, according to a 2 Jul 1971 DV post. According to the source, a print of the film was stored in a Berlin archive, but when Russian troops took hold of that part of the city in 1945, they seized the archive and used the Ferrania color process to move the original nitrate print onto safety stock. When the film was resurrected for a Los Angeles screening in 1977, the racist prejudices, including Cantor's scene in blackface, were denounced, according to news reports.<ref>[https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/1766 WHOOPEE!], AFI Catalog. Retrieved December 29, 2020.</ref>
  
Blackface performances were condemned as offensive from the beginning. Civil rights organizations have publicly condemned blackface for decades, saying it dehumanizes blacks by introducing and reinforcing racial stereotypes.<ref>Holland, Jesse J. [https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/ap-explains-racist-history-of-blackface-began-in-the-1830s-02-05-2019 AP Explains: Racist history of blackface began in the 1830s], komonews.com, 6 February 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2020.</ref>
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From the outset, blackface displays were considered offensive. For decades, civil rights groups have publicly criticized blackface, claiming that it dehumanizes black people by introducing and reinforcing ethnic prejudices.<ref>Holland, Jesse J. [https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/ap-explains-racist-history-of-blackface-began-in-the-1830s-02-05-2019 AP Explains: Racist history of blackface began in the 1830s], komonews.com, 6 February 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2020.</ref>
  
 
==Awards==
 
==Awards==

Revision as of 14:43, 14 March 2021

Whoopee poster.jpg

Whoopee! is a 1930 comedy film created by Florenz Ziegfeld, Samuel Goldwyn. Directed by Thornton Freeland and released October 5, 1930. Eddie Cantor, Ethel Shutta, Paul Gregory, and Eleanor Hunt star in this film directed by Thornton Freeland and released on October 5, 1930. It was shot in Technicolor in two colors. Its plot is based on Florenz Ziegfeld's 1928 Broadway production.[1]

Whoopee was part of a wave of “all-singing, all-dancing” musicals that hit the U.S. with the advent of talking pictures.

Plot

Sally Morgan has long been in love with Wanenis, an Indian who lives near her father's ranch, but her father has persuaded her to marry Sheriff Bob Wells while Wanenis is away learning white man's ways. Sally, who hopes to persuade Wanenis to elope with her, convinces Henry Williams (Eddie Cantor), a kind-hearted hypochondriac who lives on the ranch, to drive her away in his ramshackle Ford. Sally and Henry run out of gas while being pursued by her father and Wells, so they rob gas from a car belonging to Jerome Underwood, whose ranch they later visit for food. When Wells and his deputies arrive at the ranch, Henry, who is now working as a chef, wears blackface to conceal his identity. He somehow manages to elude the sheriff and seeks shelter on an Indian reservation. Wanenis has betrayed white society, thinking that his race prevents him from loving Sally, and Sally is about to be abducted by her father when Matafay, an Indian woman who is to marry Wanenis, causes Chief Black Eagle to discover the truth: Wanenis was the orphaned baby son of a white couple who died. Sally's father now agrees to the engagement, and Henry proposes to Mary Custer, his faithful nurse.[2]

Whoopee.jpg

Blackface

The Museum of Modern Art in New York had recently found a print of the film in a Czech film archive and will be working on a revival and future re-issue, according to a 2 Jul 1971 DV post. According to the source, a print of the film was stored in a Berlin archive, but when Russian troops took hold of that part of the city in 1945, they seized the archive and used the Ferrania color process to move the original nitrate print onto safety stock. When the film was resurrected for a Los Angeles screening in 1977, the racist prejudices, including Cantor's scene in blackface, were denounced, according to news reports.[3]

From the outset, blackface displays were considered offensive. For decades, civil rights groups have publicly criticized blackface, claiming that it dehumanizes black people by introducing and reinforcing ethnic prejudices.[4]

Awards

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction by Richard Day.

External Link

Whoopee! at IMDb
Watch Makin' Whoopee song performed by Eddie Cantor at Youtube

References

  1. Whoopee!. Retrieved December 29, 2020.(film)
  2. Whoopee!, Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  3. WHOOPEE!, AFI Catalog. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  4. Holland, Jesse J. AP Explains: Racist history of blackface began in the 1830s, komonews.com, 6 February 2019. Retrieved December 29, 2020.