User reviews

Jack Carson and Ann Sothern are such capable professionals that even when they are cast in something like APRIL SHOWERS they are worth watching. Carson rarely got leading roles, except in the "B" film or programmer such as this one and Ann Sotheran was just winding up all of her "Maisie" roles at MGM to do this unpretentious little musical at Warner Bros.

Together they're fun to watch as a married couple, a pair of show biz hoofers who give out with a song and dance patter when they're not having domestic troubles over the legitimacy of using an underage boy (their son) in their vaudeville act.

It's all done in a formula way with no big surprises, no characters that are more than conventional and without the kind of production numbers that studios like Fox and MGM gave their musicals. And yet, with a nice balance between some serious drama and mostly lightweight singing and dancing, it's the kind of musical that's easy to take.

The usual supporting players under contract at Warner Bros. are used to fill out the supporting roles, including Robert Alda and S.Z. Sakall.

Carson and Sothern are both capable enough to make us believe this sort of thing could easily have happened and both of them have a nice way with a song and dance. Little Robert Ellis is very adept as their talented youngster.

Summing up: A nice, unpretentious little film to watch on a rainy day.

Jack Carson's performance of an alcoholic vaudevillian who gets a few bad breaks highlights April Showers. Roles like this made Carson's studio Warner Brothers and others start taking him seriously as an actor as opposed to a funny man who specialized in blowhards.

Carson and Ann Sothern are a vaudeville team during the first score of years in the 20th century. They're doing all right, but when they add their kid Robert Ellis to the act they start getting better bookings and even dream of the Palace in New York.

But that dream gets shattered when the blue noses start insisting on child labor laws being enforced. They no longer get the billings and Carson turns to drink. And another performer Robert Alda starts throwing his intentions Ann's way.

Including the title song the score is interpolated from a variety of sources of music from the period. Young Mr. Ellis proves to be quite the terpsichorean, no wonder he made the act for them.

Sothern lends good support and a good singing voice. But April Showers is really Jack Carson's picture.

The 1957 film 'The Buster Keaton Story' was ostensibly a biopic of silent-film comedian Keaton, but went far out of its way to tell Keaton's life story inaccurately ... and came up with a fiction that wasn't even very entertaining. A vastly better film, 'The Comic' (1969), depicted the life and career of an allegedly fictional silent-film comedian but actually gave a largely accurate account of Keaton's adult life and career. The 1948 Warner Bros musical 'April Showers', conversely, would seem to have been inspired by Buster Keaton's adolescent years as a star performer in vaudeville. As Keaton's major work in the Hollywood studio system was done for MGM, I'm intrigued that someone at Warner Brothers knew enough about Keaton's early life to create this film ... especially in 1948, when Keaton's career was at a low ebb.

The official stars of this film are Jack Carson (excellent!) and Ann Sothern as married vaudevillains Joe and June Tyme. (Keaton's vaudevillain parents were named Joe and Myra.) The act isn't doing well, and the Tymes can barely afford to pay the tuition for their son Buster who's in military school. Eventually, Buster Tyme is reunited with his parents in a theatrical boarding-house. Young Buster is played by Robert Ellis, a teenaged actor previously unknown to me. What a dynamic talent! (Why didn't this movie make Ellis a star?) In the boarding-house, Buster goes into a rousing rendition of 'Are You from Dixie?'. He sings, he dances, he turns cartwheels. Ellis gives a good acting performance as well; he shows real chemistry in his scenes with Carson, as they affectionately address each other as 'Big Tyme' and 'Small Tyme'.

Naturally, Joe and June put Buster into their small-time vaude act ... and they swiftly become a big-time hit. (In real life, Buster Keaton was part of his parents' stage act almost from birth ... and he quickly became the act's star.) But just when times are changing for the Tymes, along come a bunch of do-gooders who want to keep children off the stage. There's an implausible and unfunny scene here in which Buster tries to defuse the do-gooders by pretending to be a midget, smoking a cigar and talking in a deep voice. It doesn't help that the 'midget' voice is badly post-dubbed, and is clearly supplied by Mel Blanc doing his usual Barney Rubble turn. At the edge of these proceedings, a real midget (actor Billy Curtis) only emphasises the tastelessness of this scene.

With Buster out of the act, Joe and June are back in the small time again. Joe's drinking starts to jeopardise the act and the family (as was the case with Joe Keaton's alcoholism). June Tyme encounters suave stranger Billy Shay (Robert Alda, in an unsympathetic role), who seems to have designs on June. The ending is predictable and unconvincing.

Modern audiences might have trouble believing this film's central plot device: namely, that a talented and eager performer would be kept off the stage merely because he's not an adult. Actually, 'April Showers' gets this right. In America's vaudeville era, there was a powerful organisation called the Gerry Society, dedicated to preventing children from performing before age 16. At one point, Buster Keaton's parents actually considered passing him off as a midget to escape the Gerries' scrutiny. The Gerry Society's power extended beyond vaudeville: in the 1940 Broadway musical 'Panama Hattie', Ethel Merman was supposed to sing and dance a duet with child performer Joan Carroll, but the Gerries prevented Carroll from singing or dancing ... so she had to march in tempo with the music while chanting the lyric.

'April Showers' is weakly directed by James V Kern, a former musical comedian (one of the Yacht Club Boys) who lacks a sure touch. This movie should have been helmed by Warners contract director David Butler, who is woefully underrated. I'll rate 'April Showers' just 5 points out of 10, despite Robert Ellis's dynamic performance.

I am an inveterate movie fan and am astonished that this little gem of a flick managed to escape my attention. I only saw it today (10/26/03) for the first time. Although Warner's Forties period musicals ("Shine On, Harvest Moon," "Daughter of Rosie O'Grady," et alia) couldn't quite match those of 20th Century-Fox's, especially those of Grable and Faye, this was a a valiant effort and totally watchable. The 15-year-old Billy Ellis' portrayal of the 12-year-old Small Tyme was a stretch, but he was such winning presence and so talented that one can forgive the producers for not making the character closer to the actor's true age. Sothern was wonderful. Even Jack Carson, an actor whose screen personality can often be grating, performed winningly in a starring role. Robert Alda rounded out the cast in a not very sympathetic part. This film gets my thumbs up.

"April Showers" is a film that supposedly is based on the life of Buster Keaton and his family during Vaudeville. However, despite the studio paying Keaton for rights to the story, the story is, essentially INSPIRED (kinda) by the Keatons. It is NOT a biographical film and is pretty sanitized. I don't know the full extent of it, but the REAL Keatons used Buster from a very, very young age (not 12 like in the movie) and the act was filled with violent slapstick (such as tossing the young Buster about the stage)! I think the sensitization, in part, was because 1940s audiences probably would have been horrified with how Buster's family treated (and mistreated) him. As for the family, they repeatedly told authorities Buster was a midget (which is mentioned once in the film)...hence no need to send him to school or protect his safety!

Joe and June Tyme are down and nearly out Vaudevillians. Their son is off somewhere in a boarding school while his parents work...but Buster wants to join them and runs away from school. He happens to arrive at the right time...as his parents are out of work. But Buster is so talented he immediately helps them get jobs. And, from then on, the act gains popularity and prestige. Unfortunately, Joe becomes a drunk and ruins the act...and June and Buster are forced to go on without him. This part of the film is rather unpleasant to say the least.

The odd thing about this film is that it is trying to get you to root for the Tymes to fool the authorities in New York into thinking Buster is a midget. It really is an example of horrible parenting!

This movie is entertaining because of young Robert Ellis (as Buster) is an amazingly talented young man--with great athleticism. His dancing scenes are pretty incredible to watch and it's a real shame the actor died when he was only 40. As for the rest of it, it's a bit too maudlin and downbeat to me anything more than a time-passer..that is until the rousing fist fight ending! Overall, it's not a bad film...just not a particularly enjoyable one during much of the time.

Came across movie by chance on Turner Classics. Joe Tyme takes to drink. Man loses wife, man, etc. etc. etc. Could have been a better story if more focus on Joe Tyme and his inability to cope with his problems. However, entertaining, light musical is really the genre of this picture despite the dark side.

"April Showers" is a cute musical starring Ann Sothern, Jack Carson, Bobby Ellis, Robert Alda, and S.J. Sakall.

The film is based on the true story of Buster Keaton, who was responsible for making his parents' vaudeville act successful.

Sothern and Carson are husband and wife Joe and June Tyme, vaudevillians who have a lousy show and, when we first come upon them, are fired from their job. However, Joe is always upbeat, and the couple is in love. Plus, they stay at a place where the proprietor (Sakall) carries them.

Their son Buster is away at school but is desperate to join his parents' act. He finally shows up and does so. The act becomes a huge hit with the talented dancer and comic working with them, and they ultimately receive an invitation to play New York. When they arrive, the theater manager is appalled -- Billy is underage and the local children's society will not allow him to work.

Their troubles are just beginning, as Joe gradually loses his good humor and takes up a battle with the bottle.

Everyone is very good, with Sothern singing beautifully. Carson sang beautifully as well, and I think it was his voice, as he was a singer. Bobby Ellis was wonderful. The numbers are cute but not spectacular.

I guess I would say there just isn't anything special enough to separate this out from other musicals of the era. The actors rose above the material.

There is one section where Bobby imitates a midget (and is dubbed by Mel Blanc) to convince the children's group in New York that he can work -- very politically incorrect. Things like that in old films can be quite jarring. Is it as jarring as seeing Katharine Hepburn as a Chinese woman in Dragon Seed? No, but it's noticeably in bad taste.

Some enjoyable moments. Sadly, Carson died at 53 and Bobby Ellis at 40. Two talented people, dead too soon.

Family picture from Warner Bros. hasn't enough comedic or dramatic elements to make an impression. A vaudevillian song-and-dance couple, barely surviving on one mediocre bill after another, finally hit pay dirt after bringing their precocious son into the act--but when the husband gets discouraged and hits the bottle, it may mean the end of his marriage. Jack Carson adds a little kick to the proceedings, but it's a half-empty star-vehicle. Production is surprisingly low-rent, while the athletic boy-star hardly seems the type to lay theater audiences in the aisles. Carson and Ann Sothern appear to have a rock-solid marriage (with lots of backstage smooching), so the addition of a potential romantic replacement for the husband is ludicrous. This scenario was ripe for satire and bite, however the handling is as mawkish and musty as the music. *1/2 from ****

This is a charming little musical filled with great old songs. However, the great find of this film, and the real reason to watch it, is the young actor Robert Ellis. He plays a 12 year son of the main characters. He dances and entertains and displays a delightful interaction with Jack Carson. His singing is less than ideal but the whole film is a wonderful example of the carefree style of musicals typical of its day. It is unfortunate that Mr. Ellis never lived up to his potential - for whatever reason - and died at such a young age. I intend to watch this film each time that Turner Classic Movies shows the good sense of airing it.

This is a heavily sanitized version of Buster Keaton's childhood. The truth is so much worse--he started out as a small child, and Joe Keaton threw Buster around the stage, beat him publicly, and in later life, when Joe was in full-blown alcoholism, came at his son with the express purpose of beating him up.

This musical leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That it's trite and boring only compounds the problem.

When I think of April Showers, I think of my aunt. It was one of the songs she sang to me. I also think of this movie. It's too bad that so many actors in this movie have passed on, even the kid that played Small Tyme. And recently, Ann Sothern. I saw Jack Carson as second banana in other movies, especially as a sidekick, that it is good that Jack could be the leading man for a change (in "April Showers"). It's too bad he had to play such a drunk, but I guess that's real life. I always love to watch The Tymes dance in this movie. I could watch them forever. I hate the part where Billy Shay beats up Small Tyme, although the part about Shay with the glamourous women is nice. I love old time tap dancing, but in today's tap classes I take at university the emphasis is on modern rhythm tap, with a lot of hip-hop added in. Females wear flat oxfords, and emphasis is not on "Broadway tap". That's a shame. I am of the old school, from the days of vaudeville and old movie musicals.

The 1948 Warner Brothers film April Showers is a satisfying little picture about show biz troupers. Jack Carson and Ann Sothern make the best of their roles however it is Robert Ellis as their son Buster who steals the show. With his "little man" antics and show biz talents he also steals your heart. Ann Sothern is lovely to look at in most of her numbers. With a little melodramatics sprinkled in the film remains wholesome family entertainment. This film is usually shown on Turner Classic Movies.

The Happy Tymes are flopping as a vaudeville act until they add their 12-year old son to the musical act. But then the family runs into trouble causing a brief split.

As long as the three principals are on stage singing and shaking legs, the movie shines, and that's despite the rather dour b&w. The melodramatic side, however, is overdone for a musical, especially the acrobatic fistfight that reminded me of a cowboy matinée. Then there's that really ill-advised impersonation of a midget, that, as another reviewer aptly put it, comes across as tasteless. Still, little Bobby Ellis is remarkable as the third Happy Tyme. His utter fluidity as a teen dancer made me think I have a deficient gene. As the two adult Tymes, Sothern and Carson are real troupers, their chemistry unforced and lively. Carson was really an underrated actor, adept at drama, comedy, and musicals, as he shows here. I'm not sure, however, that Alan would be proud of dad Robert Alda's role here as a sneaky opportunist. And, of course, no musical of the period would be complete without that giggling marshmallow, Cuddles Sakall. No, the musical may not be anything special, but it does have its musical moments.

(In passing—I caught several episodes of the old TV series Meet Corliss Archer (1954-55) that also featured Bobby Ellis, then about age 20. There he shows what an excellent comedic actor he was, in addition to his musical talents. In short, he made that show work, short-lived though the series was. I suspect his short stature and average looks prevented his eventually reaching stardom. Nonetheless, he certainly had the talent.)

Ann Sothern is an irreplaceable talent, and Jack Carson is always excellent. Young Bobby Ellis provides life to the fictional act and livens up the movie. The script needed a lot of polish it never got -- and would have been better if they hadn't followed Buster Keaton's storyline and simply went with a fictionalized account, leaving out the alcoholism that Carson so readily, and so inexplicably, runs to. Things go bad for a while, so the first thing you do is -- become an alcoholic, quit working, and give up your wife and kid? Not too realistic, then or now, but a typical Hollywood ploy. Carson wasn't an alcoholic and this doesn't play well or help the film in any way.

.....and seen this story before, with very little variation. Regardless of how this picture was promoted or exhibited, it is a "B" musical in all respects - and consequently offers a cast that does not include memorable singers, or skilled dancers, a cast populated by "stars" who were normally supporting players in musicals that had more original stories and far better production values. The characters? Ann Sothern's smiles sweetly and carries on bravely through circumstances that hardly seem to affect her; Jack Carson's chronic drunkenness is prompted by a law that necessitates the removal of his underage son from the family act. Such problems! Everything ends happily, of course, as it always did in the dozens of other pictures of this type. Jack Carson as a song-and-dance man? And a leading man besides? Where was Gene Nelson when you needed him? Dan Dailey?