Going Wild

About the production

The film was originally conceived and filmed as a full-scale musical, but due to a sudden shift in public taste against the genre in late 1930, Warner Bros. ordered nearly all musical numbers to be cut before release. This resulted in several jarring transitions where characters appear ready to sing but the scene abruptly changes. The production utilized a Travel Air 9000/4000 aircraft, nicknamed 'The Zoom,' for the aerial stunts. Director William A. Seiter had to manage the transition of Joe E. Brown from a stage comedian to a screen star, emphasizing his physical comedy and 'big mouth' persona which became the film's primary marketing hook.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Audiences in 1930 encountered Going Wild at a point when the pre-war was reshaping what movies could say and show. Seiter. The film stars many musical stars along with Joe E.

Why this film matters

Going Wild continues to attract interest because it captures a distinctive pre-war approach to character and spectacle.

Making of

The making of 'Going Wild' was marked by the industry-wide panic regarding the 'death' of the movie musical. After the initial craze of 1929, audiences by late 1930 were actively avoiding films advertised as musicals. Consequently, First National executives spent weeks in the editing room hacking out expensive song-and-dance sequences. This left several cast members, who were hired specifically for their singing voices (like Bernice Claire and Irene Delroy), with significantly reduced roles or appearing only in the background. The aerial sequences were filmed using real aircraft with stunt pilots, though Joe E. Brown performed many of his own physical gags in a cockpit mock-up on the studio lot, including a famous sequence involving a Murphy bed and a vacuum cleaner used for 'flight training.'

What critics said

Later criticism frames Going Wild through restoration quality and its director or studio filmography.

Did you know?

• The film is based on the 1910 Broadway play 'The Aviator' by James Montgomery.
• It was one of three Joe E. Brown films from 1930-1931 (along with Top Speed and Sit Tight) that had their musical numbers removed post-production.
• A French-language version titled 'L'aviateur' was filmed simultaneously, starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in the lead role.
• The film features a rare pre-Code scene involving a woman undressing, which would have been censored just a few years later.
• The aircraft used in the film, a Travel Air 4000 (NC4421), later appeared in the 1933 film 'Skyway'.
• Joe E. Brown and Laura Lee perform the only surviving song in the film, 'My Hero Mine,' though it was not listed on the official press sheets.
• The film was booked as the opening attraction for the luxurious Warner San Pedro Theatre in January 1931.
• Walter Pidgeon, who plays the rival 'Ace' Benton, would later become a major MGM dramatic star and two-time Oscar nominee.
• The plot of a man pretending to be a pilot was a popular trope of the era, also seen in the 1929 film 'The Aviator' starring Edward Everett Horton.

Visual style

The film was shot by Sol Polito, a cinematographer who would later work on 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' and 'Casablanca'. Polito utilized innovative camera mounts to capture the aerial footage, giving the flight sequences a sense of realism and danger that was advanced for 1930. The interior scenes at the Palm Inn utilize the high-key lighting typical of early 1930s comedies to emphasize the glamorous resort setting.

Innovations

The film is notable for its early use of rear-projection for some of the cockpit close-ups, allowing Joe E. Brown to perform his facial contortions while seemingly in flight. The synchronization of sound for the aerial race was also a significant technical challenge, requiring the blending of location-recorded engine noises with studio-recorded dialogue.

Music

The original score was composed by Erno Rapee and David Mendoza. While most of the songs were cut, the background score remains, often featuring instrumental versions of the deleted numbers. The only featured song is 'My Hero Mine,' a comedic duet between Joe E. Brown and Laura Lee. The film also made extensive use of the Warner Bros./First National sound effects library, particularly for the roar of the airplane engines and the comedic 'whizzes' and 'thumps' during the slapstick sequences.

Famous quotes

Rollo: 'I've never been up in a plane, but I've read a lot about them. It can't be much harder than driving a Ford!'

Jack Lane: 'You're not a pilot, Rollo, you're a miracle! If you get off the ground, it'll be the first time gravity ever took a holiday.'

Rollo: 'I'm not just an ace, I'm the whole deck!'

Memorable scenes

• The 'Flight Training' Scene: Rollo attempts to learn how to fly in his hotel room using a Murphy bed as a cockpit, a vacuum cleaner for engine noise, and an electric fan to simulate wind.
• The Aerial Race: The climactic sequence where Rollo accidentally takes off and spends the entire race trying to figure out how to land while inadvertently performing death-defying stunts.
• The Train Ejection: The opening scene where Rollo and Jack are unceremoniously tossed off the train, setting the plot in motion through a case of being in the right place at the wrong time.

What audiences thought

The film was a significant hit with general audiences, who embraced Joe E. Brown's boisterous comedy. It performed well at the box office, proving that Brown could carry a film on his comedic timing alone without the need for musical spectacle. Audiences particularly enjoyed the 'training' sequence and the climactic, chaotic air race, which provided the kind of escapist thrills sought during the early years of the Depression.

Film connections

Influenced by

• The Aviator (1910 play)
• The Aviator (1929 film)
• Buster Keaton's physical comedy style

This film influenced

• Skyway (1933)
• The Flying Deuces (1939)
• The Paleface (1948)

Film restoration

The film is preserved. A 35mm print is held in the Library of Congress collection. It has been released on DVD as part of the Warner Archive Collection.

Where to watch

• Warner Archive Collection (DVD)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) occasional broadcasts
• Digital rental/purchase on platforms like Amazon or Apple TV in certain regions