Rain or Shine (1930)

Rain or Shine (1930). 1h 28m | Passed

“RAIN OR SHINE is a neat little circus film directed by Frank Capra and based on a Broadway musical that ran for almost a year in 1928.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBy the time this film went into production, the vogue for musicals was over, so all the songs were cut from the film (a common occurrence in 1930). Still, there was enough plot to carry the 90-minute film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eJoe Cook was the star. The long-forgotten, Cook was a major star on Broadway. His nickname was u0026quot;the one-man vaudevilleu0026quot; because he could sing, dance, do comedy, and perform a series of juggling tricks. Cook made his film debut in a 1929 talkie short called AT THE BALLGAME.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn RAIN OR SHINE he plays the fast-talking manager of a failing circus owned by a girl (Joan Peers) who inherited it from her father. Two employees are in cahoots to ensure the circus fails so they can take it over. In a weak subplot, Peers and her boyfriend (William Collier, Jr.) attend a disastrous dinner party at his snooty parentsu0026#39; mansion.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCook is front and center through most of the film as he attends to all the problems and egos under the big top. Thereu0026#39;s also a funny running gag with Cook and a local citizen (Tom Howard) and how he becomes a partner with the help of the Princess (Louise Fazenda).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe finale is quite exciting after the bank attaches the dayu0026#39;s receipts and the performers realize they wonu0026#39;t get paid. Cook is terrific in a series of circus tricks as he tries to put on a big-top show all by himself. Peers and Collier are OK as the young lovers, Fazenda has little to do, Howard is funny as the local, and Dave Chasen (who founded the famous restaurant) is funny as the stooge.”