Hi Gang! (1941) watch online HD

American silent and talkie stars Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon moved to England in the 1930s and continued making films. By 1940 or so they also invaded British radio with the popular "Hi Gang" variety series in which they starred as themselves. This film is an offshoot of the radio show with Lyon and Daniels playing themselves but as rival radio reporters in the US who are also married.

Very low budget but zippy with good songs and a ton of one liners as they bicker their way through the bizarre plot that has them "adopt" a boy evacuee from England. After a few mix-ups the "boy" turns out to be full-grown Graham Moffatt (from the hilarious Will Hay films of the era) and his crazed uncle, played by Moore Marriott (also from the Hay films). After these two go through a hilarious version of "Susannah's a Funny Old Man," radio listeners send in $50,000 to repair Moffatt's bombed-out castle. But that's just part of the crazy plot here.

Old pros Daniels and Lyon (both in films since the teens) are breezy and fun and both have excellent singing voices. Vic Oliver, as the nuisance sidekick, is mostly annoying. Marriott and Moffatt are hilarious as always. Supporting cast includes Felix Aylmer, Mavis Villiers, and Jacques Brown as Botticelli.

Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon star as radio personalities on rival networks in New York. A soon to be divorcing couple, each is constantly trying to one up the other, Ben mostly with the help of Vic Oliver.

Graham Moffatt and Moore Marriott also star, as an "evacuee from London" and the crazy uncle, though their comedy really needs the likes of either Askey or Hay to pick up a little more.

Plenty orf backstage fun, and some great numbers from Ms. Daniels make this a treat. 8/10

What a peculiar film. Based on a popular BBC Radio Variety show of the 40s, but apparently bearing very little resemblance to it, except for the title and the stars.

Surely one of the only British films ever largely set in the US (it does finally get to England for the last third), and to feature many English actors affecting American accents (admittedly much better than most American actors who try British accents). At least it comes naturally to Daniels and Lyon.

One has to wonder if the Brits, knowing nothing but the government monopoly of the BBC, could really appreciate a plot that's based around the rivalry between two American commercial networks.

It does have some funny spots, and some reasonably bright musical numbers, but the characters are extremely unpleasant for a morale boosting wartime comedy. Lyon and Daniels are absolutely ruthless in their efforts to top each other on behalf of their networks, and both are quite brutal towards Oliver, cast as a perpetual troublemaker. In the final scene, as the trio are flying back to America, Lyon and Daniels trick Oliver into stepping out of the plane. "But I haven't got a parachute" he shouts to them as he plummets to earth. "We know", they say cheerfully from the open plane door. We do see him then land in the water, so we know he isn't killed, but given that Oliver was married to the Prime Minister's daughter at the time, it does seem a bit unpatriotic.

A moderately enjoyable curiosity.

Marcel Varnel, master of cut-glass farce, directed Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyons in HI GANG!, based on their popular radio show, with sidekick Vic Oliver credited as "The Pest with Ideas" who keeps getting them into scrapes. They're a married couple and news broadcasters on competing radio networks in America. Eventually Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt show up and they wind up broadcasting in Britain.

Miss Daniels had certainly changed since she had played Dorothy Gale in 1910's THE WIZARD OF OZ and Mr. Lyons since he had appeared in HELL'S ANGELS. Their movie careers were about over, but they were certainly popular in Great Britain, and there are occasional bits that still work. Each sings some good songs (most of whose lyrics were written by co-screenwriter Val Guest). It's the sort of episodic mishmash that Varnel excelled at. The modern viewer will probably find it forced, but it's a fun piece of fluff.