The Merry Monahans 80 years old
On top of the world or out on their ear...They're the merriest, maddest, lovin'est gang that ever hoofed and spoofed their way to the Big Time!
The Merry Monahans is one of the higher-budgeted Universal musicals of the 1940s, even though the storyline is strictly grade-B material. During the first two decades of the 20th century the film concerns a family vaudeville troupe headed by patriarch Pete Monahan (Jack Oakie). Because of his love affair with the bottle, Pete manages to get himself and his family blacklisted from every major vaude house in the country. Though Pete's kids Jimmy (Donald O'Connor) and Patsy (Peggy Ryan) love their dad, they're forced to break away from the act and go off on their own to survive. Eventually, the whole gang is reunited in a shamelessly lachrymose musical finale. Producer-scripters Michael Fessier and Ernest Pagano, whose other works include such offbeat comedies as San Diego I Love You, Frontier Gal and That's the Spirit, manage to keep the proceedings relatively cliché-free, though it's an uphill climb.
Credits
The Merry Monahans Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Rosemary DeCamp She was 33, 90 years old when she died | as Lillian DeRoyce |
| Donald O'Connor He was 19, 78 years old when he died | as Jimmy Monahan |
| Ann Blyth She was 16, now 96 years old | as Sheila DeRoyce |
| John Miljan He was 51, 67 years old when he died | as Arnold Pembroke |
| Robert Homans He was 66, 69 years old when he died | as Policeman |
| Gavin Muir He was 44, 71 years old when he died | as Weldon Laydon |
| Ian Wolfe He was 47, 95 years old when he died | as Clerk |
| Peggy Ryan She was 20, 80 years old when she died | as Patsy Monahan |
| Jack Oakie He was 40, 74 years old when he died | as Pete Monahan |
| Lloyd Ingraham He was 69, 81 years old when he died | as Judge |
| Isabel Jewell She was 37, 64 years old when she died | as Rose |
| Marion Martin She was 35, 76 years old when she died | as Soubrette |
The Merry Monahans Crew
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Michael Fessier as Screenplay. He was 38 (82) years old when He died | Writing |
| Charles Lamont as Director. He was 49 (98) years old when He died | Directing |
| Ernest Pagano as Screenplay. He was 43 (52) years old when He died | Writing |
The Merry Monahans (80 years)
On top of the world or out on their ear...They're the merriest, maddest, lovin'est gang that ever hoofed and spoofed their way to the Big Time!
- Release day: Friday, September 15, 1944
- Runtime: 91 minutes