Watch Waikiki Wedding For Free

How sad is this?

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

"Waikiki Wedding" is a very lightweight film starring Bing Crosby. While it is quite watchable, sometimes the humor is very, very broad and the story a bit predictable.When the film begins, the big boss at a pineapple company is upset because Miss Pineapple is upset. It seems that the lady who won this beauty contest and who has been brought to Hawaii is NOT enjoying her stay and things that all the talk about romance in the islands is a sham. And, if she goes home and talks about her experiences, it can't help but hurt sales. So, the company's #1 brain, Marvin (Crosby) concocts a long and complicated scheme to give her some excitement and romance. The only trouble is after a while, Marvin has really fallen for her and he feels like a rat.So why do I give this light romance only a 5? Well, to put it very succinctly--Martha Raye. The comedienne has never been one of my favorites but here she is just awful--very, very broad and annoying. I think without the humor, the film would have actually worked better as I liked the romance. Still, it's a decent little time-passer if you can get past Raye's annoying antics--and the presence of a wild chimp living in the jungles of Hawaii!

A mixed blessing. Bing, as usual is in fine form, and the songs are not only worth listening to because of Bing's mastery, but the Rainger-Robin numbers are reasonably attractive in their own right. Of course the stand-out is "Sweer Leilani" by Harry Owens. The story, however, is another matter. True, it starts most promisingly and for a while there it looks as if George Barbier and Grady Sutton are going to enjoy some stellar moments. But this promising sub-plot is soon all but junked in favor of a ridiculous lot of drivel about a stolen black pearl which the script writers themselves undermine when they turn it into a Clayton's affair. (For those unacquainted with liquor, the non-alcoholic Clayton's is extensively advertised as "the drink you have when you're not having a drink." Therefore a Clayton's plot is the plot you have when you're not having a plot). Poor old Anthony Quinn is cast in this segment and looks as puzzled by the script's casual turnabout as we do. Of course, if you decide midway through your movie to junk your plot, you've got to produce a substitute. This the writers promptly do. In fact, they produce two substitutes. The first is a series of strained slapstick scenes involving Martha Raye and Bob Burns, and the second a slightly more bearable but nonetheless ridiculous lot of twaddle involving Bob Burns and Leif Erickson. But the writers do have a nice trick up their sleeve for the Crosby-Ross fade-out. Unfortunately, they forgot to tell director Frank Tuttle to make sure the actress involved, Emma Dunn, played her scene tongue-in-cheek. Maybe they did tell him and Tuttle refused. Or maybe they simply assumed that Tuttle would cotton on. Anyway, as the movie now ends, thanks to Tuttle's incompetence, it leaves a sour taste in the mouth. No audience likes to feel that it's being taken for a ride and critics don't like it either. If a scene is tongue-in-cheek is supposed to be played that way. In fact, the whole movie is a tongue-in-cheek affair. Quinn is obviously aware of this. Understandably, he looks rather puzzled and plays at half steam – which is certainly a good decision, especially if you're not receiving any advice from a seemingly unaware director. Crosby, of course, just breezes trough the movie in his usual fine, casual style. And photographically, my hat's off to Robert C. Bruce who has enlivened his location material with some really captivating yachts-at-dusk footage.

Bing Crosby was one of the biggest stars in the world for much of his career and this movie released in 1937 was the third biggest hit of the year. Supporting him are the hilarious duo of Bob burns and Martha Raye, especially who seems to spark every scene she's in with a splash of wine and vinegar. The plot as it is as PR man Bing who works for the Pineapple company located in Hawaii who has a Pr mishap on his hands when the girl brought in as the Pineapple girl goes sour on the island and intends to let everyone know how lousy and unexciting the island is. This for sure will hurt tourism so Bing has to save the day. So what else does a nagging Yenta need but a man who will keep her from leaving the island. The plot is on. Songs are interspersed BTW the action including one which supposedly became a million seller. Anthony Quinn who was years removed from his movie star days plays an Indian with his typical zest and good craftsmanship. The female lead who never amounted to much stardom of her own is pretty and really can sing. I do like the way the movie ends. It is slightly unconventionally but slightly forced in performance. But it works. It could be a good movie for some enterprising producer to remake.

WAIKIKI WEDDING (Paramount, 1937), directed by Frank Tuttle, is an enjoyable but sadly neglected musical set in Hawaii starring Paramount's box office attraction, Bing Crosby, crooning to the up-and-grooming Shirley Ross, a fine vocalist in her own right whose popularity faded as quickly as it started, with her peak years at Paramount being from 1936 to 1938. By 1939, she left the studio after appearing in some secondary roles, including another Crosby musical, Paris HONEYMOON (1938), in which the object to his affection there was a newcomer named Franciska Gaal, but to re-discover Shirley Ross, WAIKIKI WEDDING is a good introduction. And now for a brief synopsis and inside look of the movie.Set in Hawaii, the story begins with Tony Marvin (Bing Crosby) and his pal, Shad Buggle (Bob Burns), accompanied by his pet pig, attending a native wedding feast, in which Tony participated with a Hawaiian song. Tony, a smooth talking publicity man for J.B. Todhunter (George Barbier), president of a pineapple company, is hired to escort Georgia Smith (Shirley Ross), from Birch Falls, a "Miss Pineapple Queen" contest winner, on her Hawaiian tour, accompanied by her companion, Myrtle Finch (Martha Raye), who in turn becomes escorted by Shad. Because Georgia is not satisfied with her trip, threatening to return home to the states and refusing to participate in any publicity campaigns, Tony goes through extremes in keeping her in Hawaii, ranging from having her accused of smuggling a black pearl, abducted by a native group headed by Kimo (Anthony Quinn); vocalizing to her, and having her attend ceremonial dances. After discovering this whole affair to be nothing but tricks to keep her in Hawaii, the angry Georgia decides to book passage on the next boat to return home and marry her dull fiancé, Victor P. Quimby (Leif Erickson), causing Tony, who now loves her, to continue using provide more tricks instead of sincerity to keep her.Along with the lightweight plot and Hawaiian surroundings, the bright score by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin include: "Blue Hawaii" and "In a Little Hula Heaven" (sung by chorus during opening credits); "Nani Ona Pua" (sung by Bing Crosby); "Blue Hawaii" (sung by Crosby); "Blue Hawaii" (sung by Crosby and Shirley Ross); "Sweet Leilani" by Harry Owens, (sung by Crosby); "In a Little Hula Heaven" (sung by Crosby and Ross); "Okolehao" (sung by Martha Raye. Take notice how Raye's hair style changes midway through this number); "Sweet Is the Word for You" (sung by Crosby) and "Sweet Is the Word for You" (reprise, sung by Ross). While "Blue Hawaii" and "In a Little Hula Heaven" are the best sounding tunes for this production, it's the slower tempo lullaby of "Sweet Leilani" that became the Academy Award winning song of 1937.The supporting cast features Grady Sutton as Everett Todhunter; Granville Bates as Uncle Herman; George Regas, Emma Dunn, and Mitchell Lewis, among others.While "Waikiki Wedding," which runs at about 89 minutes, hasn't aired on any television station for quite some time now, it was distributed on video cassette in 1995 as part of the Bing Crosby collection, along with other titles as RHYTHM ON THE RANGE (1936) with Frances Farmer, and its WAIKIKI WEDDING co-stars, Bob Burns and Martha Raye, and a decade later onto DVD double featured with DOUBLE OR NOTHING (1937) also featuring Martha Raye. Oh, boy!!!! All films mentioned make recommended viewing for Crosby fans. (***)