Flying High (1931) is basically Bert Lahr being loud for 80 minutes

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, you should only watch this if you have a high tolerance for early 1930s screaming. It is great for people who love seeing weird old inventions and stage actors who haven't learned to be quiet for the camera yet.

If you hate musicals where the plot stops for ten minutes so people can dance in a circle, you will probably want to throw your remote. It is a very specific kind of chaos.

I watched this on a Tuesday night when I couldn't sleep. It felt like a fever dream, mostly because of Bert Lahr.

You know him as the Cowardly Lion, but here he is Rusty. He makes these vibrating noises with his lips that are actually kind of stressful if you wear headphones. 🎧

He has this flying machine called the Aerocopter. It looks like someone glued a bicycle to a ceiling fan and hoped for the best.

The movie starts and it's just noise. Everyone is talking at once, which I guess was the style back then when they finally got microphones.

There is this one lady, Charlotte Greenwood, who plays Pansy. She is incredibly tall and her legs seem to go on forever when she dances.

She wants to marry Rusty so bad it’s almost scary. She basically hunts him down through the whole movie. 🏃‍♀️

There is a scene where she tries to hide him in her room. It’s all very slapstick and loud, like a cartoon but with real people who are sweating a lot.

The music is... okay? I don't remember any of the tunes now that it's over.

One song is about being a pilot, I think. Or maybe it was about the machine. It doesn't really matter because the dancing is what catches you.

The chorus girls are doing these synchronized moves that look like they practiced for about twenty minutes. It’s charming in a messy way.

It reminds me a bit of Her Golden Calf because of that stage-to-screen awkwardness. Everything feels like it’s happening in a box.

Wait, I have to talk about the physical exam scene. This is the part people usually remember if they’ve seen this.

Rusty has to get a medical checkup to fly in the big race. The doctor is played by Guy Kibbee, who always looks like he just woke up from a nap.

The way Lahr reacts to being poked and prodded is pure vaudeville. He bounces off the walls and makes these honking sounds.

It goes on for way too long. Like, five minutes too long. 🤡

But you can't look away because he’s so committed to being a complete weirdo. It’s almost impressive how much energy he has.

Pat O'Brien is in this too. He plays the straight man, the guy who is actually trying to make the plane work.

He looks like he’s in a completely different movie. He’s serious and fast-talking, while Lahr is basically a human gummy bear.

The flying scenes at the end are terrible in the best way possible. You can clearly see the strings and the fake clouds.

At one point they go so high they end up in some weird frozen area. They start throwing things off the plane to stay light.

The logic is totally gone by this point. I think they even stop for a song while they are supposedly falling to their deaths.

It’s a bit like Burn 'Em Up Barnes with the racing stuff, but much more ridiculous. Less grit, more glitter and yelling.

I noticed the film quality gets real grainy during the outdoor shots. It’s like they switched cameras and didn’t tell anyone. 🎥

There’s also this weird bit with a parachute that doesn’t open. Or it does? I got confused because of the editing.

The movie doesn't really have a 'message'. It’s just about a guy who doesn't want to get married and wants to fly a junk pile.

Some of the jokes are definitely old. Like, you can tell they were meant for a theater audience in 1930 who hadn't seen much else.

I found myself checking my phone during the longer dance numbers. They just... keep... going.

But then Charlotte Greenwood will do a high kick that hits her own forehead and you’re back in. She’s a machine.

If you’ve seen One Exciting Day, you know how these early talkies can feel a bit clunky. This one is clunky but has a lot of spirit.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely even a cohesive movie. It’s more like a bunch of sketches held together by airplane glue.

I liked the orchestra bits though. Gus Arnheim and his boys really know how to swing, even if the sound recording is fuzzy.

The ending is very abrupt. It’s like the director just ran out of film and said, "Okay, that's enough, everyone go home."

Rusty wins, I think? And he gets the girl, even though he spent the whole movie running away from her. Typical.

It’s a weird artifact. It makes you realize how much movies changed in just five years after this.

By the time 1936 rolled around, this would have looked like it was from the stone age. 🦴

Check it out if you want to see Lahr before he put on the lion suit. Just be ready for the shouting.

I give it points for the Aerocopter. It’s the coolest looking piece of junk I've seen in a while.

Actually, I kind of want one for my backyard. Without the singing, preferably.

One last thing—the outfits are wild. Huge hats and pants that come up to everyone's chest.

It’s a fun time if you don't think too hard. If you start thinking, the whole thing falls apart like a wet paper bag.

Enjoy the madness. ✈️