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6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Happiness Ahead remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like 1930s movies where everyone talks fast and problems are solved by a catchy song, then yes, Happiness Ahead is a good pick for a lazy afternoon. It’s perfect for fans of Dick Powell before he started doing those tough-guy noir roles.
However, if you can’t stand the 'rich person pretends to be poor for fun' trope, this movie will probably make your teeth ache. It’s a very specific kind of old-school fluff.
So, we have Joan Bradford. She’s played by Josephine Hutchinson, and she’s basically living in a gold cage. Her mother is one of those classic movie moms who thinks a daughter is just a tool for social climbing.
Joan gets fed up and runs away—well, not really away, just into the 'real world' of diners and regular people. She meets Bob (Dick Powell). He’s a window washer. He’s really happy about washing windows.
I kept looking at the buckets and the harnesses they used back then. It looks incredibly dangerous. Bob is just swinging around up there like it’s nothing, singing his heart out. I’d be terrified.
The movie has this weird, bouncy energy. It’s a musical, but not a big, stagey one. The songs just kind of happen because Bob is a guy who sings while he works.
There’s a scene in a diner that feels very authentic to the era. The way they serve the food, the clinking of the heavy ceramic mugs. I like those small details. It makes the world feel lived-in, even if the plot is totally ridiculous.
I noticed a few moments where the editing is a bit jumpy. One second they are talking, and the next, the scene just cuts off. It’s not smooth. It feels like someone was in a hurry to get to the next song.
Frank McHugh is in this! He’s playing the sidekick, Tom. If you’ve seen more than three movies from the 30s, you know exactly what he’s doing. He has that laugh that sounds like a radiator. He’s great, though. He brings a lot of life to scenes that would otherwise be pretty dry.
The mother, played by Marjorie Gateson, is almost a villain. She’s so cold. There’s a scene where she’s looking at a guest list and she looks like she’s planning a military invasion instead of a party.
It’s a bit like Secrets of a Secretary where the high-society stuff feels so suffocating that you actually root for the main character to just go live in a shack somewhere.
One thing that bothered me was how easily Bob believes Joan’s story. She doesn't exactly look like she’s ever worked a day in her life. Her hands are perfect. Her clothes, even when she's trying to be 'plain,' look expensive.
But hey, it’s 1934. You just have to roll with it. Logic wasn't always the priority back then. Entertainment was.
The movie isn't a masterpiece. It’s not The Good Bad Man or anything that really sticks in your ribs. It’s more like a light snack. You enjoy it while it’s happening, and then you forget most of it an hour later.
The ending is exactly what you think it’s going to be. No surprises there. But sometimes, a predictable ending is exactly what you want on a Tuesday night.
If you enjoy seeing how people imagined 'the working class' from the safety of a Hollywood backlot, give it a watch. Just don't expect it to change your life. 🍎
IMDb 5.5
1933
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