Hats Off (1936): A forgettable sprint through the Texas Centennial

Is it worth the time?

If you have a weird itch to see what a 1936 promotional film for a Texas fair looks like, sure. But if you are looking for a tight screwball comedy, you might want to skip this one. It feels like someone tried to film a frantic press release and accidentally made a movie instead.

Mae Clarke is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. She is supposed to be this sharp press agent, but the script gives her so much running around to do that she barely has time to breathe, let alone land a punchline. It’s a bit exhausting to watch.

The whole movie feels like a race. Everyone talks at a hundred miles an hour, and half the time, the plot points feel like they were written on the back of a napkin while someone was waiting for a bus. It has a similar energy to The Public Menace, where you get the feeling the actors were just told to keep moving until the director yelled cut.

Odd little things

• The Texas Centennial sets look massive, but they are clearly just backlots. It’s funny how they try to hide that.
• There is a scene with The Radio Rogues that goes on for a lifetime. I actually checked my watch during their bit.
• The transitions between the "rivalry" scenes and the actual fair footage are super clunky. It feels like watching two different movies stitched together by a blind tailor.

Sometimes, the chemistry between the leads just vanishes into thin air. There is a moment near the middle where they stop arguing about the exhibit and just stand there looking at each other, and you can almost hear the director whispering, "Okay, now look romantic!" It’s awkward as heck.

I suppose if you liked The First 100 Years, you might find a bit of charm in how desperate this movie is to please you. It’s not trying to be high art. It’s just trying to keep the lights on for eighty minutes.

One thing is for sure: the sheer amount of hats in this movie is wild. I mean, it is in the title, but still. Every guy is wearing a fedora like it’s a competitive sport. 🎩

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even a particularly good comedy. But it has this weird, frantic heartbeat that makes it hard to hate. Just don't expect it to change your life.