Why Strike Me Pink is the weirdest amusement park movie from 1936

Is this one worth your time?

You should probably watch Strike Me Pink if you have a soft spot for those old-school comedies where everyone talks slightly too fast. It is a good pick for a lazy Sunday when you want something that doesn't ask much of your brain. 🎢

If you hate musical numbers that stop the plot cold, you will probably find yourself reaching for the fast-forward button. Or maybe just go make a sandwich during the big dance scenes.

The whole thing is built around Eddie Cantor and his massive, bulging eyes. He plays Eddie Pink, a guy so timid that he probably apologizes to the sidewalk when he trips on it.

He starts out working at a dry cleaner, which is a perfect job for a guy who is basically a human doormat. But then he gets this book called 'Man or Mouse' which is supposed to teach him how to be magnetic and brave. 🐭

The scenes where he is practicing his "magnetic" look in the mirror are pretty funny. He looks like he’s having a mild medical emergency instead of becoming a leader of men.

Eventually, he ends up managing an amusement park called Dreamland. This is where the movie gets a bit more interesting because the sets are actually quite cool for 1936.

I noticed a guy in the background during one of the park scenes who looks like he’s genuinely lost and just wandered onto the film set. He’s just standing there staring at the camera while Eddie is doing his bit. 🤨

The Mobster Problem

The main conflict involves these racketeers led by Vance, played by Brian Donlevy. Donlevy is way too intense for this movie. He acts like he’s in a gritty crime drama while everyone else is in a cartoon.

They want to put slot machines in the park. It’s funny how in 1930s movies, the ultimate sign of evil is always someone trying to install a slot machine in a public place. It feels very low-stakes compared to modern villains, but hey, it works for the story.

There is this one scene where Eddie is trying to hide from the mobsters and he ends up in a room full of balloons. The the sound of the balloons popping is so loud it actually made my dog bark. 🎈

The pacing is a bit of a mess. It feels like the movie can’t decide if it wants to be a musical, a romance, or a slapstick comedy. It reminds me a bit of the chaotic energy you see in Filibus, though that one is way older and silent.

Ethel Merman is also in this. She plays a nightclub singer named Joyce, and when she sings, she really sings. Like, you can probably hear her three blocks away from the theater without a microphone.

Her songs are fine, but they feel like they belong in a completely different movie. She has this way of looking at Eddie like she’s about to eat him for lunch, which is a weird dynamic but I kind of liked it.

The Big Finish

• The roller coaster chase at the end is easily the best part.
• It involves a lot of back-projection that looks super fake, but it adds to the charm.
• There is a moment where they are on a high-dive platform that actually made my stomach drop a little bit.
• The way the mobsters get defeated is just pure, silly chaos.

The Goldwyn Girls show up in several scenes, mostly just to look pretty and dance in the background. It’s very typical for a movie produced by Samuel Goldwyn, but it does make the amusement park feel more populated.

I did find myself wondering how Eddie Pink actually gets any work done. He spends about 90% of his time running away from people or practicing his magnetism. 🧲

The movie is black and white, obviously, but it has this bright, high-contrast look that makes the park feel alive. It’s not quite as visually inventive as something like Flowers and Trees, but for a live-action comedy, it looks decent.

"I'm not a mouse, I'm a man! Or maybe I'm a man-mouse?"

That line isn't actually in the movie, but it’s basically the internal monologue of Eddie the whole time. He’s constantly trying to convince himself he’s tough.

One weird detail: there’s a scene with a fake doctor that is way darker than the rest of the film. It feels a bit out of place, like they took a script from a different movie and just shoved it in the middle of this one.

Is it a masterpiece? No. But it’s got a lot of heart and the physical comedy is actually pretty impressive. Eddie Cantor is an acquired taste, though. If you don't like his wide-eyed staring, you’re going to have a bad time.

The ending is very abrupt. They just kind of win and then the movie stops. I guess they ran out of film or maybe everyone just wanted to go home. It’s a bit of a letdown after the high energy of the roller coaster scene.

I still think about that balloon scene sometimes. The sheer amount of rubber they must have used is staggering. It’s a small thing, but it’s those weirdly specific moments that make these old movies worth watching.

Anyway, if you like seeing mobsters get outsmarted by a guy who is afraid of his own shadow, give it a shot. It’s better than most of the stuff on TV right now.