Kid Millions |  | Directors: Roy Del Ruth, Willy Pogany
Actors: Eddie Cantor, Ann Sothern, Ethel Merman, George Murphy, Berton Churchill
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
This item is no longer available
Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 222310
Format: Black & White, Dvd, Full Screen, Subtitled, Ntsc
Languages: English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 90 Minutes
ISBN: 140491157X
UPC: 027616128522
EAN: 9781404911574
ASIN: B000BITV0G
Theatrical Release Date: November 10, 1934
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 kid billion February 7, 2009
Michael Mcgee (Montgomery.Ala USA)
I had gotten the vhs version to replace an old version and this was never opened . I almost kept it unopen to save it as a colectors item cause it was still fresh.
Sensational film! October 22, 2008
inframan (the lower depths)
You don't get many opportunities to see Ethel Merman sing in films unfortunately, but this one has her in a couple of wonderful numbers, starting off with the outstanding Earful of Music which she does in a department store where she's selling sheet music. One outstanding song follows another. Eddie Cantor is magnificent. The Nicholas Brothers appear very early in their careers & are amazing in their gymnastic grace & invention. George Murphy & Ann Sothern join Cantor, Merman & the Nicholases in the rousing Mandy production where if you look real quick you'll see a young Lucille Ball in the chorus.
This movie definitely deserves to be available on DVD. MY Laser disk version is wearing out!
Monumental Weirdness, Monumental Fun August 27, 2008
J. M Heumann (Houston, TX United States)
Some years ago, at a compound somewhere in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, I saw an amateur production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. The audience--all Western expats--were rolling in the sand-dusted aisles as Ko-Ko and then Nanki-Poo were condemned to death (or marriage) for . . . flirting!
My fellow expats will have the same reaction to Kid Millions. Of course, the movie dates from 1934, and it has the racist, etc., elements that are to be expected. But only a killjoy would condemn it out of hand (or, for that matter, The Ghost Breakers or The Mikado itself).
So, Saudis, Egyptians, Turks, Indians, Pakistanis, friends: forgive. Every time an expat laughs, it's just another memory of the good old days wafting its way towards heaven.
 And the Plot Doesn't Matter November 10, 2006
Samantha Kelley (USA)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Kid Millions is the story of an inheritance. An old man dies and leaves a fortune but has no obvious relatives to give it to. Three parties are suggested. First is a shady duo with a woman (Ethel Merman) who claims to be the old man's common law wife. Next is an old Southern gentleman who claims to have funded the expedition that gave the old man his wealth. Last is the rightful heir, a distant son who lives in a boat in Brooklyn (Eddie Cantor). They all make the trip to Egypt to claim the fortune, but run into trouble with a shiek there who claims the riches as an inheritance from his ancestors.
The story of this film really doesn't matter. It's basically an excuse to have fun while exhibiting the personalities of the stars and parading some music of the era. The stars range from good to bad. Cantor is the obvious spotlight here. His mannerisms are similar to fellow vaudeville entertainer Al Jolson, though Cantor is much more understated. He uses his eyes to deliver punchlines and puts over comedy very well. The leading lady here is Merman, an annoying woman with a voice like a blaring car horn. Hearing her sing is like nails down a chalkboard, but for some reason people praised her.
The music in this film is really wonderful. The "Mandy" number not only brings back nostalgic feelings because it is a classic song from the era, but it is highly entertaining for the performances given. Cantor in blackface is not offensive in the least. The two tap dancers are amazingly talented and keep the audience glued to the screen. Also in this number are a group of beautiful Goldwyn girls used similarly to the women in the Busby Berkeley musicals.
The ending to the film bursts forth in strong technicolor splendor. It takes place in an ice cream shoppe, a haven for the children that Cantor enjoys including three Little Rascals stars (Stymie, Woim, and Butch). The set-up is reminicent of Willy Wonka which came years later with the Goldwyn girls in the place of the Oompa Loompas. It's a strange segment, but it is a lot of fun.
Kid Millions September 23, 2006
Kenneth M. Henderson (Australia)
I too like this film and the technicolor finale. I had it on 16mm and have the original NTSC Laserdisc. I was hopepful for this and other Goldwyn musicals on DVD. A Cantor source told me late last year that the release had been cancelled. But, believe it or not, this year a supplier outside USA charged me for this item in January and like other items it did not arrive. A major disappointment.
The musical numbers in this flm are amongst my favorites from this tuneful era and Mandy goes into my mental archive of minstrel performances as one of the best of that genre along with the Shirley Temple minstrel sequence in one of her films.
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