Wish I had more information on how the screen play stacks up compared to the real story of Eddie Foy and family. Wikipedia provides some, but frustratingly insufficient, info on the details. From the info I have gathered, I suspect the majority of details are fictional. Actually, Foy's third wife, the one dramatized here, had 11 children, but 4 didn't make it through early childhood. Unlike the story told here, wife Madeline died 5 or more years after the children were incorporated into Foy's vaudeville act, the youngest being 10 years old when she died.
The Iroquois Theater fire, featured here, was far more devastating than dramatized, with 600 deaths and repercussions around the US and elsewhere on built-in fire safety measures in theaters.
There is some understandable disagreement between reviewers on whether this should be labeled a family film or anti-family film. Although their points are well taken, I disagree with the anti-family label. We have 2 issues here that children of a certain age should be exposed to. Firstly, marriage at a young age is not a good idea for everyone, more relevant for men than women, at least until recent decades. Often, a woman wants a man who is reasonably well established in a profession or trade, and has some savings or real property. In Foy's case, in the film, he had a severe conflict as to whether marriage and children were at all compatible with the vagabond life of practitioners of his profession. Eventually, he found a woman he couldn't say no to. Second is the conflict between compulsory or voluntary formal education on the one hand, and the need to help support the family or the desirability of getting a head start in a profession or trade. Of course, farmer's children of that time were able to go to school and help on the farm, as well. Expect to hear Hope's usual quota of one liners and other jokes, which partially compensates for the frequent friction between him and the rest of his family. Milly Vitale, as Foy's wife, with her beauty and warm personality, also provides a calming influence during the portion where her character is present. George Tobias appears frequently as Foy's agent and friend.
As others have noted, the verbal ribbing back and forth between Hope and James Cagney, reprising his role as George M. Cohen, followed by their vaudeville dancing, is a high point of the film.
Yes, the courtroom scene is pretty lame. Live in sister-in-law Clara took the action of notifying child welfare authorities about the inclusion of the kids in Foy's acts. This was against the law in their home district. Tobias counters that it should be legal. Clara strongly felt that the children belonged in a grounded home, rather than traveling all over the US, being coerced into taking part in shows. The kids initially strongly agreed with this position, but gradually changed their minds as they grew more accustomed to the lifestyle. Thus, in court, they pleaded that they didn't feel abused, and in fact liked the lifestyle: "Give me liberty or give me death" piped up one kid. Hope argued that their poor performance, as demonstrated in the courtroom, couldn't be interpreted as entertainment, and the lenient judge agreed.
The Iroquois Theater fire, featured here, was far more devastating than dramatized, with 600 deaths and repercussions around the US and elsewhere on built-in fire safety measures in theaters.
There is some understandable disagreement between reviewers on whether this should be labeled a family film or anti-family film. Although their points are well taken, I disagree with the anti-family label. We have 2 issues here that children of a certain age should be exposed to. Firstly, marriage at a young age is not a good idea for everyone, more relevant for men than women, at least until recent decades. Often, a woman wants a man who is reasonably well established in a profession or trade, and has some savings or real property. In Foy's case, in the film, he had a severe conflict as to whether marriage and children were at all compatible with the vagabond life of practitioners of his profession. Eventually, he found a woman he couldn't say no to. Second is the conflict between compulsory or voluntary formal education on the one hand, and the need to help support the family or the desirability of getting a head start in a profession or trade. Of course, farmer's children of that time were able to go to school and help on the farm, as well. Expect to hear Hope's usual quota of one liners and other jokes, which partially compensates for the frequent friction between him and the rest of his family. Milly Vitale, as Foy's wife, with her beauty and warm personality, also provides a calming influence during the portion where her character is present. George Tobias appears frequently as Foy's agent and friend.
As others have noted, the verbal ribbing back and forth between Hope and James Cagney, reprising his role as George M. Cohen, followed by their vaudeville dancing, is a high point of the film.
Yes, the courtroom scene is pretty lame. Live in sister-in-law Clara took the action of notifying child welfare authorities about the inclusion of the kids in Foy's acts. This was against the law in their home district. Tobias counters that it should be legal. Clara strongly felt that the children belonged in a grounded home, rather than traveling all over the US, being coerced into taking part in shows. The kids initially strongly agreed with this position, but gradually changed their minds as they grew more accustomed to the lifestyle. Thus, in court, they pleaded that they didn't feel abused, and in fact liked the lifestyle: "Give me liberty or give me death" piped up one kid. Hope argued that their poor performance, as demonstrated in the courtroom, couldn't be interpreted as entertainment, and the lenient judge agreed.