Going Wild is a musical comedy film released by Warner Brothers, starring a cast of musical stars in addition to the three comic stars, Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh

Frank McHugh

Francis Curray "Frank" McHugh was an American film and television actor.Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents ran a stock theatre company and as a young child he performed on stage...

, and Johnny Arthur

Johnny Arthur

Johnny Arthur was an American stage and motion picture actor.-Early years:Born John Lennox Arthur Williams in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, Arthur was a veteran of twenty-five years on stage before he made his screen debut in 1923's The Unknown Purple...

.

Production

The film was completed as a full musical. Due to the backlash against musicals, however, the Warner Bros. were forced to make many cuts to the film for release in the United States and all of the original music was cut except for one song. The complete film was released intact in countries outside the United States where a backlash against musicals never occurred. It is unknown whether a copy of this full version still exists.

Preservation

• The film survives only in the cut version which was released in late 1930 by Warner Brothers. Due to the backlash against musicals, the Warner Bros. were forced to cut most of the musical sequences before releasing the film.

• The film was released as a full musical outside of the United States, where a backlash against musicals never occurred. It is unknown whether a print of this longer version still exists.

Trivia

• Lawrence Gray, Ona Munson, Walter Pidgeon, Laura Lee and May Boley were all musical stars, who were given contracts by Warner Bros. for their musical talents. Many reviewers noted how strange it was for all this musical talent to be in this picture and yet only one song (sung by Joe E. Brown and Laura Lee) is sung. Reviewers noted how the press sheet for the film did not even mention this song.
• Due to the backlash against musicals, all of the musical talent mentioned above were released from their contracts by Warner Bros. in 1931.

Pre-Code Sequences

• Johnny Arthur plays a gay character.
• When Lawrence Gray tells Joe E. Brown about his new girlfriend, Brown declares "I love you too. I'm mad about you. Kiss me" while he puckers up for Gray.
• Although the hotel is full, an attractive woman asks the hotel manager (Frank McHugh) that she desperately needs a room and he tells the front boy to set up a cot in his office and winks at her.