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Wanna Buy a Duck?
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Scenes: "The Life of the Party"
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In this brisk and happy bit of fluff from RKO Radio's heyday, Penner is joined by a veritable who's
who of vaudeville and radio talent. The picture's slim plot turns on a budding romance between Harriett Hilliard and Gene
Raymond (who even pretend to be married for a short time), but there is plenty of room for special material by Penner and
Parkyakarkus, as well as fine comedy turns from veterans Billy Gilbert, Helen Broderick, Victor Moore and Franklin Pangborn.
A young Ann Miller taps her heart out in the picture's opening and closing sequences, and Dick Lane makes his first of
six consecutive Penner feature appearances as Burns, the hotel manager.
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Joe Penner's first scene in Life of the Party is opposite Ben Alexander,
who began his career as a child actor in silent films before making a successful transition to adult roles. He was featured
as Officer Frank Smith on Jack Webb's first Dragnet radio (1952-57) and television
(1952-59) series.
Click HERE to play this scene
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Billy Gilbert (as orchestra leader Dr. Molnac) and Franklin Pangborn (as his assistant, Beggs) lead off this scene,
which features Penner and co-star Harry Parke (Parkyakarkus). Penner sings the picture's title
number. "You, too, can be the life of the party..."
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No Penner here, but I couldn't pass this one up. The two lovebirds (Hilliard and Raymond) can't retire together,
but aren't quite ready to part ways. The solution? They stall by singing a classic love duet: "Let's Have Another
Cigarette."
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The picture finishes with "Yankee Doodle Band," a production number staged
on a typically huge, shiny RKO set. Hilliard leads it off, followed by some whiny comic relief from Penner and tapping from
Ann Miller before Hilliard returns to bring it all home. In the midst of all the action, Marx Brothers fave Margaret Dumont
puts in an appearance as Penner's mother.
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