Ready, Willing, and Able (film)

Ready, Willing, and Able is a 1937 American musical film directed by Ray Enright and starring Ruby Keeler, Lee Dixon, Allen Jenkins and Ross Alexander. It was produced and distributed by Warner Brothers. Songs in the film were written by composer Richard A. Whiting and lyricist Johnny Mercer. The most successful song introduced by Wini Shaw and Ross Alexander, and reprised throughout, was "Too Marvelous for Words", which has become a pop and jazz standard.

Ready, Willing, and Able
Directed by	Ray Enright
Written by	Maurice Leo Pat C. Flick Ben Markson Mary C. McCall Jr. Lew Lipton
Screenplay by	Warren Duff Sig Herzig Jerry Wald
Based on	Ready, Willing and Able 1935 story in The Saturday Evening Post by Richard Macaulay
Produced by	Samuel Bischoff
Starring	Ruby Keeler Lee Dixon Allen Jenkins
Cinematography	Sol Polito
Edited by	Doug Gould
Music by	Heinz Eric Roemheld
Production company	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	March 6, 1937 (1937-03-06)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

In the final production number choreographed by Bobby Connolly, Ruby Keeler and Lee Dixon tap across the keys of a giant-sized typewriter while dancers’ legs mimic typebars striking letters. The film was released to lackluster business in the aftermath of Alexander's suicide.

Plot

Fledgling Broadway playwright Barry Granville (Ross Alexander) and his partner, songwriter Pinky Blair (Lee Dixon), get funding for their musical, contingent on hiring London stage star Jane Clarke as the lead. Greeting Clarke’s ship from England at the pier in New York, the agent 'Katsy' Van Courtland mistakes an American college student, also named Jane Clarke (Ruby Keeler), for the British actress. Willing to try acting, the American Jane masquerades as the London star, and agrees to appear in the musical. Despite being willing, Jane struggles, avoiding singing in any rehearsals for weeks because of her lack of a British accent. Finally, she confesses the ruse to Barry. Meanwhile, the British Jane Clarke puts the show’s prospects at risk by threatening to sue.

Cast

• Ruby Keeler as Jane Clarke
• Lee Dixon as Pinky 'Pinkie' Blair
• Allen Jenkins as J. 'Katsy' Van Courtland
• Louise Fazenda as Clara Heineman
• Ross Alexander as Barry Granville
• Carol Hughes as Angie
• Hugh O'Connell as Truman Hardy
• Wini Shaw as The English Jane Clarke
• Teddy Hart as Yip Nolan
• Addison Richards as Edward 'Mac' McNeil
• E.E. Clive as Sir Buffington
• Jane Wyman as Receptionist
• Lillian Kemble-Cooper as Mrs. Buffington
• unbilled players include Beatrice Hagen, Virginia Dabney, and Milton Kibbee

Bibliography

• Bubbeo, Daniel. The Women of Warner Brothers: The Lives and Careers of 15 Leading Ladies, with Filmographies for Each. McFarland, 2001.

External links

• Ready, Willing, and Able at IMDb
• Ready, Willing, and Able at AllMovie
• Ready, Willing, and Able at the TCM Movie Database
• Ready, Willing, and Able at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• New York Times review