TV Transition

Milton Berle was the first TV superstar, dominating the medium in its earliest years. (Didn't Fred Allen say TV is a medium because it's rarely well done?) During his reign as Mr. Television he starred in a movie, Always Leave Them Laughing.  It's about a major TV star, clearly based on Berle, and his rise to fame, not so much based on Berle, I'd guess.

I have to assume it didn't do well, because it didn't kick off a major film career.  In fact, it wasn't long before Berle burned out on TV as well.  This is probably because as a clown, he had no core.  He was good at what he did, but didn't leave behind a personality to remember him by.

The film's plot is little more than an excuse on which to hang Berle bits.  In fact, because of this, it often doesn't make sense.  We see him hogging the stage, refusing to leave, except that we can tell the material is planned.  We see him auditioning for a spot at a nightclub, acting like a classy pianist-singer, except we see it's a bit, not a serious attempt to get a job.  I'm not saying the routines are all bad.  It's just that there's not much of a story holding them together, and Berle himself isn't a great enough clown to get by otherwise.

It's instructive when he meets a comic who's made it, played by Bert Lahr.  We watch a few minutes of Lahr doing his old cop routine, and we can see the difference between a major clown and a guy who gets by on energy.  Still, for an indefatigable, often obnoxious comic who'll do anything for a laugh, it's a fascinating showcase.