Hi, Nellie!

Editor “Brad” (Paul Muni) called before his annoyed but befuddled publisher (Berton Churchill) who thinks he blew a big city corruption story, pointing out he can’t be fired, but nonetheless sharing the news with disgruntled advice columnist Gerry (Glenda Farrell, pen name “Nellie”), knowing she’ll be thrilled Hi, Nellie!, 1934.

First scene for Paul Muni in his first comedy, as big city news editor “Brad” Bradshaw, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, with George Chandler, Donald Meek, Douglas Dumbrille (as “Dawes”), and Paul Kaye in support, the picnic story having nothing to do with the Bob Dylan song, written about a similar (but not fictional) event almost 30-years later, in Hi, Nellie!, 1934.

Delineating relations between reluctant “lonely hearts” columnist Gerry (Glenda Farrell), billed as “Nellie,” and editor “Brad” Bradshaw (Paul Muni), Mervyn LeRoy directing in extra punchy Warner Bros. style, from an original script by Abem Finkel, Sidney Sutherland and Roy Chanslor, early in Hi, Nellie!, 1934.

Paul Muni is a reporter investigating a murder even after demotion to the advice column in this adaptation of Nathaniel West's novel Miss Lonelyhearts.