The Big Broadcast of 1937 is a 1936 Paramount Pictures production directed by Mitchell Leisen, and is the third in the series of Big Broadcast movies. The musical comedy stars Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bob Burns, Martha Raye, Shirley Ross, Ray Milland, Benny Fields, Frank Forest and the orchestra of Benny Goodman (featuring Gene Krupa). It was in this film that Leopold Stokowski made his movie debut conducting two of his Bach transcriptions. Uncredited roles include Jack Mulhall. German animator Oskar Fischinger was hired to create an animation sequence in Technicolor. However, when Paramount changed the production to black-and-white, Fischinger's original abstract animation design was changed to a hybrid animation and live-action sequence showing consumer products emanating from a broadcasting tower, to the song "Radio Dynamics" by Ralph Rainger. Plot summary Jack Carson (Benny) produces a radio show. Mrs. Platt (Gracie Allen) is the show's sponsor. Her company makes golf balls. Patsy (Raye) is Carson's assistant, who turns out to be a rousing singer. There is a story line involving star-crossed lovers, naturally. The rest is various performances on various radio shows. Cast Reception Leonard Maltin described it as an "almost unbearable musical" that "manages to waste the talent of its formidable cast", giving it 1½ out of 4 stars. Films in series The Big Broadcast (1932) The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935) The Big Broadcast of 1938 (1937) References Green, Stanley (1999) Hollywood Musicals Year by Year (2nd ed.), pub. Hal Leonard Corporation page 62 External links 1936 musical comedy films 1936 films American black-and-white films Films directed by Mitchell Leisen Paramount Pictures films American musical comedy films 1930s American films