The Merry Monahans 79 years old

On top of the world or out on their ear...They're the merriest, maddest, lovin'est gang that ever hoofed and spoofed their way to the Big Time!

The Merry Monahans

The Merry Monahans is one of the higher-budgeted Universal musicals of the 1940s, even though the storyline is strictly grade-B material. During the first two decades of the 20th century the film concerns a family vaudeville troupe headed by patriarch Pete Monahan (Jack Oakie). Because of his love affair with the bottle, Pete manages to get himself and his family blacklisted from every major vaude house in the country. Though Pete's kids Jimmy (Donald O'Connor) and Patsy (Peggy Ryan) love their dad, they're forced to break away from the act and go off on their own to survive. Eventually, the whole gang is reunited in a shamelessly lachrymose musical finale. Producer-scripters Michael Fessier and Ernest Pagano, whose other works include such offbeat comedies as San Diego I Love You, Frontier Gal and That's the Spirit, manage to keep the proceedings relatively cliché-free, though it's an uphill climb.

Credits

The Merry Monahans Cast

Name Character
Rosemary DeCamp She was 33, 90 years old when she died as Lillian DeRoyce
Donald O'Connor He was 19, 78 years old when he died as Jimmy Monahan
Ann Blyth She was 16, now 95 years old as Sheila DeRoyce
John Miljan He was 51, 67 years old when he died as Arnold Pembroke
Robert Homans He was 66, 69 years old when he died as Policeman
Gavin Muir He was 44, 71 years old when he died as Weldon Laydon
Ian Wolfe He was 47, 95 years old when he died as Clerk
Peggy Ryan She was 20, 80 years old when she died as Patsy Monahan
Jack Oakie He was 40, 74 years old when he died as Pete Monahan
Lloyd Ingraham He was 69, 81 years old when he died as Judge
Isabel Jewell She was 37, 64 years old when she died as Rose
Marion Martin She was 35, 76 years old when she died as Soubrette

The Merry Monahans Crew

Name Department
Michael Fessier as Screenplay. He was 38 (82) years old when He died Writing
Charles Lamont as Director. He was 49 (98) years old when He died Directing
Ernest Pagano as Screenplay. He was 43 (52) years old when He died Writing
The Merry Monahans poster
The Merry Monahans (79 years)

On top of the world or out on their ear...They're the merriest, maddest, lovin'est gang that ever hoofed and spoofed their way to the Big Time!

  • Release day: Friday, September 15, 1944
  • Runtime: 91 minutes