Heads Up | 1930 | Musical Comedy

Title: Heads Up | 1930 | Musical Comedy Director: Victor Schertzinger Studio: Paramount Pictures Starring: Charles “Buddy” Rogers, Helen Kane, Victor Moore, Margaret Breen, Gene Gowing, Helen Carrington, Harry Shannon Based on: Broadway musical *Heads Up* by John McGowan and Paul Gerard Smith Release Date: October 11 1930 Runtime: 76 minutes Format: Black and white with sound Country: United States Language: English Genres: Musical Comedy --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Coast Guard Academy graduation ball and meeting 00:10:00 Jack’s courtship of Mary 00:20:00 Mother’s disapproval and rival suitor 00:30:00 Yacht cruise and bootlegging suspicions 00:40:00 Boarding the yacht undercover 00:50:00 Conflict and island shipwreck 01:00:00 Heroism and romantic resolution --- Summary: Heads Up is a 1930 American Pre-Code musical comedy about Jack Mason, a Coast Guard ensign who falls in love with Mary Trumbull at a graduation ball. Mary’s socially ambitious mother prefers the wealthy Rex Cutting as a match, leading to tension and romantic rivalry. The narrative follows Jack and his compatriots as they investigate a yacht suspected of rum-running during Prohibition, encountering comic mishaps, musical numbers, and adventure when the vessel wrecks on an island and Jack must prove his worth. The film blends light-hearted bootlegging intrigue with romance and song, featuring performances from popular early sound era entertainers and musical sequences drawing on tunes by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart integrated into the plot’s nautical and social comedy backdrop. --- Background: Directed by Victor Schertzinger for Paramount Pictures, Heads Up adapts the 1929 Broadway musical of the same name with added material for the screen. Filmed during Hollywood’s early sound era, the production incorporated location shooting for yacht scenes and studio musical numbers, capitalizing on audience interest in lively pre-Code comedies and contemporary Prohibition-era settings. --- Trivia: Heads Up features Helen Kane, whose distinctive singing style influenced the later cartoon persona of Betty Boop. The film includes early songs by the legendary team Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart adapted from the stage show. Location shooting for the yacht sequences took place in New York area port locations. Victor Moore’s comic supporting role adds energetic humor to the Prohibition-era antics. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: October 11 1930 Original Studio / Distributor: Paramount Pictures Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Not applicable --- Hashtags: #HeadsUp1930 #VictorSchertzinger #CharlesBuddyRogers #HelenKane #ParamountPictures #PreCodeMusical #PublicDomain