A passable enough movie but all over the map, and while it was a vehicle for the Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler tandem, I liked it more for their supporting cast, featuring Hugh Herbert as a bumbling millionaire and Joan Blondell as a gold-digger. The musical numbers are mildly entertaining, but tap dancer Paul Draper lacks charisma and Ruby Keeler's singing is flat. I liked "Boulevardier from the Bronx" performed by Blondell and Jack Oakie more, as goofy as he was, and perhaps influenced by Blondells's décolleté. It's not horrible or anything, but you can do better. I suggest trying a movie like Footlight Parade from 1933 instead.

While the film has a few interesting moments, "Colleen" is pure fluff--and the songs aren't particularly distinguished. Musical fans will probably be disappointed and non-musical fans probably won't be won over by the film.The film begins with the rich eccentric owner (Hugh Herbert) of the Ames Company showing up for work--and that's a bad thing. So, it's up to his nephew (Dick Powell) to follow behind and clean up his messes. One mess involves Herbert's relationship with a wicked gold-digger (Joan Blondell) and her 'friend' (Jack Oakey). And when Powell goes to investigate the dress shop that Herbert bought for her, he meets Blondell's bookkeeper (Ruby Keeler) and falls in love. But, it's too early in the film and naturally some monkey wrench arises that keeps them apart until their ultimate and very expected happy ending.As I said above, the film has lots of singing and dancing but none of it is particularly distinguished. In addition, Miss Keeler (who was a great dancer) sang too often--and this was a problem since her singing was pretty flat and lifeless. Oddly, when she danced they often had her dancing with a different guy (not Powell)--probably because he had a nice voice but wasn't a dancer. And, she was really a dancer and not a singer--an odd combination.As for the comedy, I agree with another reviewer who felt that basing an entire film around Herbert wasn't a great idea, as he was very much a one-not performer. He could be good (such as in "The Traveling Saleslady") but he could also become tiresome with his effete manner and shtick. The brightest spots in the film, I think, were Blondell and Oakey, but since it was a musical, this left these two out of much of the film--though their musical number together was pretty decent. All in all, a lot of fluff and a pleasant time-passer at best.

A fine cast outperforms the material that was given. Two of the dance numbers are worth the price of admission. The major number with Ruby Keeler and Paul Draper leads me to reevaluate Keeler's ability. I have seen a Dick Powell interview in which he stated that Ruby was only an average dancer. She certainly was not an Eleanor Powell or Ann Miller, but "The Stomper" was better than I had thought.The Joan Blondell/Jack Oakie ballroom type segment was truly enjoyable. In fact, I'll call it delightful. Watched it four times before proceeding with the remainder of the movie.Two of the reviewers of this movie have each made an incorrect statement. 1.)Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler were not married at the time this movie was made. They never were married to each other. Keeler was married at the time to Al Jolson. The reviewer might have been thinking thinking of Dick's marriage to co-star Joan Blondell. They were wed from September 19,1936 to July 14,1944. 2.)Cast member Hugh Herbert did not co-write the script for "Colleen". F. Hugh Herbert was the co-writer. These were two different persons.

Sorry to have to disagree with the "disaster" rating in the previous "user comments". Just for the record, Dick Powell/Ruby Keeler musical comedies aren't supposed to have thick plots.This film is supposed to be a light hearted musical comedy for the depression-era audience, and that is just what it is. I'll grant you that the musical numbers aren't as memorable as other Powell/Keeler films(by the way, they were never married - Powell married Joan Blondell that year). I'd also say that Paul Draper's tap dancing is a cut below the flowing moves of Fred Astaire.However, the film has some redeeming comedic value. Hugh Herbert is a gem of a bumbling business executive, and Joan Blondell was in her element as Jack Oakie's conniving sidekick.Overall, I found this film to be quite acceptable.