Jimmy Durante, born in 1893 in New York City, is celebrated for his distinctive voice and comedic flair. In What! No Beer? (1933), Durante delivers a memorable performance that blends his musical talents with his signature humor, embodying the spirit of early 20th-century comedy. His career began as a pianist at Coney Island, eventually leading him to vaudeville and Broadway, where he honed his craft. Durante's work in this film reflects the playful absurdity of the era, making him a notable figure in the realm of cult cinema.
What! No Beer?
Although he has never met her, Elmer Butts loves Hortense secretly and from afar. He dreams of making a million dollars so he can buy her a Rolls automobile and marry her. With prohibition apparently on the verge of ending, Elmer's friend Jimmy Potts gets an idea to make them both rich by opening a brewery just before the legalization of alcoholic beverages. Their timing is off, and the police raid them, but their inept brewing has created a beer with no alcohol, so they are let off. But it has also resulted in a cheaply made beer, and bootlegger Spike Moran realizes that he can vastly increase his profits by partnering with Elmer and Jimmy. But none of them reckons with the competitor, another bootlegger, gangster Butch Lorado. Butch has a girlfriend....Elmer's dream girl, Hortense.
