Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Freeman This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

JohnHowardReid Copyright 6 November 1943 by Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. No recorded New York opening. U.S. release: 6 November 1943. Australian release: 18 July 1946 (sic). 5,026 feet. 55 minutes. SYNOPSIS: An upcoming politician is blackmailed by a talking crow.COMMENT: Obviously designed as a spoof, this dreadful little movie does not succeed on any level, thanks to leaden direction, incompetent scripting, abysmal acting and impoverished production values. Admittedly, I did chuckle once or twice. I don't want to give the impression that every movie produced in Hollywood's golden age rates as a potential crowd-pleaser. (Even the studio didn't number this one too highly. No New York send-off and, after sitting on the shelf for some years, released in Australia in the dead of winter). I also want to set the record straight about Gene Lockhart. Gene is a fine actor. But he seems to have limitations. He gave a brilliant performance in Algiers because he followed the director's instructions to the letter. Here, he is cast on his own devices, yet he does nothing. He finds himself in a rare starring part, but makes not the slightest attempt to entertain the audience. Does he put on a funny voice? No! Does he try a peculiar walk? No! Does he run through a series of odd facial expressions? Not a one! Gestures? No. Talk out the side of his mouth? No. Whistle? No. He does absolutely nothing. Nothing! It's incredible, but true. He just stands there (or sits there) stiff as a board and says his lines. At least Jerome Cowan puts a bit of extra verve into his portrayal. It's still not successful, but at least he tries. Even Lou Lubin, struggling against poorly conceived camera angles, is obviously aware the movie is supposed to be funny. True, Cowan, Lubin, Harmon and Emerson are constantly stymied by Lederman's weak, flaccid and almost totally inept direction (or rather lack of direction), but at least they bend themselves into knots in futile efforts to make their lines amusing! On the other hand, maybe Gene honestly thought the movie simply wasn't worth the effort. And there he was right!

dbborroughs A detective is hired to find the blackmailer of a candidate for mayor. The blackmailer knows that the mayors fiancé is an ex-con. When the blackmailer turns up dead things become a desperate hunt for a crow that can talk.Okay, desperate is too strong a term, pastorally paced jaunt. This is stock characters going through the paces of a not particularly tense mystery (and I use the term mystery very loosely). This is little more than the characters thrashing around for an hour or so while time runs out. I'm sure this played better in the original short story because I can't imagine this nonsense being intentionally used as the basis of a film.The fact its a non-mystery doesn't prevent it from being entertaining. We watch the film because the actors make their characters engaging enough that we want to spend time with them. Honestly had their actually been a real mystery this would have been a great film simply because the cast is so good.Worth a look, especially since its part of a Warner Archive release with 6 films.

calvinnme ... because you'll probably need to watch this one twice to figure out exactly what is going on. However, don't let that bother you since a fine-tuned plot is not the point of this little B mystery. With every able bodied male between 18 and 40 in the armed services, WWII gave older players such as Sydney Greenstreet and normally supporting players such as the lead in this film - Jerome Cowan as detective D.L. Trees - a chance at a starring role in major studio releases.The story has to do with a not so successful detective, Mr. Trees, and his seldom-paid secretary and semi-romantic interest, Pandora Pines, getting a visit from the reform candidate for mayor, John Rhodes. It seems that Rhodes' girlfriend has a brother - Fred - that has been in prison. The girlfriend doesn't know about Fred's record and neither do the mayor's potential voters. Fred doesn't see his record as any source of shame. Instead he sees it as a money-making opportunity, and he's been putting the bite on John Rhodes ever since he got out of jail to keep quiet about his sordid past. The final straw is when Fred shows Rhodes a crow that has been taught to say "Rhodes killed me!". Apparently Fred did it for insurance so that Rhodes doesn't kill him, realizing the growing inconvenience he has become, but Rhodes is afraid that if something does happen to Fred he'll be implicated by the talking crow. He therefore pays Trees to steal the bird. And this is only the first ten minutes.Things get wild, wacky, and down-right preposterous from this point forward. The film is loaded with action and the kind of 40's detective story dialogue that you often see parodied but hardly ever laid on so thick in one short film of that era. As for the not-so-well-known cast, they acquit themselves marvelously. Mr. Cowan must have been studying Humphrey Bogart closely during his brief role in "The Maltese Falcon", because he is the personification of the cool-headed P.I. with questionable scruples 40's style.I'm sure this little film helped audiences forget the seriousness of the war for a short period of time back in 1943, and I think you'll find it good escapist entertainment today.

howdymax A nifty little "B" programmer. Reminds me of the old days when a quarter would get you a first run feature, B picture, newsreel, cartoon, and coming attractions. Jerome Cowan, (the prosecutor in Miracle on 34th Street) has always been one of my favorite support players. His wisecracking detective character holds your attention without becoming corny. The story is preposterous. A politician is being blackmailed by a shady character from his past. The key to this plot is a talking crow that has been taught to implicate the politician once the blackmailer has been killed. Are you following this? Add to this mix, a sexy actress, a couple of thugs, a crooked lawyer, etc. and you have the basic story. The dialogue pops like a machine gun. But, forget the plot, forget the story, sit back and enjoy the show.