The Lucky Stiff

Another Malone mystery! This film as far as excellence is between the others, Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone, which is fantastic, and the awful Having Wonderful Crime.

Here, attorney Malone is enamored of a beautiful singer (Dorothy Lamour). She's accused of killing someone, refuses Malone's help, is convicted and awaits the electric chair.

Hoping to flush out the real murderer, after her "death" she is released and appears as a ghost as Malone tries to find the real murderer.

Nice performances by Donlevy, Lamour, Claire Trevor, and Irene Hervey.

Though the only film produced by Jack Benny, I would class this a light drama with some humor.

The store where Marjorie Rambeau buys her borscht has doubled the price, because a protection racket gang has come to town. She asks her lawyer, Brian Donlevy to investigate. Since she is his best client, he does so, when not distracted by night-club singer Dorothy Lamour. Then a man is killed where she works and the police collar her, so Donlevy takes an interest in her case. He never notices that his secretary, Claire Trevor, loves him.

I had to look at a rather poor copy of this movie, and was not impressed. Despite a good cast that includes Irene Hervey, Robert Armstrong, and Sidney Miller, and is derived from a Craig Rice mystery, there are too many plot holes for what is intended as a light-hearted investigation; writer-director Lewis Foster's script is too erratic in all departments. It looks like Jack Benny's sole movie production was intended as a wise-cracking 'tec in a Raymond-Chandler setting, and everything got caught up in movie cliches.

I know that Lewis R Foster is not a film noir specialist, but rather a adventure or western one. Look for instance CROSSWINDS, CAPTAIN CHINA, LAST OUTPOST or EL PASO and so on...

As film noirs, I saw ARMORED CAR, CRASHOUT, MANHANDLED, and I was not disappointed. This film is not really a crime movie, but a mix up of crime, comedy or drama with a light touch. But not charmless. Typically from the late 40's, it should please many of the film buffs. rare stuff too. The playing is quite good, but I can't consider it as an unforgettable movie.

I guess Lewis R Foster made some more films like this, not westerns or adventures. Petty dramas or comedies. I only know he never directed sci fi flicks.

Well, after all, why not watching this one...

Lawyer Brian Donlevy (Malone) visits his usual nightclub where he is asked by wealthy old lady client Marjorie Rambeau (Hattie) to put a stop to the protection racket that is spreading across town and forcing prices up. He visits this particular club because he has got the hots for singer Dorothy Lamour (Anna Marie St. Clair). He arranges with nightclub owner/gangster Charles Meredith (Jim Childers) for an introduction to Lamour and requests that she sings another song. However, this song never materializes as moments after meeting Dorothy, she is arrested for shooting big boss Meredith. She gets the death sentence and it's up to Donlevy and his assistant Claire Trevor (Maggie) to get to the truth of what really happened and find out who is behind the protection racket.

Beware that this is not a serious film. It is part-serious and part-comedy (but never funny) and you may be disappointed. I was. The film needed to be one or the other. There are good sequences such as Lamour appearing at a window in a cafe one stormy night after it has been announced that she is dead. Put this scene into a serious film and it's good. Put it into a comedy and it's wasted. Just as so much else is. The plot is totally stupid and half the cast play for comedy, with 2 main offenders being Inspector Robert Armstrong (Von Flanagan) who plays a stereotypical stupid policeman who is never funny but tries to be, and Claire Trevor who plays things in a slightly laid-back manner and gets lumbered with some slapstick. This takes all the tension out of the proceedings and, quite frankly, helps to ruin the film.

We do get some amusing parts such as Lamour walking around with her head completely covered up, but again, this would be a nonsense in a serious film. Nobody seems to question this peculiar behaviour which is totally unbelievable. You need to suspend belief for this one and a few clichés are thrown in - you'll know the sort - someone is about to spill the beans when BANG. They get shot. Yep, that happens. More than once. There also seems a little bit too much going on at times and Donlevy never really convinces as a lead man in this mish-mash. What's a lawyer doing trying to sort this mess out anyway? It's up to the police!

There is a cool car in this film, but, unfortunately, it gets involved in another tiresome slapstick routine on one occasion. Things like this dragged the film down so I have to conclude that as it is not a serious film, nor is it a comedy, nor given the title is it a porno.......it just isn't particularly good. You may or may not guess the outcome but it really doesn't matter. It's watchable but that's it.