Un hombre inverosimil

Melvyn Douglas once more gives a polished performance in which, this time, he inhabits the role of a detective who can't place love before duty and adventure, and the warmly beautiful Joan Blondell (who, far from being illiterate, as one reviewer suggested, wrote a novel about her early life) is as enjoyable as ever as his ever-suffering sweetheart.It's almost a screwball comedy, almost a Thin Man-type movie, almost a series, I guess, that didn't quite make it to a sequel. It doesn't quite reach classic status, but it has all the ingredients for a fun 85 minutes with an episodic but pacey script, fine character actors, and direction that keeps it all moving fast enough so that you nearly don't notice that Williams (Douglas) isn't exactly Columbo when it comes to detecting. I wish there were more films like this.

With a clever and inventive script, perhaps any cast could give good performances, but "The Amazing Mr. Williams" has a wonderful, top-notch cast.

Sorry I've never heard of director Alexander Hall, but it's obviously my loss. As good as the players are, they couldn't have created such an enjoyable ensemble production without a very able director.

Probably there is no reason to list all the actors because you can see that in the IMDb listings, and, really, they were ALL so good, it would be a shame to leave out anyone.

This is a fairly low-budget movie, since it's from Columbia, but it is an incredibly high-quality motion picture, one I recommend very highly.

There is a very good print at YouTube. Please watch it.

What was there about 1939 that helped produce so many excellent Hollywood films? Well, whatever it was, the magic may also be found in this Columbia picture. It's a long forgotten screwball comedy that Turner Classic Movies has begun to show. (Maltin's movie book does not contain it.) In nearly every department, Amazing Mr. Williams is a jewel.

It's the story of a first-rate police detective who can never find the time to marry his intended. As the wedding bells are about to ring, he gets called to the scene of a murder. The lady in question has to learn the hard way not only to enjoy the pursuit of criminals but to belong to the police force. There are a lot of laughs in the process.

Melvyn Douglas proved again that he had few peers in light comedy. Joan Blondell was at the peak of her career and is a delight. Edward Brophy and Donald McBride are hilarious.

The film goes on a bit too long, but who cares? The screwball comedies are always able to entertain, and this film belongs right in there with the best.

Delightful minor film, juggling comedy and detective, romance and drama genres as nimbly as Lt Kenny Williams (Melvyn Douglas) balances his devotion to his girl Maxine Carroll (Joan Blondell) and his duty to the force as an ace detective.

This hodge-podge may not appeal to all viewers today, but in its day, it had something to offer every member of the movie-going family, and the resolution to the rather tired feeling-versus-duty plot is original and refreshing, and well worth the wait.

"The Amazing Mr. Williams" contains what must be among the most outrageous blind dates in film history, and its bright comic repartee sparkles. Ludicrously frocked, Melvyn Douglas delivers some of the best lines: "I'd walk down Main Street in a Turkish towel before I'd let any woman control my life!" And the effervescent Joan Blondell lets her barbs fly with typical aplomb: "Good grief! You look like my Aunt Nellie!'

The crime-solving here is standard fare, although a fine cast of character actors helps bring the material to life.

From today's vantage point, "The Amazing Mr. Williams" is perhaps most interesting for its insightful commentary on gender as a socially defined construct, all the more malleable for its seemingly rigid boundaries. While much of the gender commentary takes place in a superficial battle of the sexes, at times it is both subtle and penetrating, playing out not only in some of the finer details of the film, but in the battle of genres that reaches its culmination in the final scene.

Most fans of pre-WWii film will enjoy The Amazing Mr. Williams, a fun police detective comedy-adventure starring a sparkling team of Joan Blondell and Melvyn Douglas. Joan Blondell by 1939 had been in film nearly 10 years but appears beautifully fresh and gorgeous, expressing herself not only with her vibrant eyes and face but with her entire body. And Douglas is as smooth as silk in this role, perfectly subtle but leading the way through a series of plot twists. The wonderful supporting cast are all familiar to us move-lovers, their work together here allowing the viewer to feel as though we are spending quality time with good tried-and-true friends. The uniquely-voiced Clarence Kolb, in particular, seems to have a really good time here and shines brightly. But really, the entire cast sparkles. The direction is obviously sharp, the settings (police station, city hall, domiciles, street scenes) are detailed and well-lit, and the dialog is uncomplicated, square-on, economical, and seems like natural interaction and banter. There is nothing not to love in what is really a fairly minor picture, but one put together with great affection. Please enjoy!