Agrega una trama en tu idiomaKenny, a lieutenant on the homicide squad, is engaged to Maxine, the Mayor's secretary-- or is he married to his job? Every date is thwarted by his devotion to duty. Will Maxine succeed in d... Leer todoKenny, a lieutenant on the homicide squad, is engaged to Maxine, the Mayor's secretary-- or is he married to his job? Every date is thwarted by his devotion to duty. Will Maxine succeed in dragging him to the altar?Kenny, a lieutenant on the homicide squad, is engaged to Maxine, the Mayor's secretary-- or is he married to his job? Every date is thwarted by his devotion to duty. Will Maxine succeed in dragging him to the altar?
- Dirección
- Guionistas
- Elenco
- Buck Moseby
- (as Edward S. Brophy)
- Rinaldo
- (sin créditos)
- Wedding Guest
- (sin créditos)
- Face of Seventh Victim in Newspaper Photo
- (sin créditos)
- Citizens Committee Woman
- (sin créditos)
- Pedestrian
- (sin créditos)
- Elevator Boy
- (sin créditos)
- Little Man
- (sin créditos)
- Headwaiter
- (sin créditos)
Opiniones destacadas
This was the third picture Joan Blondell did with Melvyn Douglas: after a mediocre Thin Man rip off, they got into their stride with a very funny screwball comedy followed almost immediately by this quite witty crime comedy. It's well made, you take an instant liking to the characters and it keeps your interest by having a fairly intelligent and engrossing story. It's not laugh out loud funny but it gives you a comforting and cosy warmth that will make you smile. Somehow because the characters seem like real people, you don't actually notice how ridiculous this story gets at times. For example, it seems quite normal that Melvyn Douglas disguises himself as a woman simply by putting on a dress and a blonde wig still wearing his moustache. Those of you with exemplary musical taste will all be thinking what I thought at that point - that he bears a remarkable resemblance to James Young, the guitarist from STYX or is that just me?
Although her pre-code days and saucy outfits were long behind her by 1939, Joan Blondell has possibly never looked more gorgeous. Her character here is a bit more sophisticated than her earlier roles and it must also be said that she looks particularly voluptuous in this. It's a Melvyn Douglas movies so her role isn't quite as meaty as it could have been as most screen time is devoted to Mr Douglas. Having however escaped the treadmill of Warner Brothers, she certainly looks more relaxed and seems as though she is having fun which of course makes us enjoy it too. It's hardly a dramatic role but it's good to see her playing just slightly different rather than just a caricature of herself which plagued the latter part of her career at Warners.
Even if you're not obsessed with Joan Blondell, if you like 1930s comedies you'll probably enjoy this. It's no BRINGING UP BABY but it's a grade above most of the comedies which were made just before the war.
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.
The crazy cop is Melvyn Douglas, ambitious young police detective constantly tugged between his job on the one hand and his fiancée on the other. Blondell wants a little of Douglas's time - but for some reason homicide chief Clarence Kolb is intent on making Douglas work as many nights as possible, causing him to miss dates with Blondell.
Kolb's wicked plots to keep Douglas focused on his job involve enthusiastic assistance from goofy fellow cops Don Beddoe and Donald MacBride. Blondell herself works in the mayor's office across the courtyard from the cops, with co-worker Ruth Donnelly on hand to supply sardonic cracks.
A hilarious early episode features Douglas escorting convict Ed Brophy to prison to begin a 40-year stretch. Not wanting to miss an appointment with Blondell, Douglas stops off at her apartment, introduces Brophy as a pal, and they go out for a day at the beach....
Blondell's frustration with Douglas and his darn detective work builds and builds - until suddenly Douglas is arrested and it's up to Blondell herself to track down a key clue and save an innocent man. All of a sudden she's gung ho:
Donnelly: "You're crazy - what do you know about being a detective?" Blondell: "Everything! Watch me."
It's a silly story but this cast sure makes it a lot of fun - right down to the closing gag, which you can see coming from a mile away but is hilarious nevertheless.
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.
¿Sabías que…?
- TriviaThird of three pictures that Columbia paired Melvyn Douglas with Joan Blondell from 1938-9. The other films were Siempre hay una mujer (1938) and Las buenas van a París (1939). They would not work together again until MGM's Avance a la retaguardia (1964).
- ErroresWhen Kenny and the Captain are walking out of the hotel together, a moving shadow of the camera falls across a column in the foreground.
- Citas
Maxine Carroll: May I make one suggestion? Ladies usually wear their garters inside their slips. Outside that, you look scrumptious.
- ConexionesReferences Blanca Nieves y los siete enanos (1937)
Selecciones populares
- How long is The Amazing Mr. Williams?Con tecnología de Alexa
Detalles
- Fecha de lanzamiento
- País de origen
- Idioma
- También se conoce como
- The Amazing Mr. Williams
- Locaciones de filmación
- Productora
- Ver más créditos de la compañía en IMDbPro
- Tiempo de ejecución
- 1h 20min(80 min)
- Color
- Relación de aspecto
- 1.37 : 1