Three Men on a Horse

Henpecked at home and work, Frank McHugh has a hobby of working out which horse is going to win a race. He never bets. But when he falls into the hands of Sam Levene and his crew, he offers them a sure thing.

It's based on a successful George Abbott play, with Levene (in his screen debut) and Teddy Hart repeating their stage roles. Director Mervyn Leroy barely opens it up for the movies, but stocks the ast with some prize players: Joan Blondell tawkin' outta the side of her mout', Edgar Kennedy as a bartender who gets in on the action, Guy Kibbee as McHugh's boss, Paul Harvey as his overbearing brother-in-law, along with Eddie Anderson and Harry Davenport in smaller roles. If you're looking for the stage play, this isn't a bad version, but on the screen, it comes off as too stagey, and McHugh's wimp isn't much fun as the center of the storm.

Considering this sketch type comedy was released 82 years ago (almost a century ago) it still holds up very well for the millenium babies who should get a kick out of the fast paced and simple story line that even they can keep up with. I know what I speak of as we have three (3) millenials of our own who are more focused on their cell phones text, streaming instantly the latest on the huge facebook privacy breach that contains almost all of their personal information, and marching to the "no guns, no more" campaign.

This simple story has a hard working jingle writer by trade named Erwin Trowbridge (Frank McHugh) capable of picking the winner of each horse race as long as he only plays for fun and does not gamble with any of his own money. Three hard core race track gamblers soon realize that in Erwin Trowbridge they hold the "golden goose" and after each race won by Erwin Trowbridge picking the winner their greed becomes ever more prevalent but we the audience don't know when Erwin Trowbridge's luck may just run out.

Through one of the gansters' acquaintances named Patsy (Sam Levene) Erwin meets a cute blonde moll named Mabel (Joan Blondell) who sees the need to protect Erwin from her violent boyfriend Patsy who is hell bent on threatening his golden goose Erwin if he fails to deliver yet another winning horse as these three comedic and compulsive gambling goons keep doubling up on their bets and continue their win streak.

We the audience can sit back and enjoy this comedic cat and mouse game that continues between the innocence of Erwin and his three hostage holders who refuse to let their golden goose go home, and/or back to what Erwin does best which is writing jingles for a greeting card company. Erwin repeatedly says he justs wants to go home to his loving wife Audrey (Carol Hughes) who rewards Erwin's love by ordering an endless string of dresses and hats, although his pesky brother-in-law Clarence Dobbins (Paul Harvey) is always over at his house defending his little sister and calling Erwin derogatory names.

Erwin's innocence shines through all the troubles he is subjected to and we the fans want to see what poor Erwin will be subjected to next in this laugh fest door opening/door slamming slap fest comedy. If the internet ever goes down for a couple of hours Three Men On A Horse would be an enjoyable way for even millenials to spend a Sunday morning or afternoon. I give this fast paced comedy a good 6 out of 10 rating which is pretty good for a black and white comedy released some 82 years earlier.

Old black and white film pros Frank McHugh, Joan Blondell, and Guy Kibbee get together for a caper. we learn two things right at the start of the film: Erwin is GREAT at picking winners in the races. and erwin's brother in law is a pain, who yells and keeps interfering in Erwin and Audrey's marriage. when Charlie (Allen Jenkins) finds out that Erwin can pick winners, they kidnap Erwin and try to keep him locked up. Blondell is the good-hearted moll for the bad guys, and tries to help Erwin. it's silly and campy, and moves right along. Keep an eye out for Charles Lane.. he's the man who picks up the cleaning. for a while, he held the record for the most roles in films. Eddie Anderson (Rochesterrrr !) is in here as the elevator guy. the annoying brother-in-law (Paul Harvey) had worked with Bogart on FIVE films. it's pretty good, but the fake brooklyn accents get annoying after a while. funny scene where the elevator guy is in the room rooting for the winner with the rest of them. directed by Mervyn LeRoy. Gypsy, Wizard of Oz.

In the 1930's Warner Bros. had a group of supporting players that they largely cast in the manic comedies that they did so well in those days. Three of those players - Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee, and Joan Blondell - all show up in this often forgotten little film. What is so odd here is Joan Blondell, after several starring roles, is playing in support of Frank McHugh. McHugh had been an excellent supporting player in all kinds of Warner Bros. pictures for several years - an eccentric choreographer in Busby Berkeley's "Footlight Parade", a kind-hearted neer-do-well in the melodrama "Lily Turner", etc. However, here McHugh is the center of attention, and he handles it well.

Here Warners has managed to combine comedy with crime after the production code was in full effect with no danger of violating the code yet with great comic effect. McHugh plays a mild-mannered man who writes greeting card slogans and lives in a house on a street where every house looks the same. One morning, after a fight with his brother-in-law, he stops in at a bar rather than going to work. There he makes the acquaintance of three hoods who are trying to pick a winning horse without much success. The key to this new friendship is that McHugh has a gift for picking the winning horse in every race every day as long as he doesn't bet himself.

If you ever run across this film I strongly recommend it for an amusing way to spend eighty or so minutes.

In adapting Three Men On A Horse for the screen Jack Warner took a big chance in not having one of his box office leads headline in this film. Instead Three Men On A Horse remains pretty faithful to the Broadway play and gives some of the character people under contract at Warner Brothers a chance to shine on their own. I don't know about you, but personally I like these kind of films where all these performers with a particular shtick get to outdo the other.

The nominal lead is Frank McHugh and it seemed like either he or Alan Hale appeared in every Warner Brothers production of consequence for a while. McHugh plays the typical henpecked milquetoast who does poetry for greeting cards for a living and grossly underpaid for his originality and he has a genius at doping out winning horses. But that's only a hobby, he never bets himself.

But when Damon Runyon like characters Sam Levene, Teddy Hart, and Allen Jenkins find out about his 'hobby' one night in the Hotel Lavalliere Bar, these three gibbronis decide to ride along on a winning thing. They kidnap the poor schlimiel, but treat him ever so gently and cater to his whims which aren't all that much. Along for the ride are Joan Blondell as Levene's girlfriend, Eddie Anderson as the hotel porter and elevator operator and Edgar Kennedy the bartender.

But there's more than that here. Frantically looking for McHugh who's disappeared is his wife, Carol Hughes and his boss Guy Kibbee. And also on the scene is McHugh's brother-in-law Paul Harvey who doesn't think much of him. Actually Harvey's blowhard character is my favorite in this film.

Amazingly enough it all kind of works out for McHugh in the end. But you have to see the film to find out. And I mean HAVE to see the film which is a real treat with some of the best character players ever on screen in the golden age of the studio system all in one film.

And no big stars to get in their way.