Too Many Women

Back in the 1940s, PRC might just have been the worst studio in Hollywood. Like many of the so-called 'Poverty Row' studios, they rented space in a big studio at night and quickly shot ultra-low budgeted B-movies. Any good films PRC made were strictly mistakes!! In this case, the studio hired the ex-matinée idol, Neil Hamilton, to star in the movie--and ex-stars and nearly stars usually appeared in the leads in their pictures.

The story in "Too Many Women" is one of those PRC monstrosities that only an ultra-crappy studio could make. Richard (Hamilton) is in love with Linda and they are secretly engaged. Soon Richard tells a lie to get someone to leave him alone...that a rich uncle in Brazil has left him $3,000,000(????). Soon, everyone had heard Richard is rich...including his grandmother. Here's where it gets dumber...the doctor tells Richard he MUST continue with the ruse, as telling Granny that he's NOT a millionaire will kill her! Soon, lots of women are chasing after Richard and he inexplicably finds himself engaged to three women!! Does this make ANY sense? Nope.

The bottom line is that the writing for this one is terrible and the story just doesn't make the least bit of sense. As for Hamlilton, he's no longer the handsome and patrician actor he'd been in the 30s and soon he'd all but disappear from view and return as Commissioner Gordon on the "Batman" TV show. I think, in hindsight, he wished he'd disappeared BEFORE having made this dopey film.

Neil Hamilton (as Richard "Dick" Sutton) wants to marry fiancée Barbara Reed (as Linda Pearson) right away, but she thinks they should wait until he has more money. Meanwhile, Mr. Hamilton is being pursued by June Lang (as Gwendolyn "Gwenny" Miller) and Joyce Compton (as Barbara Cartwright), who also consider themselves engaged to Hamilton; they want a quick wedding. Then, a fourth woman turns up, and her gangster brother insists Hamilton marry Marlo Dwyer (as Lorraine O'Reilly). As a subplot, Hamilton may or may not be a millionaire. This all may sound exciting, but it's not. Debuting character actor Fred Sherman (as Charlie Blakewell) does a all right in the buddy role. Hamilton is seen here between his 1920s silent stardom and 1960s "Batman" role.

*** Too Many Women (2/27/42) Bernard B. Ray ~ Neil Hamilton, Joyce Compton, Fred Sherman, June Lang