Surprise-partie

While a lot of unjustly forgotten films have been recently released on Warner Archives DVD, this one might have been forgotten for a reason. It's not exactly a terrible film, it just doesn't seem to work. The film's premise, about a woman who sublets an apartment from a Marine during a housing shortage, only to find that he's also issued a standing invitation for the use of the apartment to several of his male friends, has the potential for a wacky screwball comedy. Certainly Jean Arthur was able to turn a similar story line into classic comedy in "The More the Merrier". As this movie was the product of the low-budget Monogram Studios, someone of Arthur's caliber wasn't available, but the role might have been a good showcase for a reliable comedienne such as Lucille Ball or Betty Hutton. Instead, the role went to Simone Simon, who can't really milk the role for all its comic potential. It's hard enough sometimes just to understand her would-be wisecracks through her thick French accent.

The lead roles are played by James Ellison and William Terry, a pleasant-looking actor who deserved better roles than he generally got over the course of his career. The actors try their best to squeeze some laughs out of the material, but much of the comedy seems uninspired. The running gag of having a gremlin (a tiny little troll) appear throughout the story to sabotage everyone's plans may have seemed like a cute idea at the time, but it's just bizarre and unfunny.

Classic film buffs may appreciate seeing this mainly for the chance to catch some familiar faces, such as character actors Chester Clute and Minna Gombell as a pair of bickering landlords, and child actor Billy Laughlin in his only movie role (he was otherwise known as "Froggy" in the later Our Gang episodes). There's a brief, sad cameo by Rondo Hatton, an actor who capitalized on his severe facial deformities by appearing in B horror movies during the '40s. The gremlin is played by Jerry Maren, best known as one of the Munchkins from "The Wizard of Oz", although he's unrecognizable in the gremlin costume. The gremlin's voice is unmistakably that of Mel Blanc. And the film features an early appearance by Robert Mitchum, whose charisma shines through in a small role here. His character is described by one of the others as someone who "looks like a movie star," which in Mitchum's case is prophetic, as he would become a star just a few years after this movie was made.

Despite its mediocrity, this film has a truly surprising twist at the end. So, with a 78-minute running time, it just might be worth slogging your way through it to get to the finish. Just don't expect too much along the way.

"Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore" is a wartime comedy that centers around the housing shortage. From the very beginning, the film falls flat for two reasons. Firstly, the star is Simone Simon, whose French accent is distracting. More importantly, her nominal understanding of the English language derails some lines that could be funnier if she knew where to place emphases.

But the bulk of the blame lies with the script, which might have done better as a play. Most of the gags are almost humorless. I doubt that any actress could have made a winner of this collection of overworked and uninspired lines.

The "hijinks" begin when Simon (Kathie Aumont) spills a salt shaker. A gremlin emerges and, as everyone supposedly knows, it curses her with seven weeks of bad luck. So begins her crusade to find a place to live. She locates a temporary residence, but her privacy is invaded by a long line of people who also have keys to the premises. She reacts to this in various ways that have no apparent rhyme or reason.

The film's ending, which is supposed to be a big reveal, probably had theatergoers saying "What?" or "So what?".

On a train, a "Gremlin" (the unmistakable voice of Mel Blanc) portends bad luck for sleepy defense worker Simone Simon (as Kathie Aumont). Arriving in Washington, DC, she discovers her intended roommate has married. Needing a place to stay, Ms. Simon sublets an apartment from passerby William Terry (as Johnny Moore), a Marine leaving for duty. Simon isn't alone in the apartment for long as Mr. Terry gave out keys to several of friends. The men are stricken with Simon's beauty, especially sailor James Ellison (as Mike Burke), who stops by for a bath. Future star Robert Mitchum also pays a visit. Director Joe May gets Simon into several sexy positions and they really arouse interest in this whimsical farce.

****** Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore (7/8/44) Joe May ~ Simone Simon, James Ellison, William Terry, Chick Chandler

Johnny Doesn't Live Here Anymore is the repeated line that poor Simone Simon says because every time she turns around somebody else is using her apartment and lets themselves in with a key. The previous tenant William Terry was very generous with keys.

This film is a rather dated comedy because the housing shortage in the Washington, DC area during World War II was a temporary social phenomenon that few today might get. A more successful and long lasting film on this topic was The More The Merrier from a year earlier. But that one boasted major stars like Joel McCrea and Jean Arthur and an Academy Award winning Charles Coburn.

Like Jean Arthur in that film, Simone Simon is a girl from Quebec to explain her French accent who's come to work in one of the wartime agencies that sprung up overnight in the DC area. Why she didn't work in Canada is anybody's guess, but her original intention was to stay with her friend Dorothy Granger. But between the promise of a room and Simon's arrival Granger gets married to Grady Sutton. Personally I'd rather stay with Simon than Sutton, but that's the situation.

At this point the plot takes a lot out of Noel Coward's Designing Women which itself was pretty daring back in the day. In fact if this film was not a Monogram Picture I doubt it would have slipped by the censors. This film which was definitely not Code approved material would never have been made by one of the major studios.

She gets an apartment from William Terry who was leaving to join the Marines because of the impression she makes on Terry. But after that it's James Ellison and Chick Chandler and even the twin kids next door who have bathroom privileges. Simon ends up working by day and running her own hospitality suite for the Armed Services.

Robert Mitchum has a small supporting role as a Navy CPO who also gets a key expecting a little privacy for he and the wife. And two people who are really funny in this whole affair are Chester Clute and Minna Gombell. Minna is the best one in the film in fact she might have been who inspired Audra Lindley and Chester may well have inspired Norman Fell in playing the Ropers in Three's Company.

It all ends in a lovely fight that ends up before Judge Alan Dinehart who has to sort all the cast out in his courtroom. In fact Dinehart figures prominently in the very surprise ending the film has.

Because it came from Monogram Johnny Doesn't Live Any More got no attention from the censors and possibly the critics of the time. But it's a real comedy gem which is sparked by the ingenuous character that Simone Simon plays. Try to catch this one.

Kathie (Simone Simon) is looking for a place to live during WWII and there's a severe housing shortage. By luck she's able to rent the apartment of Johnny (William Terry) when he goes off to the service. Unfortunately he forgot to mention that he passed his key out to many other people who drop in with "hilarity" resulting.

Silly wartime comedy. The basic plot is OK but the script is pretty bad. None of the jokes are even remotely funny and the gremlin that keeps popping up (don't ask) is extremely annoying. It all leads to a truly stupid ending which makes little sense. It seems as if the writers just gave up and threw something together. Still I watched the whole thing and was mildly (VERY mildly) amused. The acting was good which helped a lot and James Ellison (as Mike) has a really good time with his role. Also a very young and then unknown Robert Mitchum has a small role. So if you have absolutely nothing else to do you might find it amusing. I give it a 4 and that's mostly for the acting.