Go-Get-'Em, Haines

Movie almost split in 3 it seems, the first almost is a comedy of manners, you know, those 1930's things with lots of characters, really no plot, and just sort of glides along. SO a whole whack of people get on a boat, a banker (or is it?) who has swindled a lot of money, an actress, her brother and other people are also on board too. Oops, and a reporter, who is trying to uncover the banker's saga. During the voyage, it is suggested that some of the passengers put on a show, which they do. This leads up to the 2nd part of the movie, where the musical takes place, and it's just nothing short of bizarre. It leads to a murder mystery play, where the banker is a last minute replacement for one of the actors. Anyways, the banker's character gets shot in the play - only of course SOMEONE has switched the guns and he's really dead! So then the third part comes up.. who did it? The captain and the reporter lead the inquest to find out the dirty secret! Honestly, I wasn't really absorbed in this movie at all, it wasn't really interesting, musical or suspenseful. The only weird thing that captivated me, was the very strange hair the reporter had, which looked like a sort of grayish blonde thing.

The story goes that Steve Haines (William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd), a reporter, is trying to get ahold of a business tycoon and chases him onto a ship, only to leave with the ship when it casts off. Inevitably intrigue and suspense start to cautiously tip-toe into the light before taking center stage, as Haines runs into a few people he knows, as well as making a few new friends.

For the first half of the movie, the filmmakers rely mostly on comedy to get the story rolling. All the elements of screwball comedy are at play here, with some clever dialogue. For instance: Steve wants to know the stateroom number of a pretty girl (Sheila Terry) but the steward (Louis Natheaux) can't tell him. Flashing a bill, Steve asks "Would it be against the ship's rules if you were to tell me your age?" "Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you my age," replies the steward, "but I could tell you that, on my grandmother, she'll be eighty-four." A token perpetual drunk (Jimmy Aubrey) appears shortly after the above exchange, and assumes the comic relief responsibilities for the remainder of the film. And like most token comic relief characters of the 1930's (and unlike most comic relief characters of today), this dizzy, amusing character does actually help the narrative along, rather than just appear for the occasional comedy set piece.

I enjoyed this film over all, even though it started to drag a little in a few places. The story was pretty tightly written and it all actually held together quite well, for a B-picture. The ship-board location provides an interesting backdrop, and it seems as though most of the interiors, as well as exteriors, were shot onboard a modest commercial cruise vessel. What exactly it was like to shoot a movie like this I'd like to know. The acting was pretty good, with an excellent scene towards the end, where all is revealed. That's another thing: the movie keeps you guessing, presenting you with several possible outcomes, motives and suspects. If you can find it, it's worth a look.

William Boyd took a break from Hopalong Cassidy to do this B movie mystery for Republic Pictures in which he plays an investigative reporter hot on the trail of a Samuel Insull like utility magnate who is fleeing and absconding with a whole lot of his investor's money.

The culprit Lee Shumway takes a passenger liner bound for Europe and Boyd follows him on board and sails with him. During an amateur theatrical production on shipboard someone slips real bullets into a gun and Shumway is shot dead. There are a host of suspects as a whole lot of people lost money investing with the dead magnate.

Go Get 'Em Haines which sounds like a rousing sports drama instead of a murder mystery is a nicely paced mystery which we have to give some allowances for as it is the product of a B film studio. Herbert J. Yates didn't exactly bust the budget for this one, but Boyd does nicely in the role.

Alas though for his career and for better or worse he was Hopalong Cassidy and the public wasn't going to accept at this point as anything else.

This should only be a genre-film "6 of 10" stars, but I've given it an extra star on the basis of William Boyd's performance. Although Boyd always entertained as Hopalong Cassidy, His eventual identification with that role alone essentially tunneled him out of any notice as the highly talented naturalistic actor that he was. He really shines in this film as a headstrong but clever reporter trying to discover why there would be two different murders of the same man.

The rest of the film is typical of "Poverty Row" efforts of the time,although above average in its pacing - and once the mystery kicks in, it is surprisingly effective, playing with and against audience expectations in a way that leaves the discovery of who-done-it a surprise.

As to the narrative that leads up to the mystery - it's breezy and not without its entertainment value. I admit considerable continuity lapses, but th pacing rushes us past them, so I won't complain.

Most reviews I've seen complain of the musical number in the middle of the film, but anyone who knows the comic song tradition that came out of Vaudeville like "Second Hand Rose" or "Harrigan") will recognize it as a novelty song, and rather a charming one at that.

But at any rate, at only about a hour's run, it's worth it to see Boyd in grand form as someone other than the cowboy savant, Hopalong.

This film has one of the very very rare roles where William Boyd wasn't Hopalong Cassidy once he started in that role. Here Boyd plays a reporter who is told to get the scoop on a millionaire who's utility company is tanking, taking with it the fortunes of many small time investors. Arriving at the rich man's house he sees someone that looks like his man sneaking out a back door. Giving chase he follows him to the docks and on to a ship heading for Europe. Soon things become complicated as murders on board on on land occur.

This is a nifty fast moving thriller. Boyd wanders through the film as if he owns the place and its clear why he was a big star. its also clear that had he been able to do something other than Hopalong he might have been even bigger (would that have been possible?). The mystery itself is a bit convoluted and I'm not sure the film plays fair (I blindly guessed the killer before we had even met all of the suspects) but its no matter since whats of interest here is the interplay between Boyd and the rest of the cast and the ship board setting. If there is any weakness its the musical number that takes place as part of a shipboard entertainment, it's not that its bad, it just that its filler. Worth a look.