The Good Humor Man

I saw this movie several times on broadcast television during the 1960's. The opening scene of the stuck bells remains a truly classic moment, as are the references to the comic book fan club. There is a finely crafted mystery in the film. Carson's character is boyish and charming and appropriately dim-witted but lovable. The jackass adds a wonderful measure of fun.

This film really needs to be printed on DVD for it is a great film, funnier than anything Abbott and Costello ever did. They just don't make good clean films like this anymore.

By the way.. Good Times Video did release a VHS version of this classic film. apparently, fairly highly sought after as the lowest priced via Amazon.Com was $51.00 as of 2-6-07

David Wilson

The versatile, eternal second banana Jack Carson finally gets to be lead in Good Humor Man. Biff wants to get hitched to Margie (Lola Albright) but gets caught up in some zany adventure with Bonnie (Jean Wallace). This one is kind of silly, and probably aimed at a younger audience. Biff just gets deeper and deeper in a case of mistaken identity. Good thing he has Johnny (Peter Miles) helping to clear his name. A whole lot of silly slapstick humor. moves pretty slowly. more slapstick humor. and then some slapstick humor. Directed by LLoyd Bacon. had worked with Bogart and Bette Davis. It's okay. was hoping for a more serious bit from Jack Carson, but not in this one. he was so great in Mildred Pierce. and so many others.

I went into this film a little skeptical, but was intrigued by the title. This must be one of the first films with product placement. Good Humor is featured for about the first three quarters of this film. Jack Carson is his usual self in this farce about a Good Humor man whose set up by a gang of criminals. This material seemed to be written for his talent for comedy. And it's nice to have a film like this with two very attractive women in it. The film is loaded with several character actors from this era; Frank Ferguson, Arthur Space, and Pat Flaherty just to mention a few. The story and the action aren't very realistic; but the comedy is great. And there's a chase that must run ten to twelve minutes that crams in every element of a comedic chase ever seen; pies, fire extinguishers spraying, musical instruments used in a fight; and lots more. It's old but gives lots of laughs all through the story, with the big chase at the end.

If you don't love Captain Marvel and Good Humor bars, you won't understand this film. It's that simple. Carson with his ex, Albright, is a lovable ice cream salesman who belongs to a local Captain Marvel club. Carson excelled in these lunk-head roles as the good guy with a heart of gold who might not be a Nobel Laurate in Nuclear Physics but is basically a kid at heart. But, even though I was in the transition from kid to teenager when I saw this film the year it came out, I knew then, as I know now, I'd always be a kid at heart. We can't make movies like this anymore. Simple people like ice cream salesman are hardly attractive role models for our present-day youngsters. We have to have martial arts superheroes, slick Wall Street Masters of the Universe, dopers or people on the edge thrust up as those worthy of interest. Catching a bunch of crooks with a Captain Marvel fan club as back-up with no sex and little violence would never make it to the screen these days. But, sports fans, it did back then and I'm very glad it did. I LOVE THIS FILM! UP WITH CARSON! UP WITH CAPTAIN MARVEL! AND, UP WITH ICE CREAM BARS!!

If you enjoyed the Stooges, you will get a hoot out of the last 20 minutes or so of this film, as every possible projectile, from musical instruments, to table saws, to baseball bats and the eventual pie fight, all come into play. It is what we paid 25 cents to see way back when. Carson and Albright have great chemistry, in fact, I would say that her role was so proactive as to almost claim her as an early women's libber! The film is dotted with character actors (yes, even George Reeves, our eventual 50's Superman), which only adds to the delight. A fun, nostalgic film, which reminded me of how I spent my Saturday afternoons once upon a time!