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I was actually surprised at how funny this comedy was--I guess I wasn't expecting much. Still, I laughed out loud several times. Shelly Winters proves grating at times with her one-note performance, but Farley Granger (looking as sexy as ever)proves to be extremely good at comedy. However, the single best performance in this movie is given by Archie, the dog, who is crucial to the plot. And he's not even listed in the credits on this website! (I actually looked the movie up on IMDb just because I wanted to see if Archie was in other films. And I've never, ever done that for a DOG before.) Elisha Cook Jr. is very welcome in a cameo role, but is not given nearly enough to do.

A star studded cast -- Granger, Demarest, Lon Chaney, Allen Jenkins, Sheldon Leonard, Elisha Cook, Marvin Kaplan. Some bigtime hollywood names here. Bill brings a stray dog home after shopping for an anniversary gift for his wife, but she thinks the dog IS the gift. and this dog is special.... it's been trained to work for the mob. and they want it back ! it does get a little annoying. Bill spends a whole lot of time talking to the dog to get him to leave the bedroom, but for some reason, the dog doesn't seem to understand. that got annoying after a while. Fun premise, but so much time spent on stupid minor things. Script could have been so much better. just one mis-understanding after another. Demarest and Jenkins are the cops trying to railroad Bill (Granger). It's okay. Directed by George Beck... this was the one and only film he directed.

Farley Granger and Shelley Winters form an unlikely couple in this screwball caper. The script was supposedly written in four days, and quite frankly, it shows. But there are some genuinely uproarious events, most of them involving William Demarest as a homicide chief. Hans Conreid appears in a heavy British accent, but he isn't nearly as funny as Demarest, though he certainly tries to be.

In fact, they all try to be funny in this offering from RKO, perhaps a bit too much. The energy, though, is good, and there is an adorable pooch named Archie whose presence is central to the plot. Near the end of the film, Granger bites Archie in an attempt to elicit laughs, proving there is such a thing as bad taste in movies. Obviously, Granger's character does not see the value in behaving himself.

Pretty funny movie combining gangsters with domestic life with a cute dog thrown in. Some good jokes and one liners, some a little risqué. Lots of familiar character actors. Shelley Winters does a great job, actually seeming a lot LUCY RICARDO-ish, which is unusual as I LOVE LUCY actually premiered the same year. Don't miss the clever, closing credits "In order of their disappearance" showing some characters after they've been murdered.

What talent, Shelley Winters, Farley Granger, William Demarest, Lon Chaney, Jr., Hans Conried, Elisha Cook, Jr., Allen Jenkins, Sheldon Leonard, Francis L. Sullivan, King Donovan. What an idea for a funny movie, having a stray dog get a newly married couple who have to live with the wife's obnoxious mother into all kinds of murder and intrigue. What a talented dog, Archie, right up there with Asta. What fine cinematography by James Wong Howe highlighting Wilshire Blvd in the early 1950's. Then what went wrong? One thing is a lack of comedy timing by Farley Granger who even overacts at time. Apparently he was using Jerry Lewis as his model, but was unable to come close to Jerry Lewis' élan. Other weaknesses involve the script and direction, by the same person, George Beck. In more capable hands Farley Granger could have been restrained and, given his acting ability, could have turned in a good comic performance. The script? With some revision it could have been a winner. As is, the best performances are by Elisha Cook, Jr., Hans Conried, and Shelley Winters, with the standout being by an uncredited canine who must have had a gifted trainer. This comedy is worth seeing if you don't expect too much.

Channel 31 is not a television station typically known for its quality programming, but, after first introducing me to 'His Girl Friday (1940)' some time last year, it can now add a second commendable achievement to its résumé. I'd just emerged from my bedroom in the morning when my father clicked over to the neglected station, and a vaguely familiar face {whom I would later identify as Farley Granger} was being troubled by an adorable little Welsh terrier named Archie. If I'd known that it was a movie I probably would not have continued watching, but, as fate would have it, I thought it was an ancient television comedy series, and so I figured it'd all be over in half an hour. Needless to say, by the time the thirty minute mark came and went, I was too engrossed in the amusing story that was unfolding, and 'Behave Yourself! (1951)' proved to be quite an enjoyable viewing experience.

Unfortunately, in rising from bed a few minutes too late, I had missed the opening few scenes of the film, and so it took me a while to piece together the various puzzle pieces of the plot. William Calhoun "Bill" Denny (Granger) is a clumsy husband who is followed home one day by an intelligent dog, which is mistaken for an anniversary present by his wife, Kate (Shelley Winters). Meanwhile, for reasons I never really worked out, a cohort of gangsters are attempting to retrieve the dog, which somehow holds the key towards $100,000 in counterfeit banknotes. As Bill tries everything he can to return the dog to its original owner, he also finds that he has about the worst luck in the world, continuing to arrive at apartments just minutes after somebody has been murdered in there. The gangster comedy notably boasts an assortment of familiar faces, including Lon Chaney Jr. and Elisha Cook Jr., both playing characteristically-shady characters.

Though undoubtedly lightweight, 'Behave Yourself!' is an enjoyable comedic twist on the gangster genre, with Farley Granger doing a surprisingly good job as the leading klutz. The film is full of small amusing details, such as the icily-sarcastic remarks of Bill's mother-in-law (Margalo Gillmore), the chief detective repeatedly referring to Bill as "O'Denny," and the continual confusion as to who the hell this Archie character is. Of course, it's the young canine performer who really steals the show, demonstrating an assortment of clever tricks and flawless comedic timing, in the same way that Asta dominated the 'Thin Man' films. Though it's not very well known, George Beck's comedy is presumably in the public domain, and so shouldn't be all that hard to find. If you're ever in the mood for something silly and entertaining, this one is a good bet.

One of the best supporting casts of familiar character players this side of a Frank Capra film is the best thing that Behave Yourself has going for it. When any of them are on the screen they make up for the fact that leads Farley Granger and Shelley Winters have absolutely no chemistry between them.

Behave Yourself finds Farley Granger getting adopted by Welsh terrier named Archie who follows him home. The dog has been trained as a courier among groups of gangsters, but he decides he likes Mr. Average Guy Granger instead. When he gets home the wife thinks that the terrier is an anniversary present. But now all kinds of strange and sinister people are contacting Granger about the dog. The police have taken an interest in him as well.

Any film that has Francis L. Sullivan, Sheldon Leonard, Hans Conreid, Marvin Kaplan, Lon Chaney, Jr., Elisha Cook, Jr., William Demarest, Margalo Gilmore, etc. is worth a look. But the core of the film, the leads just aren't up to the light touch this comedy needs.

Behave Yourself!

Not sure why the film is titled the way it was. I did want to watch it as I have not seen an early Shelly Winters film. I could only imagine an older, larger Shelly from the film "Poseidon Adventure."

The film is a situation comedy of sorts. The early 50s version of situation comedy includes lots of misunderstandings, a mother-in-law doing Dianetics classes in the evenings, and an innocent man who (a) forgot his wife's anniversary; (b) had a run-in with a dog who is trained in finding drop-off points for smugglers and (c) is always at the scene of a murder or three!

Sorry but the overacting was just too much. The comedy was not that funny to the modern viewer and the cops not really understanding what was going on as the stumbled through the scenes and the equally dumb gangsters with pratfalls and further misunderstandings – well!

Stars: Fun to see William Demerist in something other than his "My Three Sons" TV series (from the Sixties). And Lon Chaney Jr. as a heavy was a sight to see.

Shelly Winters acted as a clueless woman who faints more than she babbles on about her husband. The mother-in-law was a gem, how she accuses her son-in-law of murder and says "it figures" several times throughout the film.

Unless you're a big Shelly Winters fan, probably not the style for you. Lucille Ball played this theme so much better.

DVD: My DVD was from Alpha Video and did not have any features other than scene selections.

Cast & Crew:

Director: George Beck Writers: George Beck (screenplay), George Beck (story),» Stars: Farley Granger, Shelley Winters and William Demarest

"Young newlyweds Bill and Kate Denny (Farley Granger and Shelley Winters) take in a stray dog named Archie. Archie is really a trained dog that is a go-between for two rival gangs of criminals. With a million-dollar counterfeiting scheme causing hostilities between the two gangs, our newlyweds and their adopted dog are thrown into the middle of the mix," according to the DVD sleeve summary. The more dramatically inclined co-stars have a lot of range, but it doesn't show in "Behave Yourself!" Most of the time, they seem out of their element. Made a few years earlier, with Cary Grant and Lucille Ball starring, this might have been a classic.

***** Behave Yourself! (9/19/51) George Beck ~ Farley Granger, Shelley Winters, Margalo Gillmore, William Demarest

The plot's something about a go-between dog that gets lost from its two smuggler gangs and finds a home, sort of, with a young couple.

Granger strives mightily to put the mad in madcap, but unfortunately it's too mightily. His incessant mugging in the latter half not only gets tiresome but amounts to unfunny desperation. Actually, the real problem with this misfire--as others point out--lies with director-writer Beck. In short, the screenplay is much too congested, probably to insert the many first-rate supporting players who could have provided real laughs if properly directed and defined. Instead, the likes of Leonard, Conreid, Cook, Jenkins, are largely wasted by a turgid screenplay. Only grouchy Demarest and sarcastic Gillmore manage to register. Winters' comedic talents are also largely wasted as the neglected wife, a role a hundred lesser actresses could have filled.

Looks like the producers were intent on promoting Granger's career since he monopolizes the screen time. Looks also like he was trying to expand his range into comedy. Too bad the package doesn't work. At the same time, judging by his credits, the actor quickly returned to drama, and being the bobby-sox idol he was so good at. Anyway, I hope they gave Archie triple treats for his lively tail-wagging turn. He may not be a glamorous Lassie, but he'll sure do.

A snappy enough feature teaming Shelley Winters with Farley Granger, as a newly-married couple still living with the mother-in-law from hell. He accidentally acquires a dog which she assumes is an anniversary present, when 'Archie' is a prop for a criminal gang to find some booty.

You can see the pattern here. Everyone who wants the dog back gets murdered - and our hapless husband is always there, leaving his visiting card behind (!), while the Irish policeman (who calls everyone O' something or other, ho ho, not a stereotype there then) doesn't believe a word ...

With character players like Elisha Cook Jr, Francis L Sullivan, Han Conreid, and the like, this film is fun to watch, but ultimately a little lightweight.

A romantic comedy in which a scruffy dog is a central player. Already I feel a suspicion of nausea uncoiling deep in my innards. A funny movie about a dog.

But it's not the dog that keeps the film from being better than it is. It's the writer/director, George Beck, who does his earnest best to turn a feature film into a television situation comedy.

Comedy is obviously not Farley Granger's forte. He's fine as an innocent and exploited schlub -- "Strangers on a Train," "Rope," "They Live By Night." Here he overacts, loudly, and the director should have reined him in. Not that he could have saved the script, which has him walking along a crowded sidewalk and talking to himself while everyone stares. I'm not even sure that Spencer Tracy could have handled the role as written.

And something could have been done with the narrative. In itself, it has potential. A dog trained to sniff out dope at dropout points escapes and attaches itself to Granger and his wife, Shelley Winters. Rival teams of gangsters try to recover the dog. It's all in your face but with a bit more subtlety in the gags and the acting it could have been much improved.

But Beck seems to think it's funnier than it is. I don't know how many minutes are spent on a scene near the beginning. It's the wedding anniversary of Granger and Winters. They want to make love but they can't coax the pestilent Archie out of the bedroom. Granger throws shoes into the hallway, tries to coax him out the door, tugs him along, but there is no getting rid of Archie. It's amusing, not funny, and doesn't deserve the screen time it gets. At that, it's an improvement over the incident in which Archie gets tangled in Granger's feet and Granger has to fall down a flight of stairs. Not even Ricky Ricardo was so humiliated.

Some of the better scenes involve small parts played by familiar actors doing their usual shticks. Sheldon Leonard is a hard-boiled Damon Runyan hood, "Shortwave Bert." Elijah Cook, Jr., is the goggle-eyed loser and an unexpected Francis X. Sullivan is a big-time hood, "Fat Freddy."

Super cute film good for a few giggles and lots of smiles. Really good casting all the way around. Fun little story surrounding that doggone dog Archie - a Welsh terrier that causes more trouble than one could guess. A bit zany when you have a set of crooks, crazy police, an innocent couple and a dog.

Bill decides to buy his wife Kate a gift but the dog ends up in the shop knocking things over and Bill ends up bringing the dog home. When his wife sees the dog she thinks it's her gift. Sound fine but the dog is owned by crooks and is trained to be a messenger between the criminals. Naturally, the crooks go looking for their messenger - and that's when things become a bit crazy.

A fun film - great for a Sunday afternoon manatee.

7/10

A terrific supporting cast, plus Shelley Winters could and should have resulted in an outstanding, fast-paced comedy. But Farley Granger can't play comedy -- at least he can't here. George Beck's script is too busy, but that could have been dealt with by an able comedy director. However, Beck himself directed, and that's the element that sinks this mess completely. Everyone screams and overacts; even skilled muggers like William Demarest go off the deep end. It's almost painful to watch.

A little dog turns out to be the most interesting feature of this film. This dog is the only lead for the "gangland buyers of the counterfeit money" to find the counterfeiters on Wilshire Blvd. Archie "the dog" has other plans and adopts Farley Granger and Shelley Winters as his family. Now the scramble by the gangsters to find the dog intensifies. Murder seems to follow this "pooch" and brings Granger to the center of all the mayhem. An amusing dog tale which ends answering the question "what if man bites dog."

1951's "Behave Yourself!" is that rare comedy lacking in anything remotely humorous, spoofing the gangster genre with its huge array of guest stars essentially reduced to cameo roles, most of whom join the heavenly choir by picture's end. The cause of all the mayhem is an overly friendly Welsh terrier named Archie, liaison for a contraband smuggling ring, who latches on to small time accountant William Calhoun Denny (Farley Granger), using the pooch as a last minute substitution for a wedding anniversary gift that delights wife Kate (Shelley Winters), if not her typically suspicious mother (Margalo Gillmore). The crooks wait for their loot to change hands as every address listing a lost dog winds up with another batch of corpses to baffle the cops, until the last few that remain all gather at the Denny residence for a final shootout. The blame for this misfire lies squarely with author George Beck, supposedly written as a Damon Runyon knockoff in four days as his only feature film as director, less so for mismatched stars Granger (substituting for Cary Grant) and Winters, whose off screen friendship doesn't translate into on screen sparks. Easily lost among the numerous supporting villains is Lon Chaney as Pinky, the somewhat dimwitted racketeer responsible for most of the bodies lying about, and an easy target for Denny's false escape route (he would also be wasted in another alleged comedy, "Pardners," starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis).

From RKO, this minor rom-com starring Farley Granger and Shelley Winters is quite entertaining, thanks to the pleasant lead players but especially filled with great character actors, mocking the format of a crime movie. And with Archie the dog stealing scenes throughout, it represents the type of innocuous entertainment that kept fans happy during 1950s Hollywood.

One could easily imagine a straight, serious film noir with this cast, and Granger/Winters playing tough guy and femme fatale, but here they are ably involved in crazy comedy situations, intentionally goofy as sets of criminals all compete to find the cute doggy who has attached itself to Granger. Murders keep occurring and Granger's little white lie (he pretended the pooch was an anniversary present for his wife Shelley) ends up getting him into big trouble.

Elisha Cook Junior, Hans Conried and Lon Chaney Junior are among the familiar faces who are so much fun to see, even seven decades later when such obscure films show up regularly on YouTube. Influence of producer Norman Krasna is obvious here, while obscure writer-director George Beck (this was the only movie he ever directed) does a fine job keeping things moving at a brisk pace.

When you think of comedy, you don't normally think of Farley Granger nor Shelly Winters. Neither (especially Granger) were terribly funny people and here the film just seems forced...and annoying.

When the film begins, some gangsters have a dumb idea to use a dog to pass on information. But things go awry and the dog instead follows Bill (Granger) home. Eventually, this all leads to murders, some counterfeit money as well as the police.

None of this film is funny and again and again they chose to be loud instead of funny. Winters and Granger yell a lot as well as horribly overact...so much so that the film was very difficult to enjoy. Overall, a very forced and unfunny film.