A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed

This is a funny, quirky little film that turns up on tv every once in awhile. Here, Tom Ewell and Mickey Rooney, two every day guys without money, decide to pull off a bank robbery to help ease their horse racing gambling debts. It comes off as poor man's ODD COUPLE odyssey as Ewell and Rooney make a mess of everything, although they do manage to rob a bank. There is a excellent supporting cast of familiar faces, particularly Frances Bavier as Ewell's doting landlady, complete with apron and stuck in the kitchen, which may have inspired her casting for Aunt Bee on the Andy Griffith Show.

Also there is pretty Dina Merrill (as the proverbial gal pal), Richard Deacon and former Bowery Boy Stanley Clements, still acting like one of the Bowery Boys! Produced through 20th century Fox, and in black and white. One of those movies for a lazy Saturday afternoon, especially for all of us old movie buffs.

Max and Gus (Ewell and Rooney) need money fast. Max is supposed to get married to Margie (Merrill), and they've both been playing the horses. And losing. So the plan is.... a bank heist. Buy a horse, and win big at the races. What could possibly go wrong? Aunt Bea from andy griffith (Frances Bavier) is in here as Max's' nagging mom. And keep an eye out for Richard Deacon, probably best known as Mel on Dick vanDyke. It's pretty good! Moves a bit slow, but no major story issues. Directed by henry levin. Ewell had just done Itch, and rooney had just been nominated for bold and brave. They were both pretty big name at this point. Good stuff. Not shown very often.

"A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed" is supposed to be a comedy. However, it has two huge problems. First, and most importantly, it isn't funny. Second, you don't care about the characters nor their plight. I know these are minor quibbles...

Max and Gus (Tom Ewell and Mickey Rooney) are dumb losers who have dreams of owning their own race horse. But, in addition to being dumb losers, they have no money. So, they decide to rob a bank. The robbery goes surprisingly smoothly and they buy a horse. But again and again, they bet big money on the horse and lose. Now they are broke again and still have a horse. With their new partner, Rocky (Mickey Shaughnessy), they decide to commit one more robbery. What's next?

The movie wasn't written well. In order to work, it should have been MUCH funnier and also found a way for the viewer to like the characters...or at least care what happens to them. I didn't care and as the film progressed, I found myself caring less and less. It's a shame, as the actors seemed to try but they were given limp material with which to work.

Mickey Rooney's career was sputtering like Jack Benny's Maxwell when he made this movie. His vehicles were in buddy comedies after he left MGM, but never with the same buddy twice. Here, teamed with Tom Ewell, they play a pair of sad sacks who rob a couple of banks to finance a racing stable. Rooney tries to act with his usual high energy level, but Ewell plays things at his usual slow pace, and the result is annoying to me. In addition, the print looks to be off a very dark 16 mm. copy, rather than the camera negative or a 35 mm. -- Fox junked a lot of its original prints when it seemed the only market for a lot of their films was TV.

Mickey Shaughnessey plays his usual Runyonesque role, but, unfortunately, screenwriter Sydney Boehm did not write a Runyonesque vehicle. Nothing quite works in this movie, alas, but it is good to know these real talents survived this.

I enjoyed this comedy with Mickey Rooney. Dina Merrill is beautiful. Just a good old fashion funny film to lift up the spirits on a down day. Saw it on FXM Retro demand 11-30-2021.