Lightning Strikes Twice

I found myself hardly laughing at this unfunny comedy that must read funnier than it plays. With a mistaken identity plot, a crazed gunman running loose, two policemen thought murdered and trapped in the sewer system, an inept detective impersonating a butler to get at the murderer and a fan dancer and her husband pretending to be Lyon's fiancée and her father, this had the makings of a really funny movie. If it weren't for Walter Catlett and Pert Kelton, however, the movie would have been a total waste. It's unfortunate that such a fine actor as Ben Lyon took this role, because he seems to have no flair for comedy. He and friend 'Skeets' Gallagher should have had better lines to play against one another, although I'm not sure Lyon could have pulled it off. Thelma Todd, as his fiancée, is very beautiful, but can't act very well. Her father, Jonathan Hale, gives his usual competent performance, although he often looks as if he can't wait to go home. And Laura Hope Crews, as the rich dim-witted aunt who mistakes Kelton for her future niece, tries hard, but can't rise above the material. The problem may have been related to the fact that Todd, Kelton, Gallagher and Chick Chandler had one film to be made to fulfill their contracts with RKO, and this was it.

In a stormy night, a couple of cops fall into the sewer drains after getting shot at and they struggle to find their way out. They are reported killed and their bodies taken. Steve Brewster and his lawyer friend Wally Richards wake up from a night drinking to find two con artists, Fay and Gus, worming their way into Steve's house. Worst of all, Steve's girlfriend and her Navy Captain father are coming. It gets even worst when shots are fired. Wally thinks that someone got killed with Steve's gun and everything seems to go missing. Steve's aunt mistakes Fay for Judy.

It is a convoluted movie. It is all very chaotic. I have trouble keeping track of all of it. It starts funny enough. The screwball works sometimes. I'm mostly taken with Pert Kelton. First I would reconsider the Keystone Cops opening scene. There really should only be those two cops and there should be no shots. The annoying reporter would make up the story whole cloth. Once the movie gets to the house, they may need fewer characters. It is too complicated. Sometimes chaos is meant to be funny. This one loses the thread and eventually the comedy.

"Lightning Strikes Twice" is a dull murder mystery comedy...and, unfortunately, it's not especially funny due to the poorly written dialog. It begins with some apparent murders but a couple of the supposed dead guys are idiot cops who get stuck in the sewers. This bit wasn't funny...and was repeated throughout the film. The rest centers on some confidence men/women and a psychotic murderer...none of which really entertain.

So is the film worth seeing? No. But if you must watch it, there are two things you should look for in the movie. First, the two female stars are mildly interesting due to their life outside films. Thelma Todd is famous for her suicide which many think was actually a mob murder and Pert Kelton was the first Alice Kramden on "The Honeymooners" but her career was damaged due to her politics and the Red Scare. Additionally, although this is technically a Post-Code film, I was surprised that the picture showed folks in bed together- -something specifically forbidden by the code. Plus two of them were guys...a definite no-no for this tough code! You know it's bad when I am looking at these sort of things to provide SOME interest.

The story seems to revolve around an engaged couple who is about to get married...and it is the morning after the stag party in which a few odd leftovers have occurred. Two cops and a butler have gone missing after some gun fire and all three are presumed dead...with a newspaper reporter and a police detective hot on the case. Meanwhile the soon to be groom and his best man wake up in bed together with powerful hangovers...also waking up in their home are last night's fan dancer and her husband, two con artists desperate to get something out of this deal. They are claiming to be injured from a car accident right outside of the house.

Before our groom and best man can get them out of the house, the bride to be arrives with her sea captain father only to see the groom carrying the fan dancer into another room. Misunderstandings abound and are amplified when the groom's aunt plays a surprise visit and confuses the fan dancer for the bride.

Meanwhile, there is a mysterious man hiding in the house and two cops, who are decidedly undead and roaming around in the sewer.

I love the thirties looks and the costumes and sets were wonderful. My favorite scene may be the drunken fan dance...and the romance between Steve (Ben Lyon) and Judy (Thelma Todd). This is not the best film and probably a watch and delete for me...but there were some moments of comedy brilliance mainly on the part of Ben Lyon, who is paired well with Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher, who plays best man Wally.

What do you get with a cast that includes Thelma Todd, Pert Kelton, Chick Chandler, Walter Catlett, Jonathan Hale and Fred Kelsey as a dumb cop? Well, if it's it's this film, a not particularly funny "comedy" that makes Skeets Gallegher look like a decent dramatic actor. It's a thorough-going waste of everyone's time. Including lead Ben Lyon's, but particularly mine.