Malandro de Sorte

After Wallace Beery did The Champ with Jackie Cooper and after he did Min And Bill with Marie Dressler, MGM made a concerted effort to team him with old women and kids. In Jackass Mail he gets to work with both.

Beery is cast as his usual reprobate character an outlaw in this case with J. Carrol Naish as a sidekick. In trying to rob a mule freight line that's ramrodded by Marjorie Main he gets fooled when another pair of outlaws, Dick Curtis and William Haade pull the job. Beery keeps trying to return to his crooked ways, but circumstances and Main keep him on the straight and narrow

Substituting for Jackie Cooper is young Darryl Hickman and Beery has to live a lie the way John Wayne did with Lee Aaker in Hondo after he kills Haade who is Hickman's father.

After Marie Dressler died, Beery was teamed with a succession of character women like Marjorie Main. Jackass Mail is a great example of the chemistry the two had with each other. And his scenes with Darryl Hickman are poignant as well, probably the best in the film.

Not a dull moment. Great chemistry between Marjorie Main and Wallace Berry AND between Wallace Berry and Darryl Hickman. I especially enjoyed little Tommy guilelessly busting Baggot when he was up to his old tricks. It was precious and refreshing.

Marjorie Main's style of dealing with men is a lesson in the direct approach made charming and irresistible.

J. Carrol Naish as a Mexican up-to-no-good tempter of Berry behind the scenes but Marjorie's entertaining buddy in front of her was also a very amusing departure from his usual roles.

It was definitely worth staying up for.

The repartee between Beery and Main is great, and between Beery and Naish, it's even better. Wallace is in top late-career form in this silly, but not too silly, and frantic comedy. His character will make you laugh for weeks after you see it. Tom Weeks has a nice supporting bit, and Marjorie Main is marvelous.

I caught this movie last night on Turner Classic Movies, and I have to say it was a lot better than I expected. Yes, it was definitely a B-movie but it still stands up today, over sixty years later. Beery and Main, as well as the script have enough development, so that the two come off as more than just cookie cutter characters. In addition to the leads, Naish did a fine performance as a 'sidekick/comedy' character and young Tommy played by Hickman put in a good performance as well.

I consider this a 'fun' movie and I'd watch it again if I caught it on, or even consider purchasing it on DVD if it were available. (An online search shows a few scattered notes of it being a rare find.) At approximately 80 minutes in duration, the timing is near perfect for the storyline.

Finally, I do believe there is a bit more to this movie than what meets the eye. With the topics they cover, I was left wondering how different it could have/be done if they delved deeper and darker into some of the elements.

7/10. If you have the means to catch this lost gem, it's worth it.

This is the second or the Beery's mule pictures in the early 1940's. I enjoyed it. Not because it's a great western - it's not. It's simple B fair. But what it is seems to transcend the normal B schlock and it's mostly due to Beery and Main. If you don't disect it - you'll love it!