O Maior Sovina do Mundo

I was always a fan of JACK BENNY and his radio shows and later his appearances on TV after his movie career waned. But while I enjoyed some of his films tremendously (GEORGE WASHINGTON SLEPT HERE, CHARLEY'S AUNT, THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT), I found THE MEANEST MAN IN THE WORLD to be a huge disappointment.

Even though it runs less than an hour, it's a dud. Poor PRISCILLA LANE has a hard time convincing me as Benny's patient sweetheart that she'd have anything to do with the character Benny plays. He's a softy, with a heart of gold, but discovers that people pay more attention to him as a lawyer if he appears to be mean and ruthless in his dealings. So much for the ironic flavor of the plot.

Thankfully, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson is on hand for a few laughs and there are a few clever moments in the script, but most of it just lays an egg--a big one. If you want to enjoy Benny in films, I'd recommend GEORGE WASHINGTON SLEPT HERE as one of his better comedies.

Jack Banney and Rochester (Eddie Anderson) really go to it in this comedy romance. The two toss barbs back and forth with ease that even outdid their frequent banter on Benny's radio show at the time. "The Meanest Man in Town" is a light comedy with a simple plot and not much of one. Benny's small-town lawyer can't make it as a lawyer at home, nor as an ambulance chaser in the Big Apple. The reason is because of his big heart. But, when circumstances happen that make him appear mean in the press, much changes.

And, from that point on, the film turns into screwball comedy. The ending is a real hoot. Edmund Gwenn has a small role, but it's one of the few in which he played the meany, or a villain or bad guy. But, because of the nature of this film, even Gwenn's nasty appearance is occasion for a chuckle.

Jack Benny was highly popular with his unique laid back humor, using long pauses with a sometimes dour and sometimes cynical persona. A Jack Benny program ran weekly on the radio from 1932 through 1948. Then he had a long-running TV series, "The Jack Benny Show," that ran from 1950 thru 1965. His movie making was sparse during the latter, but he had many appearances on other TV series and shows. Most of his two dozen films before that were box office hits.

And, from his first appearance in 1937, Eddie Anderson became a major part of Jack Benny's radio and then television shows. In the 1950s, Eddie was the highest paid African-American in radio and television. The two men were great entertainers, loved by audiences in the mid-20th century. They remained close friends until Benny's death in 1974.

The film may be far too slow for modern audiences, but those who like good old fun and comedy in films, should get a kick out of this movie.

As I stated, I love Jack Benny. One of those comedians who warms my heart just upon sight. Eve Arden (who would have been good in the Anne Revere part) is another example of that kind of persona whose mere presence makes me happy. Unlike the character he portrays in some movies and certainly on his TV shows, he was a very generous man with friends and strangers. No surprise there. He exudes that which makes his stinginess even more funny. This picture, with a lot of false starts and ending up nowhere, went off on the wrong track. Priscilla Lane was actually a nifty actress in so many of her films, almost surprisingly so. In addition, she is about as adorable as they come. (Benny often has some of the most appealing actresses to accompany him on his sprees.) Rochester, too, is a delight. Could have done without the black-face routine, but it was 1943 and awareness of this sort outrage was not yet in our craws. It did not go as far or as interestingly as it might have but what could have remedied it, I wouldn't know where to begin. "The Horn Blows at Midnight" is often claimed by Benny to be a failure and brought down his movie career. My impression is that it is more delightful than most of his forays into filmdom. Then of course he is in the utter classic "To Be or Not To Be". Nothing wrong with that one. And with him. And with Lane. It's just the film which isn't especially good. But so what? It has Jack Benny,

... and this one is no exception.

In this amusing, if brief, comedy from 20th Century Fox and director Sidney Lanfield, Jack Benny stars as Richard Clarke, a smalltown attorney who moves to NYC in order to impress his prospective father-in-law. His girlfriend Janie (Priscilla Lane) can't wait to get married but she's unaware that Richard's law practice is going no where. It isn't until he starts acting cutthroat and mean that things start to become lucrative. Also featuring Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Edmund Gwenn, Matt Briggs, Anne Revere, Margaret Seddon, Helene Reynolds, Ralph Byrd, Edward Gargan, Hobart Cavanaugh, Lyle Talbot, and Tor Johnson.

This seemed like a filmed version of a radio play, as almost all of the humor is verbal, and maybe that is to be expected as Benny was so big in radio at the time. That's a nice change of pace when slapstick seemed to rule the day in film comedy of the period. Benny and Anderson are a terrific team, naturally, and they play off each other like the seasoned pros they were. I also liked Anne Revere in an atypical role as Benny's bored, underpaid secretary.

I was amazed when I saw this picture. After having seen The Horn Blows at Midnight, I had assumed that all of Jack Benny's pictures were pretty stupid and that his talent only extended to television and radio. Boy was I wrong.

This very short movie (57 minutes) is outstanding and I have nothing negative to say about it. Benny is actually NOT the Meanest Man in the world but perhaps one of the nicest in the film. This is a real surprise because he is a lawyer (sorry to all you lawyers reading this). However, he finds that if people THINK he is mean and heartless his business will pick up considerably! If it comes on TCM or you can find it on video, give it a try. You're bound to love it (unless YOU are the meanest man in the world).