The Fat Man

When I was growing up, pre-television, we used to listen to many radio shows. One of these was The Fat Man, starring J. Scott Smart. This, as with some other radio shows, was made into a movie. The casting of Smart in the title role was good, since he looked the part and the sound was identical to the radio program.

In virtually every radio show, Bradford Runyan is hired to solve a crime; the film carries on the tradition. However, the radio program lasted for only a half hour, and even though there was a "time compression" effect, there was time to do significantly more in the film. As an example, Runyan asks a lady to dance, and when she accepts, he acquits himself well. That could never have worked on the radio program, to be sure.

For those of us who remember the program, there's a lot of nostalgia in the film. For those who never heard the show (such as my wife), it's still okay, but probably not as valued.

This Movie, Fashioned from a Long-Running (341 Episodes) Radio-Mystery.

The Show Featured the Detective of the Title and J. Scott Smart Transformed the Role to this Film.

Fans could Now put a Face to the Suave, Cultured, Rotund Crime-Solver.

This Dashiell Hammett's Character can Claim to be the Opposite of His "Mega-Star, the "The Thin Man".

But Didn't Click On-Screen and the Film Failed to Become a Series.

No-Doubt Television Took On the Source of Many B-Movies.

Detective-Series Radio Now Detective-Series TV.

This Movie had the Foundations of a Very Smart and Fun Film-Series.

William Castle Directed with His Seasoned B-Movie Credentials.

J. Scott Smart Successfully Cultivated the Character on Radio and seems Natural On-Screen.

Bringing a Sense of Humor, Type, and a Certain Confidence Despite His Over-Size.

However, one of the Film's Shortcomings is the Over-Reliance on Comedy Relief.

Rock Hudson in His First Real Performance is Fine as an Actor, and as was Said at the Time...

"The Camera Loves Him"

Also of Note, the Cast Includes...

Jayne Meadows (the Honeymooners Wife of Ralph Kramden, Alice.

Julie London, Exotic, Sultry Recording Star.

John Russell went on to have a Successful Career as an Adventurer on TV and Movies.

Last but Not Least, Emmett Kelly.

Famous Hobo Circus Clown, and in this Movie...He Speaks.

With All these Things Surrounding this Good Effort, it is Certainly...

Worth a Watch.

I recently caught this film, and inspire of its ...slightly above middle-range rating, I decided to watch it.

After all, it's an early Rock Hudson film,but, for me, the real clincher was it had a rare film appearance by the incomparable Ms Julie London.

I'm too young to have experienced the age of radio (but, I did grow up listening, nightly, to CBS Radio Myster Theater to understand just how great it could be), and an eclectic group of actors, as well as directed by Mr William Castle made this too intriguing to not give a chance.

I'm very happy I did.

The story's a classic, 'whodunnit', and it's got all the 'bells and whistles' of a really good noir film (aside from inky-black scenes shot in various locations), including a couple of character actors who should be familiar to most - if not by name, nor appearances, but, by their singular voices, and mannerisms (Messers William Castle,and Marvin Kaplan, as the 'fat man's' assistant, bill, and as 'pinkie', an uncredited role as a delivery truck assistant/brother-in-law).

I never knew Mr Castle had made any noir films, a d after enjoying this one, I really wish he had, because, he knows how to use his abilities in this genre, and have them work to their fullest.

This is a real hidden gem!

A dentist preparing to give a big speech at a conference makes the mistake of opening his door late one evening. Next thing he has been coshed and papped out of a fifteenth story window. Why? Well the rather easily pleased police conclude he succumbed to a fit of nerves, took some calming pills and... His long-term nursing assistant "Pat" (Julie London) doesn't buy that, though. She smells a rat and seeks out the help of the eponymous, renowned, investigator (J. Scott Smart). Can he put down his cutlery long enough to help her find out why she is being followed, what has happened both to her missing ex-con boyfriend "Roy" (Rock Hudson) and to $500,000 in stolen loot? In many ways this reminded me of a "Charlie Chan" mystery only here it's "Bill" (Clinton Sundberg) who takes the place of "No. 2 son" as the useful factotum who helps his boss to a conclusion in a circus. It takes just a bit too long to get going - a snappy start rather settles down a bit too much, but Smart does enough to keep the mystery rolling along with language that we'd never be allowed to use in a film nowadays. Sometimes I wonder how Rock Hudson ever achieved stardom. He was easy enough on the eye, but versatile he certainly wasn't! Watchable but you won't remember it.

So this is the film version of the radio series by Dashiell Hammett called The Fat Man - obviously a whimsical referencing of his more famous novel, film and TV series The Thin Man. But this is more than just a gimmick. The corpulent gentleman in question is the masterly J. Scott Smart, whose excess poundage adds much to his screen presence as an unusually charismatic private investigator (with gourmet tastes and a mighty appetite), to whom the rest of the cast really don't measure up. Except for the quite unknown Rock Hudson, in his first major role as Roy, an ex-convict whose teeth play a significant part in the story (and not just because of his famous sunny smile). He speaks his lines convincingly, and we can already see what the production teams meant when they said "the camera loved him". Photogenic wasn't the word.

Otherwise the film is showing both its age and its B-film budget. The dialogue is generally weak, and the continuity not too sharp. We can't always keep up with who's who in the zoo. The dental assistant gives her scream of alarm long before she could possibly have worked out that her boss has been defenestrated. And the over-long sequence of the payroll robbery leaves us unsure whether this was before or after Roy's jail sentence. (You can overdo flashbacks). Also the puritan lobby will wince at Smart's habit of calling every woman 'sweetheart', as well as one brief glimpse of blackface theatre-comedy. Still the ending, which we can't reveal, reminds us of the myriad sub-plots that can emerge when a circus comes to town.