lugonian

MINSTREL MAN (Producer's Releasing Corporation, 1944) directed by Joseph H. August, stars Broadway headliner Benny Fields in his only leading role in a motion picture. Having worked previously in guest spots, notably singing "Here's Love in Your Eye" from THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1937 (Paramount, 1936), Fields does not have the notable name following of other Minstrel performers of the day as Al Jolson. The reason being that Fields' movie career was so limited, limited to this just one movie released through poverty-row PRC, known for cheaply made features starring actors whose careers have past their prime. MINSTREL MAN could have been something of a comeback for Fields, in fact, a biography of his career leading to other second-string musicals. As impressive as MINSTREL MAN is with the fine support by familiar faces and names, this was his start and finish.

Set in the late 1920s, "Dixie Boy" Johnson (Benny Fields) is a minstrel headliner madly in love with his wife, Caroline (Molly Lamont) who dies in childbirth the opening night of the show. Unable to cope with raising a child alone, Dixie quits Lew Dunn's (Alan Dinehart) minstrels and leaves his infant daughter in the care of his good friends, Lee (Roscoe Karn) and Mae White (Gladys George). After five years traveling abroad hoping to forget, Dixie returns to reclaim his daughter (Gwen Petroff) but denied by Mae claiming to be a mistake to suddenly give up the child to a complete stranger. Seeing through this reasoning, Dixie walks out on her life again. Believed to have perished in the Morro Castle ship disaster, Dixie starts life anew using another name. Sixteen years pass. Lee and Mae give a birthay party to their teenage "daughter" they call Dixie Girl (Judy Clark) whose entertaining manner shows she may have some show business talent in her blood. Jerome Cowan (Bill Evans); John Riatt (The Singer); Lee "Lasses" White (Tiny); Eddie Kane (The Booking Agent) and The Anestos lead the supporting cast.

The musical soundtrack includes "I Don't Care if the World Knows About It," "I'm On My Way," "Remember Me to Carolina," "My Bamboo Cane," "Cindy," Instrumental dance number; "My Melancholy Baby," "Remember Me to Carolina," "I Don't Care If the World Knows About It," "Cindy," "Cindy," "My Melancholy Baby," "Cindy," "Shaking Hands With the Sun" and "Remember Me to Carolina" (finale).

Though not Academy Award material, MINSTREL MAN did get nominated for Best Song ("Remember Me to Carolina") and Best Musical Score. With that said, MINSTREL MAN is quite an impressive 64 minutes. It almost plays like a 20th Century-Fox musical, sans Technicolor. Aside from Benny Fields's fine vocalizing, Judy Clark shines in her then current musical style of Paramount's own Betty Hutton. Considering how Gladys George often looks older than her true age, she appears young and pretty during her opening scenes. As much as the plot material could have benefitted Al Jolson during his non-demanding years in the 1940s, Benny Fields does just fine here.

Last televised on public television's 1980s series of "Matinee at the Bijou" as part of its featurette segment, availability on DVD would be the only way to view MINSTREL MAN these days due to title and minstrel show content. (*** Banjos)

FORTY NAUGHTY GIRLS (RKO Radio, 1937) directed by Edward Cline, marks the sixth and final installment involving Stuart Palmer based characters of Hildegarde Withers and Inspector Piper that began with PENGUIN POOR MURDER (1932) starring Edna May Oliver and James Gleason. With James Gleason heading the cast and the only one to play the same character throughout the entire series, this edition marks the second the co-star the miscast ZaSu Pitts playing Miss Withers. As much as this could have been called "Murder at the Show," its chosen theatrical title is actually the name of the play where both Piper and Withers are part of the audience only to find their evening spoiled when a murder takes place backstage.

Set in New York City's Broadway district, the sold-out box office success of "Forty Naughty Girls" is going on its twelfth week with motion picture rights being considered. The plot development revolves around Edward C. "Windy" Bennett (Eddie Marr), a press agent in love with its leading lady, Rita Marlowe (Joan Woodbury), but happens to be engaged to the show's producer, Ricky Rickman (Alan Edwards). During the performance, Windy makes a pass on June Preston (Marjorie Lord), one of the entertainers, but is socked down by Bert (George Shelley) in her defense. Later, June returns to her dressing room to discover Windy dead. Oscar Piper (James Gleason) of the Homicide Squad, and Hildegarde Withers (ZaSu Pitts), his date for the evening, are called to investigate. As Piper goes through his usual channels of investigation with Casey (Tom Kennedy), another member of the police force, Hildegarde goes through her own methods smelling chorus girls to locate the fragrance that matches the victim's handkerchief. With Tommy Washburn (Aden Chase) shot during a skit believed to be part of the act, Piper is more baffled about the gun used for the skit was not the one used for the killing. Other members of the cast include Frank M Thomas, Barbara Pepper and Edward LeSaint. Songs heard during the show are "Forty Naughty Girls" and "What a Thrill."

Though the story starts off well, it fails to deliver into a classic murder tale. Often considered as the weakest of the entire series, it's amazing the series went this far after the departure of Edna May Oliver. What might have helped this, and Pitt's series debut of THE PLOT THICKENS (1936) was in having Pitts playing Hildegarde's sister (let's call her Withergarde) rather than recasting the original character. This way it would be Piper investigating with another character as opposed to those familiar with the series to not comparing Oliver's superior performance to Pitt's dithering downplay. Clocked at its short 62 minutes, with the majority of the story being more Piper than Withers which helped somewhat but much of the overly familiar comedic overtones offered little or no humor to the proceedings.

Never distributed on video cassette, FORTY NAUGHTY GIRLS and others in the series did have cable television broadcasts over the years as American Movie Classics (prior to 1999) and later Turner Classic Movies. (**)

THE PLOT THICKENS (RKO Radio, 1936) directed by Ben Holmes, marks the fifth installment of Stuart Palmer's "Hildegarde Withers" mysteries Though James Gleason resumes his Inspector Oscar Piper of the Homicide Bureau, a role he originated in PENGUIN POOL MURDER (1932), followed by its sequels, MURDER ON THE BLACKBOARD (1934), MURDER ON A HONEYMOON (1935) all starring Edna May Oliver as Hildegarde Withers; and MURDER ON A BRIDAL PATH (1936) with the recasting of Helen Broderick as Hildegarde Withers. While Broderick made a fine substitute for Oliver, Miss Withers this time around is recast again, played by the miscast ZaSu Pitts. Having worked together in previous films together, Gleason and Pitts show they make a grand team. Overlooking the fact that Pitts is no Edna May Oliver, and James Gleason gets more screen time than Pitts, THE PLOT THICKENS is actually good enough installment to hold its own.

Starting traditionally with a prologue set in New York's Van Cortlandt Park, plot development begins with the introduction of various characters: Officer Cassidy (Lew Kelly), an astrologist who reads about horoscopes and asking those about their birthday; to Robert Wilkins (Owen Davis Jr.) arguing with his girlfriend, Alice Stevens (Louise Latimer) over her involvement with millionaire businessman John Carter (Richard Tucker). Threatened not to see him again, Alice goes against his wishes by telephoning Carter to meet with her in the park. Discovered inside Carter's Roadster, the over jealous Robert threatens Carter but is stopped by Cassidy. After resisting Carter's advances, Alice leaves only to hear a gunshot and finding Carter murdered. The following morning, Carter's body is discovered seated behind the desk in his library by his butler, Kendall (Arthur Aylesworth). Inspector Oscar Piper (James Gleason) and his assistant, Jim (James Donlan) are called to investigate. As much as Piper intends on solving this case on his own, crime solver Hildegarde Withers (ZaSu Pitts) appears with intentions to help Oscar. Others involved in the case are Marie (Barbara Barondess), the maid; Joe (Paul Fix), the chauffeur; and Theresa (Bodil Rosing), the cook. The Carter case soon gets more involved and interesting as Miss Withers comes upon a priceless Cellini Cup located at a museum leading to more mystery than expected.

For its crisp 67 minutes, the involvement of both park murder and international jewel thievery gets better as the story progresses. Even though Pitts doesn't attempt to carbon copy either Oliver or Broderick's mannerisms of Hildegarde Withers, she manages not to do any damage to her character even when performed in the best Zasu Pitts tradition. Though the series could have ended here, the studio resumed with one last try reteaming Gleason and Pitts for FORTY NAUGHTY GIRLS (1937). That entry may have its moments but not enough to resume for more installments or turn it into a grand finale. (**1/2)