Douilles 25-35

Mess 'em Up (1936)

*** (out of 4)

Private detective 'Tip' O'Neil (Preston Foster) is asked by his employer (Alan Mowbray) to investigate who shot his dog but this then leads to a human murder, kidnapping and blackmail case. O'Neil has a long list of suspects who might be behind the money scheme and he tries to crack the case with some violence and a not-so-bright assistant (Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams). If you're a fan of Turner Classic Movies like I am then you know they quite often show forgotten detective and crime films from the 30s and 40s. Everyone knows the more popular titles but once I got hooked on the station I was amazed to see how many good ones were out there but simply forgotten. This one here doesn't contain a brilliant story and it's not too hard to figure out who's behind everything but it's still rather unique because of the main character. I think it would be fair to call O'Neil a tad bit crazy simply by the way he acts. I can't ruin what happens at the end but just look at the way O'Neil carries on and you'll see what I mean about him being crazy. The other thing that makes the character so memorable is the way he loves to use violence to get the information he needs. Yes, he pays a couple people off but his big thing is beating confessions out of people and this includes a very funny story of how to use a hose without leaving a bruise. This unlawful act wasn't in any of these mysteries that I can remember so it's rather refreshing seeing a character willing to use it. Foster turns in a very good performance as he handles every side of the character without any problems. He was a lot of fun and it seemed as if he was having a blast playing it. Margaret Callahan, Mowbray, Ralph Morgan and Max Rosenbloom are good as well. Tough guy Williams is also a lot of fun in his role, another one who loves to beat and cheat people. It goes without saying but the title itself is something that would draw you to the picture and thankfully the film matches it in terms of entertainment.

I like a good black & white CRIME MOVIE from the 30's. There were dozens made during this era. A lot of Hollywoods young stars cut their teeth in this 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes movie era. I like the speed of the theme in this movie. The plot was clear and a good ending. Your entire family will enjoy.

Although complicated, the mystery part of this film kept me guessing who of the many characters were involved in the kidnapping and murder plot. There were lots of red herrings, so it was fun to watch the film unfold despite the complications. What surprised me was the comic touches throughout, the best being Big Boy Williams practicing a magic egg-disappearance trick. To his surprise, it worked, but he couldn't find the egg! I chuckle every time I think of it. There's also a cute running gag as well as an excellent semi-humorous portrayal of a Mafia godfather by Paul Porcasi. I enjoyed the film because of these light touches by director Charles Vidor.

The title stems from a similar remark made by the actual New York Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine when discussing how his police officers should handle criminals types. The private detective in this film, Preston Foster, continually mentions he can get (and has gotten) information he wants by using a rubber hose filled with buckshot on reluctant criminals. The police inspector in this film pans that idea.

This is a good old mystery film that feels a lot like a gangster film (just as another reviewer here has said). It's not great but has a lot of very young stars before they were stars. It's fun, and enjoyable. Not much of a mystery by today's standards and it looks and sounds old because it is from 1936, but worth watching and fun for the whole family.

Just one of those detective movies shown during the day on TCM to pass the time, right? But Preston Foster gives such a madcap performance and creates such a unique character that they should have built a franchise around this guy, Tippecanoe "Tip" O'Neal. He's a freelancing cop, actually a Dirty Harry-type ahead of his time. Would prefer to use a garden hose to get info out of hoods.

When a dog is killed, Tip is called in by a rich guy to quietly solve the murder in this gun-obsessed house where everyone takes target practice by shooting floating plastic balls off of streams of water on which they are balanced (you have to see it to understand). When Tip attempts this, he accidentally shoots a moose head.

One of the great gags involves incredible word play. When a valet comes out to see if he can be any assistance to Tip, Tip blows him off by speaking some line of dialogue so fast it can't be understood no matter how many times one rewinds the tape. The valet can't understand it either and says, "What?" Tip replies, "Never mind, I'll do it myself," and happily drives off leaving the valet muttering under his breath.

The whole cast is great, including Ward Bond in a small role. The ending is a bit convoluted, but it doesn't detract from the fun.