Dangerous Number

Actress Ann Sothern and silk importer Robert Young are madly in love but total opposites. The picture opens with Young returning from a business trip just in time to find Sothern marrying somebody else: Naturally, he crashes the wedding and he and Sothern run off together and get married themselves. That's where their troubles begin.

Young has business to attend to, while Sothern enjoys partying with her show business friends. Lifestyles clash, arguments ensue. And then they spend the rest of the picture breaking up, reconciling, and arranging fantastic schemes to make each other jealous. A madcap idea for a movie, maybe, but unfortunately it just isn't very funny.

Reginald Owen is Young's cousin and business partner, a scientific type who is working on an artificial silk product that he has yet to perfect. The silk business is relevant to the plot because Owen's latest attempt at a fake silk product looks nice but dissolves when wet.

Cora Witherspoon is fine if somewhat wasted as Sothern's showbiz mother. Both Witherspoon and Owen are capable of great comedy - but neither really has much of a role here except to stand at one side of the action and make the occasional silly comment.

The stars are all likable enough and the picture is certainly fast paced. However, loud and fast does not automatically equal funny. This is one of those comedies that just doesn't quite click.

Fitfully funny madcap from MGM. Is Young still married to Sothern or not. Looks like she already had a husband, Jagger, but Daylight Savings Time sabotaged their divorce. So what's going on with the clocks. Then too, how did the mismatched Young and Sothern get together in the first place-- he's a straight-laced businessman with a fuzzy-faced brother, while she's a wacky show-biz gal with an imperious mom. Probably it's best they go their separate ways-- or is it. Somehow the scripter has to figure it all out; that is, if the sometimes clumsy editing will let him.

For sure you don't need a hearing aid for the dialog-- even the reserved Young has to shout many of his lines, while Sothern almost screeches. It's like the movie's trying too hard in frantic style to get the madcap across. There's just too much of this ill-timed excess to reach a more memorable comedy rank. There are some good moments especially the wind-up that's charmingly done, plus the amusing chorus line that Young could do without.

Despite the problems here, Sothern would soon display her brassy brand of comedy in the highly successful Maisie series, while the handsome Young would become every kid's favorite 1950's dad. Nonetheless, this 71-minutes can't seem to find its proper wave-length, even though it tries so hard. Too bad.

As I sat and watched "Dangerous Number", I felt a bit annoyed. While there might have been some story elements that would have resulted in a good movie, too often the film chooses to be loud, brash and kooky. As a result, the film has aged poorly and is rather annoying.

When the film begins, it seems as if the movie is missing some plot (some felt it was trimmed and perhaps it was). You gather that Hank (Robert Young) has been overseas for a long time and discovers that his old girlfriend, Eleanor (Ann Sothern) is about to get married. So what does a guy do in a situation like this? He crashes the wedding and he and Eleanor then run off and get married. Soon they discover they have little in common and the marriage might just be a mistake. What follows are some annoyingly shrill and nonsensical adventures--all done to prove to the pair that they really SHOULD be married.

Robert Young and Ann Sothern are better than the material and the film repeatedly underestimates the intelligence of the audience. Overall, a pretty limp film that is best left to the die-hard Yong/Sothern fans.

My big criticism of Dangerous Number is that a huge chunk was apparently chopped off at the beginning and left on MGM's cutting room floor. There is an ongoing relationship with Robert Young and Ann Sothern that we walk in on the middle with.

Dangerous Number is a perfect example of the MGM pecking order. No doubt in my mind that this was offered and turned down by Robert Montgomery and Franchot Tone before Young got it. Still he does his best with it and he and Sothern do generate more than a few laughs.

Young is a silk manufacturer and Sothern a dancer who can't live without each other and do marry. But neither can stand each other's lifestyle of business and show business. There's also an ex-husband lurking in the woodpile played by Dean Jagger. Or is he really an EX-husband?

Best scenes in the film involve Young with trick short artist Marla Shelton. It's all a grand set up engineered by a jealous Sothern, but you have to see the film to see what's behind it.

Dangerous Number is a pleasant comedy from the Thirties and probably was a B feature for one of MGM's more prestige pictures.

Stars Robert Young and Ann Sothern... and Franklin Pangborn as (uncredited) desk clerk, a role he played many times. Hank (Young) steals Eleanor away from her husband-to-be, and they run off together. Sadly, it looks like it isn't working out, so what's the backup plan? Along the way, we meet various, assorted relatives... "Mother", who is loud, close by, and annoying ( Cora Witherspoon, was the disapproving aunt in Bank Dick!) and Cousin William (Reginal Owen). Some fun banter, lots of bickering, but it all moves right along. The film code was in full force by now, so it's all pretty lightweight. although cousin William seems to make a couple gay references. Silly mixups. Who is married to whom ? and where was Gene Raymond? he was usually Sothern's antagonist in these love mixups! must have been busy that week. Was surprised at the lower rating... sure it's a bit inane, but it's all in good fun. Directed by the very prolific Richard Thorpe; Thorpe had directed two Elvis films -- Jailhouse Rock and Fun in Acapulco, amongst hundreds of others. Predictable but fun.