Super-Sleuth

In "Super-Sleuth", Jack Oakie plays an actor who plays movie detectives and is a fat-head and numb-skull. He thinks he's smarter than the police and he inexplicably insists on solving the Poison Pen murders all by himself--even though he's one of the killer's intended victims. Along the way, Oakie mugs and overacts in the way that folks loved back in the day--mostly because he didn't seem to take himself very seriously. Despite knowing NOTHING about solving crimes and mostly making a nuisance of himself through most of the film, he ends up stumbling into the solution--all by dumb luck (it sure ain't intelligence!).

The solution to the crime is incredibly easy. So why did it take everyone to finally figure out that the creepy guy (Eduardo Cianelli) was behind it all?! Also, the scene with the gun near the end of the film is pretty stupid--and NO actor is that stupid and the f wax works section is pretty dumb!! Still, the film is amiable if not particularly surprising. Oakie's style is pleasant and the film modestly entertaining.

I usually find movies of this era poorly written, over-acted, and the comedies not funny. This one is funny thanks to Jack Oakie. Ann Southern and the other actors did over-act, see.

Jack Oakie is a movie star, best known for a series of detective movies. He's so good in the role that he believes his own publicity and starts a feud with the police department. Then comes the anonymous threatening letter....

Oakie is his usual not-too-bright blowhard, and this RKO programmer shows him at his best, even though his leading-man status wouldn't last much longer; he would have a nice career as best man's buddy in all those brightly lit Fox musicals. With Anne Sothern, Eduardo Cianelli, Edgar Kennedy, and Willie Best, there are some good laughs in this one.

Jack Oakie stars as movie star Willard Martin and Ann Sothern plays girlfriend Mary Strand, who happens to be Willard's PR rep. Willard is played like a cartoon character, and the film is humorous and hokey, light-weight comedic fare.

The basic conceit is that Willard, who plays a formidable crime solver in the movies, confuses his role with reality. He gets into a war of words with local police authorities over a recent crime, thinking he can do everything better than they. Meanwhile, a strange little man starts sending death threats to Willard.

Mary works overtime to save Willard from his oversized ego, trying to simultaneously keep her job and keep him safe.

The two stars are a joy to watch. When Oakie mugs for the camera, it fits the cartoonish theme of the film. And it feels like a parody of other film heroes, especially those who appear in the episodic cliffhangers of the day.

I never really heard of Jack Oakie until I started old comedies.I was pleasantly surprised. He was funny. In this film He plays a guy who is oblivious to everyone and everything around him and doesn't realize it. He is really funny. He does a great job figuring out the mystery. Luckily he has Ann Sothern to care for him.