The Town Went Wild

Low-Grade attempt to make a movie in the Preston Sturges vein. It has some Sturges elements: risque subject matter (incestuous engagement), over-the-top angry fathers, small-town politicians, and a fair amount of shouting, -- it even has Sturges regular Jimmy Conlin, but it has none of the Sturges dialogue, speed, or timing.

Nutty madcap that wartime (1944) audiences could escape with. Feuding fathers (Horton & Tully) are next door neighbors. Trouble is Tully's daughter and Horton's son take out a marriage license, then find out they're really brother and sister. Seems the two families' boys (Lydon & Bartholomew) were both born on the same day and the hospital mistakenly switched them. Now the families want to get back the license before it's publicized in the town newspaper. However, things soon spiral out of control, and the town goes wild.

Good look at 40's mores, though no mention is made of the big war abroad. But then this is escape for those bleak times. The movie's pretty funny, moving along at a snappy tempo. Horton and Tully's mock face-offs are featured and generally amusing. Then too, many of Hollywood's familiar middle-age actors put in comedic type appearances from Horton to Conlin. And shouldn't overlook the very non-comedic Charles Middleton (Flash Gordon's Ming, The Merciless). So, old movie fans should be pleased. Also, Lydon, who excels here and as a teen of the time, went on to a successful career both before and behind the camera. On the other hand, child star Bartholomew soon went behind the camera as his rather bland presence here foreshadows. But catch blonde cutie Jill Browning who also left the business early, but is a dead-ringer for a young Marilyn Monroe.

Anyway, the 60-minutes amounts to an entertaining slice of 40's madcap, courtesy the economical PRC who got a good chuckle for their buck, even with the tricky material.

This one is badly in need of restoration.. the sound, picture, and editing are just HORRIBLE! historically, it's quite interesting for the big stars in here, Freddie Bartholomew (the son) and Edward Horton (the father). Davey (Bartholomew) wants to marry Carol (Jill Browning, who only made a couple films...), but the parents are feuding. It's corny and goofy.... kind of a comedy, but not really. its pretty dated. The parental units find out the sons may have been switched at birth, so somebody might be marrying their own sibling! never really gets going. so much talking, and the "comedy" is so forced. So much talking. it sounds like it may have started out as a play...? you may also recognize Mr. Tweedle ( Charles Halton)... he was always the prim and proper landlord/judge/teacher/justice of the peace. and a female judge. that was actually way AHEAD of its time. It's okay. not so funny, but entertaining. Directed by Ralph Murphy. showing on Moonlight Movies channel.

Before taking an assignment in Alaska, aspiring engineer Freddie Bartholomew (as David "Davy" Conway) decides to marry beautiful blonde sweetheart Jill Browning (as Carol Harrison). Her brother Jimmy Lydon (as Robert "Bob" Harrison) is also Mr. Bartholomew's best friend and neighbor. Since fathers Edward Everett Horton (as Everett Conway) and Tom Tully (as Henry Harrison) are always bickering, the youngsters leave town to elope. Meanwhile, their parents learn Bartholomew and Mr. Lydon, born on the same day, were switched at birth - meaning Bartholomew is about to marry his sister!

"The Town Went Wild" is notable as the last starring feature for Bartholomew. A wildly popular "child" star and moderately popular "teen" star, Bartholomew is appealing, but obviously not destined to be a leading man. Here, he appears capable of a Roddy McDowall-type career, but it was not in the cards. Bartholomew made a few more appearances, mostly on television. This is not a big budget film, but neither is it poor. Bartholomew is joined by a gorgeous girlfriend, his friend Lydon, and a capable cast of co-stars. Alas, the story failed them; nobody was laughing at incest comedy.

***** The Town Went Wild (12/15/44) Ralph Murphy ~ Freddie Bartholomew, Jimmy Lydon, Edward Everett Horton, Tom Tully

Considering the fact that this is 1944 small town (not suburbia as one reviewer stated) America which was able to overlook WWII, I'd say it was a fantasy and should be treated as such. It's a what if. What if you found out when your son was grown that he had been switched at birth? What if he might be in love with his sister? Racy stuff. If this were a pre-Code movie it might have had premarital consummation and someone killing herself or himself over the shame and horror of it all. But as this was made firmly under the thumb of the censor, it's a broad comedy.

The sons look similar which makes swapping more plausible. I was glad I could see Freddie and Jimmy in early adult roles rather than as kids. And the very pretty sister could have been related to either one.

There are some nice little touches like the squeaky shoes of the Clarence Darrow-like lawyer, the authoritative woman judge with a heart of gold in a decade when drafted men left women in charge in many spheres on the home front, the elderly veteran (Spanish American War?) wearing his medals around town, the bragging useless guard, the slight attempt at quarantine for measles, the headlines about delinquent parents, the opportunity for corruption when everyone knows everyone and is related to everyone in one way or another, the reference to the territory that was Alaska where it seems they needed engineers although we aren't told for what, and the intrusive news reporters and photographers. I'm sure if I'd seen this in 1944 I would have caught more of the humor and parody.

I give it four stars for making a comedy about potential brother- sister marriage, which in any era is a bold move. I found the young people far more appealing than their elders, which was the point. As they said in Bye, Bye, Birdie, "Nothing's the matter with kids today."

There are plot holes and apparently actual holes in the film after so many years, and it's hard to overlook a missing world war, the draft, and rationing. But if you take it as the silliness it is, you might enjoy it. I did.