White Tie and Tails

WHITE TIE AND TAILS (reissued by Realart in 1951 as THE SWINDLERS with taglines and marketing selling it as something it wasn't) is a comedy (of sorts) involving gangsters and art and wine selection.

Wealthy New Yorker Andrew Latimer (John Miljan), his wife (Barara Brown) and their two children, Bill,17 (Scotty Beckett) and Betty, 15 (Nita Hunter)go on a vacation to Florida and leave their Gotham mansion in charge of Charles DuMont (Dan Duryea), their impeccable butler. When the family is gone, art-lover and striving-artist Charles informs the chauffeur, George (Frank Jenks) that he is going to spend his own vacation there in the mansion, enjoying the paintings by Corot, Goya, Degas and others, and the Latimer's fine liqueurs, and George is going to drive him around town as he plays the gentleman.

Dining in style at the Club Bergerac, Charles meets Louise Bradford (Ella Raines)and her stuffy fiancée, Archer Ripley (Richard Gaines.)Charles knows nothing about Louise, other than she carries a revolver in her purse, but is anxious to see her again. He arranges to be near her at the opera, where she is with her father (Samuel S. Hinds) and sister Cynthia (Pat Alphin.) Much to Louise's distress, Cynthia leaves the opera with Nate Romano (Donald Curtis), a gambler associated with Larry Lundie (William Bendix), a swank gambling house owner.

Later, Charles offers to accompany Louise when she goes to confront Romano about Cynthia's involvement with the gamblers. There, they learn that Lundie is quite willing to order hireling Romano to quit shadowing Cynthia...just as soon as she pays her gambling debt of $103,000. Charles, still posing as a wealthy young man-about-town, is maneuvered into writing a check to satisfy Lundie, as Louise promises to have her father reimburse Charles the next morning.

Later that night, Lundie drops in on Charles at the Latimer residence and explains that he is just satisfying himself that Charles is the type of man who can write a "good" check for the sum of $103,000 but, in the event he might not be, Lundie departs with three of Latimer's valuable paintings as collateral.

Then Louise informs Charles that it will take her father several weeks to raise the money. He then has to explain to her that he is just an artist working as a butler, which does not set well with her. Lundie shows up again with the news that his art expert says the three paintings he took for collateral are worth only $85,000 and he is there to take some more to make up the difference.

During the discussion, the Latimers arrive home ahead of schedule. At this point, Duryea is more like Dagwood Bumstead in a Columbia "Blondie" film but there is no "Blondie" to bail him out, and this Duryea character isn't packing any heat, and wouldn't know what to do with it if he was.

None needed, thanks to a rather good surprise ending.

Nobody gets killed...nobody gets shot...nobody gets beat up...

Dan Duryea is the butler to John Miljan and his menage. When the family goes on a vacation to Florida, Duryea sends the other servants on a paid holiday (except for chauffeur Frank Jenks). He then borrows Miljan's evening clothes, his automobile and Jenks and goes on a night on the town, where he is a hit with the upper crust. They don't know he is a failed artist who became a butler to enjoy the finer things in life. All they know is he speaks well and can mix a perfect cocktail, whether it's a martini or a sazerac. Ella Raines is impressed, and so is her father. When Duryea offers to be the go-between to pay off her sister's gambling debts to William Bendix, and get his henchman's hooks out of her, they accept. In fact, his gentlemanly demeanor impels Bendix to take his rubber check for one hundred grand. Then Bendix comes by Miljan's house, takes a Goya and Corot as security, and Duryea starts to sweat, while he waits for a check from Miss Raines' father to cover his, and for everyone to discover what a fraud he is.

It's a nicely written movie, and Bendix is well cast as a mug who aspires to be a gentleman -- I love the way he says "Goya". What's surprising is Duryea giving the most understated performance I've ever seen him in. Charles Barton may not have been the most distinguished of directors, but he offers the audience with a light touch and plenty of grace notes. With Richard Gaines, Clarence Kolb, and Samuel S. Hinds.

Starving artist Charles Dumont (Dan Duryea) takes a job as a butler in a wealthy family and winds up being indispensable to the entire household. When the family leaves for Florida, Charles decides to spend his vacation in the house, looking at all the gorgeous art and drinking the expensive liquor. He asks the chauffeur (Frank Jenks) to act as his driver as, dressed to the nines, he goes around town posing as a wealthy gentleman.

At one club, Charles sees the beautiful heiress Louise Bradford (Ella Rains). He manages to be in her box at the opera, where she has been accompanied by her sister Cynthia, her father, and her very uptight fiance. Cynthia leaves the opera with a gambler who is involved with Larry Lundie (William Bendix), a casino owner.

The family is very distressed about Cynthia's choice of boyfriend; seeing an in with Louise, Charles says that he thinks he can help. Lots of trouble ensues.

Truly delightful comedy with lots happening, including art theft, bad checks, making the perfect martini, and choosing material for suits. Everyone is top notch. Bendix, who often played a buffoon. works against type as a tough guy running a glamorous casino. Duryea isn't nasty or evil but very smooth and elegant.

All in all, fun.

Butler Dan Duryea (Charles) decides to lord it up while his master's family take a holiday to Florida. The chauffeur Frank Jenks (George) agrees to drive Duryea around during this time and the scene is set for misunderstandings aplenty as Duryea goes out on the town in pursuit of wealthy socialite Ella Raines (Louise). However, his little prank takes a serious turn when he becomes mixed up with gambling house owner William Bendix (Lundie).

This film has an easy-to-watch cast that lead us through the proceedings. Jenks, Raines and Bendix provide most of the comedy which is enjoyable in the manner that it is delivered. No screaming, no tedious slapstick, just entertaining dialogue delivery.

The story has an interesting plot and while the ending is predictable, it doesn't matter. A fun film that may leave you in the mood to be a little less assertive.

"White Tie and Tails" is a comedy/romance from Universal Studios. It is an unsual film for Dan Duryea, as often he played real skunks. Here, he's a likable guy...to a point!

When the story begins, the Latimer family is leaving for a vacation. They leave the house in the care of their butler, Charles (Duryea). However, instead of just relaxing, Charles pretends to be a rich man himself and begins to integrate into society. However, when he meets the Bradford family, he ends up being pulled into a serious problem...and he's just written a check for over $100,000...without any hope of actually having the funds to cover it! What's next? See the film.

While I liked the movie, I must admit that the ending is VERY farfetched and hard to believe. Still, it is a cute little time-passer and Duryea is quite nice in the lead.