L'irrésistible Monsieur Bob

I watched Jack Benny on television as child and enjoyed him, but I have only become a real fan in the last five years. I've re-watched all of television, heard most of his radio shows (I've listened from 1932-1951, I have six more years to go) and watched all of his available movies. Benny often denigrated his acting and movie career on the radio and television shows, but that was part of his act. In fact, I haven't found any movie that he was in that was bad, and most of them, like this one is well-made and fulled with charm. Even the much lambasted "the Horn Blows at Midnight" is a quite watchable comedy which has a twenty minute finale that is as wacky and surreal as anything that the Marx Brothers or Mel Brooks ever did. Anyways, this film is a smorgasbord of delights. Eddie Anderson, Monty Wooly, Binnie Barnes, Dorothy Lamour, Betty Grable, Edward Arnold, and Phil Harris are all delightful. Unfortunately, because the film is only 1 hour and 25 minutes, each of them just get 10 or 15 minutes of screen time and that is a little disappointing. It is like a variety show where each act just does a couple of numbers and you really want to see more. The movie is the only sex farce/comedy that Benny did. Benny was surprisingly handsome and debonair looking for a comedian. Those who just saw him on television (1950-1965) were watching him in his late 50s and 60s, after he had been married for 20 years to the wonderful Mary Livingston. Here he is still 45 years old and quite handsome. While a sex comedy, it is restricted by the Hayes Code to just a few kisses and suggestions of adultery. Benny and the beautiful women around him still make it work. By the way, note that Phil Silvers used Benny's hilarious acrobatic scene at the end of this film in "A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966).

For much of the '30s, Eddie Anderson had appeared in many films as either a brief extra or somewhat of a supporting character. Then. a few years back before this movie, he became a regular on Jack Benny's radio show as his butler Rochester. In many previous pictures, Anderson had been credited as his own name but because of his fame on the radio program being announced as his character by Don Wilson, he's credited as Rochester in the opening credits though as his own name as playing Rochester by the end credits. For the rest of the Paramount films, it's his character name he's credited as. It's also to the benefit of working for Benny that Eddie has more screen time than previously including performing a couple of dance spots. And as on radio, he and Jack have great chemistry on screen. They're usually the best part of this movie which also has Benny's other co-star from his radio show, Phil Harris, doing his own wisecracking and conducting his band and singing a tune as do also Betty Grable-pre-stardom-wise-and leading lady Dorothy Lamour. I'll stop there and just say I liked the comedy plot about mistaken identity concerning who the Benny character is involved with romantically and many of the troupe dancers that were being showcased here. So that's a recommendation of Man About Town.

"Man About Town" is a very funny comedy with a wonderful cast of top actors of the day. The plot is a familiar one used in a few other good comedies. A woman is ignored by her husband who is all work and no play. So, to rekindle his interest in her she feigns interest in another man to try to make the hubby jealous and come around. Only, this film has a twist, with the other man playing the part because he wants to attract a woman he is in love with. Neither of them are married.

The plot doesn't lay supposed amorous affairs on too heavily or overboard. So it comes off smoothly - except for some wrinkled faces and egos of the characters. It's sure to make some viewers howl with laughter, and maybe some others to shake their heads in disbelief, or confusion. The setting for the film is London - that is, foggy London as the opening scene shows. That's where Bob Temple has brought his show.

Jack Benny is at the heart of this delicious farce as Bob Temple. The film works so well because Temple is a real nice guy, a show producer, and decent fellow. He's in love with his leading lady, but she thinks they wouldn't hit it off because of their differences - ergo, he's too kind, too polite, too nice and too decent a person. Had Temple been a playboy or late night partier, the film would have lost much of its allure. Instead, the situations that unfold are very, very funny.

Also in this wonderful farce are Benny's long-time radio and later TV accomplices, Rochester and Phil Harris. Harris plays Ted Nash and Eddie Anderson plays Rochester. Anderson was one of the earliest, best and long-lasting African-American comedians on the air and in TV and films. Here, his Rochester matches his boss, Bob Temple's snipes and quips jab for jab. And Rochester has a very good and funny song and dance scene. Other prominent players of the day are Edward Arnold as Sir John Arlington, Monty Woolley as Henri Dubois, and Dorothy Lamour as Temple's leading lady and flame, Diana Wilson. Binnie Barnes plays Lady Arlington, Isabel Jeans is Madame Dubois, and E. E. Clive is Hotchkiss, the Arlington's butler. Betty Grable has a small part as Susan Hayes.

"Man About Town" may have the best and funniest scene of any movie of a wife vying with business interests for the attention and love of her husband. The script is hilarious and Edward Arnold and Binnie Barnes play it superbly.

Sir John missed his lunch date with his wife, Lady Arlington. He has just placed a call to Canada when she has come to his office to see him. Sir John, to his wife, "What were you saying, dear?" Lady Arlington, "Oh, nothing, nothing. I'll save it for tonight. You, uh, you will be home tonight, won't you?" Sir John, "No, no. I've gotta spend the night in town to work with the lawyers." On the telephone, "Hello, uh, 28,646 dollars and 22 cents." To Lady Arlington, "You go ahead, dear. I can hear what you're saying, and I'm terribly sorry about that lunch." Lady Arlington, "I had lunch with a very charming young man." Sir John, "Oh, that's fine. I always said the Royal served the best 10-shilling lunch in town." Lady Arlington, "He was an actor - an American actor." Sir John, on the phone, "Yes, what? Skip the second and give me the third." To Lady Arlington, "You go ahead, dear. Tell me what you had for lunch." Lady Arlington, "An actor, and a large bowl of soup." Sir John, "Uh huh. What kind of soup?" Lady Arlington, "I don't remember. But he was very charming, very attractive, he made violent love to me, and I encouraged him." Sir John, on the phone, "That's 32,322 dollars and 84 cents - is that right?" To Lady Arlington, "And how about desert?" Lady Arlington, "Oh, for desert I shot him." Sir John, "Did you, really? Tea or coffee?" Lady Arlington, "I don't remember. But one of these days I'm gonna shoot you too" Sir John, "Ah, that's fine. Go on, dear. Tell me - who was the man you had lunch with."

This is a great comedy and a keeper to play for family and friends, and to watch again from time to time - on a foggy or rainy day, or just when one needs some laughs. Here are some more favorite lines from this film. The Quotes section on this IMDb Web page has many more.

Bob Temple, "Why, they told me inside that the fog had lifted." Hotel Doorman, "Only up to the ankles, sir." Temple, "Oh."

Diana Wilson, "Oh, but we'd never make a go of it. I'm silly and romantic, and you're so solid and respectable." Bob, "Oh, but, uh, Diana, I don't have to be so respectable." Diana, "Bob, you couldn't be anything else but."

Bob Temple, "I'll show her I can be just as big a cad as anybody else."

Bob Temple, to Lady Arington, "You see, I'm solid and respectable, and you're probably hungry."

Bob Temple, "What right did she have to call me up anyway? She knew she was married."

Bob Temple, "Rochester, you're now looking at a broken down Romeo, as of last night."

Ted Nash, "If you run out now, you're admitting your guilt. Then when Arlington kills you, there's no jury in the world that'll convict him." Bob Temple, "Well, if Arlington kills me, I really won't care whether they convict him or not."

Bob Temple, "No matter how you figure, I'm a dead pigeon."

Sir John, "Well are you enjoying yourselves, gentlemen?" Ted Nash, "Yes, indeed, Sir John." Bob Temple, "Yeah, yes." Sir John, "Well, that's fine. What I always say is, 'Enjoy yourself today because tomorrow you may be dead.'"

This is a pretty weak effort from Benny and the team. Jack and Rochester try but the material is so unfunny that they don't get very far. Rochester's two dance numbers are the highlights - and Benny's attempt at being a member of an acrobatic troupe is very funny. The rest is pretty dull with some bad casting (Edward Arnold as an English Lord?) and really bad musical numbers. Benny's show would never have made it to Hoboken, let alone London - the songs are just awful. No wonder there are only about twenty in the audience - I guess they were saving on extras. Dorothy Lamour looks bored, but Betty Grable provides a bit of life in a small but memorable role. Also good is E.E. Clive as a butler. And what a fizzer of an ending - it doesn't even make sense.

This is among the worst films ever made by Paramount. It's supposed to be a comedy/musical. But there are no laughs (not even a smile), and the music and the musical numbers are fourth rate. Viewers old enough to have enjoyed the Jack Benny shows on radio and television will find this 1939 movie a great disappointment.

There seems to have been a severe lack of intelligence throughout. The script is inept, Rochester is featured far beyond his talents, Dorothy Lamour and Betty Grable are wasted, and Edward Arnold and Monty Woolley were given embarrassing parts. The racial jabs at Rochester are extraordinarily offensive.

So, The Horn Blows at Midnight was not Jack Benny's worst film.