Slightly Honorable (1939)

Waste of time

Great Film overall

best movie i've ever seen.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Director: TAY GARNETT. Screenplay: Ken Englund. Adapted by John Hunter Lay and Robert Tallmen from the 1939 novel Send Another Coffin by Frank G. Presnell. Photography: Merritt Gerstad. Film editors: Otho Lovering, Dorothy Spencer. Music composed and directed by Werner Janssen. Song, "We've Got Love" (Terry) by George R. Browne (lyrics) and Jules Styne (music). Art directors: Alexander Golitzen and Richard Irvine. Set decorators: Julie Heron. Costumes designed by Travis Banton. Sound: Fred Lau. Producers: Tay Garnett, Walter Wanger. Copyright 26 January 1944 by Walter Wanger. Released through United Artists: 22 December 1939 (U.S.A.), 15 May 1940 (New York opening at Loew's State), 15 April 1940 (U.K.), 5 April 1940 (Australia). 85 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Goodtime girl (Claire Dodd) is murdered in her luxury pent-house. A bizarre range of fast-talking, clam-baking suspects include sugar daddy Edward Arnold, ex-husband Doug Dumbrille, good friend Pat O'Brien, jealous teenager Ruth Terry, and gangster Bernard Nedell.COMMENT: In his autobiography, Garnett states that he was most unhappy with the way this movie was edited. The quick cuts and dissolves were not part of his original plan. Personally, I like the fast pace. I don't think anyone else will complain either, especially as the sound on the otherwise 7/10 Alpha Video is somewhat muffled and you miss a third of the dialogue anyway. What we have here is a screwball mystery thriller with some very noirish overtones. Production values, as we might expect from producer Walter Wanger are excellent. I really love all the super Travis Banton costumes that vivacious Ruth Terry (in her first starring role) models throughout.

I couldn't sit through the bad jokes, mildly okay acting and boring story - I simply could not finish watching this film. I mean patty-cake?! They were playing patty-cake! Is that suppose to be funny? I mean it's two lame characters that I don't care about so I didn't even enjoy that scene... really if it were characters that I liked I might have, and most likely would have, found humor in it but as it is that great scene had me fed-up with the film.Some people like this film while others of us found it boring, I'm in the latter group. It's far from a must see comedy mystery but I'm sure entertaining for some audiences - I'm just not one of them.If you are super bored one evening and catch this one on it might provide something to watch - it's just not a great watch.2/10

Is there such a thing as a slapstick murder mystery? I had to convince myself that this was more than just a crime drama with some comic relief thrown in. There's a fair amount of witty dialog and interesting curve-balls thrown at the viewer, like the screaming peacock on Alma Brehmer's balcony. Thinking about that now, why would a peacock be there in the first place?The see-saw between humor and drama may not appeal to a lot of viewers, and I have to admit it was distracting until I decided to go with the flow. Then it became a confident battle of wits between attorney John Webb (Pat O'Brien) and the unknown killer attempting to set him up for murder. For a 1939 'B' mystery this one was stacked with a talented cast, O'Brien leading the way with Edward Arnold, Alan Dinehart, Claire Dodd, Phyllis Brooks, Eve Arden and Broderick Crawford before he began to look like Broderick Crawford. I have to side with the prevailing opinion here that Ruth Terry probably wore out her welcome as Webb's wannabe girlfriend of eighteen years and two months.I'll have to watch this again to better understand how the resolution makes sense. The identity of the murderer seemed like a forced twist to disavow the other suspects and I won't spoil it here, you'll have to catch it yourself. Then for a real head spinner, O'Brien's character has a sudden change of heart and puts a final move on Miss Seymour (Terry) to close out the picture. Like I said, a slapstick murder mystery.

Fast talking lawyer Pat O'Brien sets out to do a job—on the level, but only for the money, it seems. The "job" is fighting the highway monopoly controlled by smooth talking crime boss Edward Arnold. Broderick Crawford is O'Brien's law partner and pal; they set out to take down Arnold and his empire.Sounds like a solid drama, but…soon silly girl singer Ruth Terry is telling O'Brien "I like you" at a party. He half-heartedly discourages her enthusiastic advances on him, and he doesn't quite believe that she's eighteen years and two months old, as she says; however, she persists in chasing him around for the rest of the movie, wearing down his resistance and distracting him from the real plot—A woman is murdered and the few clues point toward O'Brien. Who really did the murder, and why is O'Brien being framed? –There's the mystery O'Brien has to sort out, with assistance (and frequent interference) from partner Crawford, from the kid singer Terry, and from the cops—who may be Arnold's stooges.Bizarre humorous touches distract somewhat from the mystery plot; for example, the scene in which all of the suspects remove their shoes to be examined for blood stains, and Edward Arnold has an embarrassing hole in the toe of his sock. Terry and O'Brien giggle madly…even though the corpse is still lying in the next room. It just doesn't quite fit. I would have liked to see more of three other women characters: Claire Dodd as an early victim (intimate friends with more than one suspect), Eve Arden as O'Brien's secretary (smart and ready), and Phyllis Brooks as Arnold's daughter (conscience crying out as she learns about her father). All are very good in too small roles. We do get plenty of Ruth Terry…who is actually very good herself, except that hers and O'Brien's relationship never really convinces, the chemistry never really gels. Unfortunately for her, she comes across as rather annoying.One truly chilling moment involves a discovery at a desk—a shock that is totally unexpected and perfectly executed. Otherwise, the plot is passable, the cast a bunch of pros, the dialog zippy—and the romance and humor a little oddball. Fun—just a little unsteady.