Whistling in the Dark (1941)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

S. Sylvan Simon

Writers:

Laurence Gross (play) and
Edward Childs Carpenter (play) ...

Release Date:

8 August 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery

Tagline:

WE'VE ROLLED OUT THE WELCOME MAT FOR 1941'S KING OF FUN!

Plot:

The operators of 'Silver Haven', a cultish group bilking gullible rich people out of money, is set to...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Murder Plot | Radio | Heir | Source Music

Cast

Red Skelton	...	Wally Benton
Conrad Veidt	...	Joseph Jones
Ann Rutherford	...	Carol Lambert
Virginia Grey	...	'Fran' Post
Rags Ragland	...	Sylvester (as 'Rags' Ragland)
Henry O'Neill	...	Philip Post
Eve Arden	...	'Buzz' Baker
Paul Stanton	...	Jennings
Donald Douglas	...	Gordon Thomas (as Don Douglas)
Don Costello	...	'Noose' Green
William Tannen	...	Robert Graves
Reed Hadley	...	Beau Smith
Mariska Aldrich	...	Hilda
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Harvey Upshaw
George M. Carleton	...	Deputy Commissioner O'Neill (as George Carleton)

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7550) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 19 January 1932 and had 265 performances. The opening night cast included Edward Arnold, Claire Trevor, Ernest Truex and Arthur Vinton.

Quotes:

Fran: What are you? A man or a mouse?
Wally 'The Fox' Benton: I'm a man. But tell me if you see a cat coming.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

A great comedy mystery film!

While many pass this off as a B movie it is, indeed, a first class comedy that is well-written and acted. Red Skelton is great as Wally Benton better known to radio fans as The Fox. Ann Rutherford is perfect as Wally's fiance Carol Lambert. Conrad Veidt leads a very well cast gang of criminals. I read one account of this movie which states that Vincente Minelli directed this film, not unless he changed his name to S. Sylvan Simon, who directed all three of the Fox movies. This is a very entertaining film made when imagination was encouraged. So get over your black and white prejudice if you have one, sit back and enjoy a truly great comedy. This was also Red's first starring role. Take note during the climax of the reference to Orson Welles' War Of the Worlds broadcast.