With songs by Rodgers and Hart and Bing singin' 'em and W C Fields providing the, frankly magnificent, comedy this is something of an undervalued and lost classic. Perhaps the very un-pc references to 'darkies' and 'picaninnys' has somewhat devalued its reputation but you have to remember that Hollywood didn't wake up racially until at least the 1950's and nothing in this film is as offensive as, say, John Ford's grossly condescending "The Sun Shines Bright", (even if that film still remains a masterpiece of Americana). In fact, I can't imagine anyone taking offense at this terrific piece of fluff that also includes a very young Joan Bennett as Crosby's love interest. A Edward Sutherland's direction is considerably more than workmanlike, (Wesley Ruggles is said to have a hand in it. too), and it all clocks in at a remarkably crisp 73 minutes.
Review of Mississippi
