I've read many reviews written by other users, and one thing is certain. Classic comics outside of the legends are either reviled or adored, and Hugh Herbert does well in small doses, supporting roles, but not so well in lead roles in D grade programmers like this. He's a bit too wacky, a stooge without the other two, and in large doses rather annoying. I first discovered him as the zany father of a vain movie star in "Hollywood Hotel", but there, he's supporting. His shtick gets old rather fast, and in films like this and "Sh! The Octopus", it's the elements outside of his typecast characterization (far too much giggling and goofiness) that are what makes those films memorable.
When Herbert tones it down a notch, he becomes fairly likeable, and as a professor just out of jail pretending that he's a world famous traveler, he has a few amusing flashback moments. Top billed over Peggy Moran as his daughter and department store employee (and hopeful inventor Johnny Downs in the romantic leads, he's out to fleece the department store owner, Elisabeth Risdon. Basically a variation of the Margaret Dumont style character, Risdon is stern with Downs, but ripe for Herbert's goofy schemes. She's one of my favorite character actresses, once a silent screen leading lady, and good in both no-nonsense matriarchal roles and kindly little old ladies, even if that little old lady was a psychotic killer.
You have to have villains in comedies like this, and that job goes to George E. Stone and Gertrude Michael as blackmailers threatening to expose Herbert. They add necessary plot development to the lightness of the hour long film, and are fun to watch being taken down even if their characters are completely cliched. A good scene has Downs confronting Risdon over his elaborate toy train, and telling her off, only discovering that he's talking to an empty desk chair. Films like this are basically overly long shorts, but fast moving and fun even when the humor is eye rolling and badly dated. There's no distracting musical interludes to pad out the film, so outside of a few scenes that are more sketch based than plot oriented, it's all about the sitcom like story that obviously influenced early TV situation comedies.
When Herbert tones it down a notch, he becomes fairly likeable, and as a professor just out of jail pretending that he's a world famous traveler, he has a few amusing flashback moments. Top billed over Peggy Moran as his daughter and department store employee (and hopeful inventor Johnny Downs in the romantic leads, he's out to fleece the department store owner, Elisabeth Risdon. Basically a variation of the Margaret Dumont style character, Risdon is stern with Downs, but ripe for Herbert's goofy schemes. She's one of my favorite character actresses, once a silent screen leading lady, and good in both no-nonsense matriarchal roles and kindly little old ladies, even if that little old lady was a psychotic killer.
You have to have villains in comedies like this, and that job goes to George E. Stone and Gertrude Michael as blackmailers threatening to expose Herbert. They add necessary plot development to the lightness of the hour long film, and are fun to watch being taken down even if their characters are completely cliched. A good scene has Downs confronting Risdon over his elaborate toy train, and telling her off, only discovering that he's talking to an empty desk chair. Films like this are basically overly long shorts, but fast moving and fun even when the humor is eye rolling and badly dated. There's no distracting musical interludes to pad out the film, so outside of a few scenes that are more sketch based than plot oriented, it's all about the sitcom like story that obviously influenced early TV situation comedies.
