Professional pollster Pete Marshall gets more than he bargained for when he heads deep into the Ozarks to investigate the disappearances of several of his colleagues.Professional pollster Pete Marshall gets more than he bargained for when he heads deep into the Ozarks to investigate the disappearances of several of his colleagues.Professional pollster Pete Marshall gets more than he bargained for when he heads deep into the Ozarks to investigate the disappearances of several of his colleagues.
Harry Allen
- Old Deaf Townsman
- (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin
- Vic Hardy
- (uncredited)
Jimmie Dundee
- Hardy Sympathizer
- (uncredited)
Tom Fadden
- Sheriff Murdock
- (uncredited)
James Flavin
- Police Officer
- (uncredited)
Francis Ford
- Lee - Old Townsman
- (uncredited)
Joel Friedkin
- Little Man
- (uncredited)
Arthur Hunnicutt
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Jerry James
- F.B.I. Man
- (uncredited)
Si Jenks
- 80-Year-Old Townsman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe theme music for NPR's "All Things Considered" is identical to the melody of the nonsense song that is sung several times in this film ("Mares Eat Oats and Does Eat Oats").
- GoofsIn Elany's first scene, as she enters her grandmother's room, we see her clutching a leather briefcase. The close-up shot of the briefcase shows an embossed globe on the front, with "Trotter Poll" written above it, and "Hector P. Smedley" written below it, in large letters. As the camera changes from close-up to medium shot, the briefcase still has the globe, but now the lettering is missing.
- Quotes
Pete Marshall: On horse flies is / In comb bees is / On chest knob is / In knob keys is
[singsong child's chant that solves the mystery]
- ConnectionsFeatured in Auto Focus (2002)
Featured review
Hilarious, should be much better known
Wonderful comedy, tops my list of movies that deserve to be better known. Funny from start to finish, well written, well directed, very well cast, with veteran character actors like Marjorie Main and Porter Hall nailing all the laughs and then some, plus Peter Whitney as the identical twins Mert & Bert (which one has the crick in his back? I forget) and excellent performances from the cast in general.
Fred MacMurray is at the top of his game (only a year after Double Indemnity), and the pacing is exhilarating, lots of great gags and surreal comedy, and a nutty, over-the-top ending that pays off the whole thing.
I always come away from this movie feeling happy. Only not often enough -- since it's rarely on TV, not on DVD, and in and out of availability on VHS.
This movie deserves much better. It should have a first-class DVD release, and be in the rotation at TCM. Please!
And then there's the music, which mysteriously is note for note the theme to "All Things Considered" on NPR, only 30 years earlier.... "On horse flies is, in comb bees is..."
Fred MacMurray is at the top of his game (only a year after Double Indemnity), and the pacing is exhilarating, lots of great gags and surreal comedy, and a nutty, over-the-top ending that pays off the whole thing.
I always come away from this movie feeling happy. Only not often enough -- since it's rarely on TV, not on DVD, and in and out of availability on VHS.
This movie deserves much better. It should have a first-class DVD release, and be in the rotation at TCM. Please!
And then there's the music, which mysteriously is note for note the theme to "All Things Considered" on NPR, only 30 years earlier.... "On horse flies is, in comb bees is..."
helpful•377
- woid
- Dec 1, 2003
- How long is Murder, He Says?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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