Good-natured semi-musical, a modest charmer for Red Skelton as a turn-of-the-last century* automobile enthusiast who tinkers the days away when he could easily be in the horse stable business with gruff William Demerest as father-in-law, married to girl-of-his-dreams Sally Forrest. Macdonald Carey has dastardly fun as his slick, college-educated rival, showing off a fine baritone on some pleasing Howard Schwartz/Dorothy Fields songs, with second female lead Monica Lewis getting the splashier tunes. And in a nice touch, the film jumps ahead for three little futuristic fantasy scenes. Funny stuff. Everything comes to a head at a big auto rally with a gaggle of splendid vintage vehicles, based on real models they look brand spanking new and downright eccentric, all vying for a five thousand dollar racing prize. Enough to set up Red with a wife and his own car company. Skelton tamps down his wild side here, playing straight with the slapstick & physical comedy gags director Roy Rowland & producer Jack Cummings got Buster Keaton (underused comedy advisor at M-G-M at the time) to develop. At one point in the car race, Buster looks set to restage the classic rolling rock avalanche from SEVEN CHANCES/’25, now with watermelons & pumpkins as Skelton’s car careens thru a field, but someone got cold feet. (No doubt, shooting it would have cost as much as the rest of the film.) Too bad, it could have been the big moment this little film needed.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: A big serving of Hollywood nepotism on this one as director Roy Rowland was a nephew of Louis B. Mayer by marriage and producer Jack Cummings a nephew by blood.
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