The members of a summer theater group get mixed up with spies and murder.The members of a summer theater group get mixed up with spies and murder.The members of a summer theater group get mixed up with spies and murder.
Jimmy Ritz
- Jimmy Jester
- (as The Ritz Brothers)
Harry Ritz
- Harry Jester
- (as The Ritz Brothers)
Vinton Hayworth
- Bobby Leonard
- (as Jack Arnold)
Sonny Dunham
- Orchestra Leader
- (as Sonny Durham and His Orchestra)
Robert Barron
- Second Thug
- (uncredited)
Harold Belfer
- Wally Raymond
- (uncredited)
John Berkes
- The Bearded Man
- (uncredited)
William Cabanne
- Young Man
- (uncredited)
Eddie Coke
- Grandson
- (uncredited)
Eleanor Counts
- Cigarette Girl
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWorking title: "Off the Beaten Track"
- Quotes
[When The Jolly Jesters learn that the performers they are replacing were murdered during the previous night's performance they bolt town]
Jolly Jester: Imagine them calling the show "Fun for All".
Jolly Jester: I'm glad we got out of there before they called it "Three Men in a Hearse".
Featured review
The first 'guest act' in the summer stock revue was killed by gunshot, and the police couldn't figure out who did it. The second time, the new guest act dies in the same way. In the immortal words of a producer who doesn't want to return the box office receipts, the show must go on! Besides, local police chief William Demarest thinks if they do it again, they'll figure out who is murdering vaudeville. He heads down to Manhattan to find performers, but only idiots will work with a murderer gunning for them, so he gets the Ritz Brothers.
Normally I don't enjoy Al, Jimmy and Harry, because they're all mugging in stereo. Here, under the direction of Eddie Cline, they not only get some good gags, but good songs and dances, and there's some shaky differentiation between them. This being a Universal musical, they also have Grace MacDonald singing a song or two, some nice dancing, and good performers backing them up, like Carol Bruce, Dick Foran, and Johnny Downs. Some of the jokes have not aged well, but you can see how they could actually be funny on stage.
Normally I don't enjoy Al, Jimmy and Harry, because they're all mugging in stereo. Here, under the direction of Eddie Cline, they not only get some good gags, but good songs and dances, and there's some shaky differentiation between them. This being a Universal musical, they also have Grace MacDonald singing a song or two, some nice dancing, and good performers backing them up, like Carol Bruce, Dick Foran, and Johnny Downs. Some of the jokes have not aged well, but you can see how they could actually be funny on stage.
Details
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
Top Gap
By what name was Behind the Eight Ball (1942) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer