So You Want to Buy a Used Car

So You Want to Buy a Used Car (1951)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Decent entry in the Joe McDoakes series has Alice forcing him to trade in their junk car for a used one. Joe goes to a local dealer where he gets taken advantage of but in ways you wouldn't expect. This certainly isn't the best film in the series but it's a decent one that has a few nice laughs. The one major problem though is that it keeps repeating a joke dealing with car horns and this here wasn't funny the first time and it's certainly not funny the third and fourth times. The highlight of the film would have to be a sequence where Joe thinks if he wrecks his car that he'll get a brand new one but he isn't aware of a twist that happened earlier. Again, this isn't the greatest in the series but fans of George O'Hanlon should get a few laughs out of it.

Phyllis Coates talks George O'Hanlon into trading in his old car for a new one so they can drive to the poorhouse in style. Unfortunately for him, that means he needs to go to a used car lot, where they specialize in double talk and selling you your own auto.

Used car salesmen long had a reputation of cheating their customers. Given the low auto production of the 1930s and the conversion of auto factories to war production during the 1940s, cars were in exceedingly short supply, and dishonest salesmen took advantage of their customers. Writer-director Richard Bare used the long-running Joe McDoakes series to make fun of a lot of shifty practices. Here's an example.

The McDoakes' car is getting old and less and less reliable. So Mrs. McDoakes orders Joe to trade it in and get a better quality used car. This is a tall order, as Joe is a complete idiot and allowing him anywhere near the car dealership is an accident waiting to happen. Not surprisingly, this lamb among the wolves soon is taken advantage of and ends up in a heap of trouble by the end of the picture.

This installment of Joe McDoakes is one that will entertain mostly because just about everyone hates used car dealers and can laugh at the cartoonish way they're portrayed in this film. In other words, we can relate to the situation...no matter how ridiculous. Well worth seeing and quite funny.

POSSIBLY OUR NOMINEE as the prime example of the marriage of all the elements that have made for a good MC DOAKES outing, this one delivers all in great doses. It does so by presenting this fine emulsion of gag types served up in what is a natural topic for all true, red blooded Americans; namely the used car.

AS HAS BEEN the "magic" formula for success in previous outings, the production team skillfully includes proper doses of each element. Well represented in very generously and rapidly moving fashion are: Domestic Relations, the old Male vs. Female feud, financial shortfall, shyster types, questionable businesses, play on words and the ever-popular sight gag.

THE BLENDING OF such disparate elements is achieved in a most successful and (most importantly) funny manner. Although many would argue that so much of the humour displayed in this series is that of the obvious and predictable, we find that difficult to refute. We also say with firm conviction: "So What? So much comedy is and it still works!"

AS WE HAVE noted in previous MC DOAKES reviews, much of the story relies on both the verbal pun and he sight gag as to deserve its being classified as a veritable live action cartoon. The final scene and fade out of Joe & spouse Alice taking off in their new set of wheels certainly would serve to support that contention.

IT IS THE considered opinion of this writer that the short should get **** rating. Schulz liked it very much also; probably he likes cars so much!