Muss 'em Up

Although complicated, the mystery part of this film kept me guessing who of the many characters were involved in the kidnapping and murder plot. There were lots of red herrings, so it was fun to watch the film unfold despite the complications. What surprised me was the comic touches throughout, the best being Big Boy Williams practicing a magic egg-disappearance trick. To his surprise, it worked, but he couldn't find the egg! I chuckle every time I think of it. There's also a cute running gag as well as an excellent semi-humorous portrayal of a Mafia godfather by Paul Porcasi. I enjoyed the film because of these light touches by director Charles Vidor.

The title stems from a similar remark made by the actual New York Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine when discussing how his police officers should handle criminals types. The private detective in this film, Preston Foster, continually mentions he can get (and has gotten) information he wants by using a rubber hose filled with buckshot on reluctant criminals. The police inspector in this film pans that idea.