The Medicine Man

At the onset, this film has two huge strikes against it. First, it's a very early talkie and most films from this time suffered from very poor sound quality. And, compared to the average film of the time, it's even worse. Second, it's in the public domain—so there's no incentive for anyone to do anything to try to fix this sound problem. So, if you do try to watch it, be prepared. But, if you do it's a pretty good film.

The movie begins with a young lady and her brother living with a VERY abusive father. In fact, it's a bit shocking to see such a brutal depiction of child abuse. However, things look a bit brighter when a medicine show arrives in town, as the boss (Benny) is quite charming and might just be the young lady's ticket away from the horrid father. Tune in to see exactly what happens next.

While Jack Benny will always be remembered as a comedian, I am not really sure if I'd call this a comedy. This is not a bad thing, as the film worked pretty well as a light drama—plus in many of Benny's early films the humor is very forced. Here, however, the film is story-driven and this worked pretty well overall. So, if you are looking for a comedy—look a bit further. But if you are looking for a good movie—without laughs, then look no further.