Just Suppose

Just Suppose (1948)

*** (out of 4)

Just suppose who came home to greet your wife the way detectives do in a film noir. Just suppose men selected their hats the same way women their dresses. Just suppose men were the ones who had babies. And just suppose the roles of parents were switched with their kids. Those four supposes are the comedy stories in this Pete Smith short that once again features Dave O'Brien as the bumbling fool who is constantly getting himself in trouble. The best of the four stories is without question the first one with the husband coming home acting tough and cool but he has a rude awakening coming. The one with the parents and kids roles reversed was also quite funny with O'Brien really shining here. The one I didn't care too much for what the hat as I felt this one went on way too long and never really had any good laughs. As usual we have Smith delivering very funny narration but a lot of credit has to go to O'Brien and his comic timing as an actor.

I love the Pete Smith specialties from MGM. His snarky narration adds immeasurably to any comedy. You might not feel that way, and so find this simply a collection of old-fashioned blackout gags.

In this one we go through a bunch of assumptions and get Dave Barclay doing his fine comic takes and falls.

The assumptions are that men come home and greet their wives like they do in film noir movies; that parents and children reversed roles, that men chose hats the way women did and that men were the ones who had the babies. The second is the weakest of the lot, but they all have their moments.