Slightly Honorable

SLIGHTLY HONORABLE (United Artists, 1939/40), a Walter Wanger Presentation, directed by Tay Garnett, might sound like a domestic drama about a troubled marriage of infidility, but is actually a mystery-comedy based upon the novel, "Send Another Coffin" by P.G. Presnell. Starring Pat O'Brien, on loan-out assignment from Warner Brothers Studio, it offers him a rare opportunity to perform on screen sporting a mustache, but being no threat to actor, Clark Gable. With mystery-comedies quite popular during the 1930s, SLIGHTLY HONORABLE is no different, with the exception as to how the mystery gets solved.

Opening Title: "Eight thousand miles to the southland lies a tiny island paradise - far from greed, the graft and the corruption that harass our modern civilization --- but that's 8000 miles away!" The story begins with visuals of radio announcers followed by a car sliding off a curvy road leading to the death of Clarence Buckman, corrupt highway commissioner who has fallen victim to the accident. Pallbearers at his funeral are John Webb (Pat O'Brien), lawyer; Russel Sampson (Broderick Crawford), his assistant; and Vincent Cushing (Edward Arnold), described as "the evil head of the state's political machine." During the course of the story, John meets Ann Seymour (Ruth Terry), a nightclub singer who happens to be 18 years (and two months!). A feisty yet gabby individual, she gets into a rumble with the owner, Pete Gordenia (Bernard Nedell) to a point of having her dress torn with John coming to her defense. After taking her to his apartment, John soon offers her $100 for a new dress before sending her home. Alma Brehmer (Claire Dodd), John's old flame with a jealous ex- husband, George Taylor (Douglass Dumbrille), is found murdered at her Fenner Apartment penthouse with a dagger in her back. A series of similar killings involving daggers soon take place. With John attempting to clear his name from being the prime suspect, he ends up finding out more than he bargained for during his investigation, especially with flying daggers with threatening notes in his office, and near arrests from Commissioner Joyce (Alan Dinehart), Inspector Fromm (Addison Richards) and Captain Graves (Cliff Clark), who believe John's the guilty party.

Others seen in the cast include: Phyllis Brooks (Sarilla Cushing, the daughter); Janet Beecher (Mrs. Cushing, wife and mother); Eve Arden (Miss Ater, Webb's wisecracking secretary); Ernest Truex (P. Hemmingway Collins, secretary of the Citizen's Better Government League); Evelyn Keyes (Miss Vilissigen); Willie Best (Art, the elevator operator); John Sheehan (Mike Daley, the drunk), among others. Edward Arnold, who gave a memorable supporting performance as a corrupt politician in both Frank Capra's MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (Columbia, 1939) and MEET JOHN DOE (Warner Brothers, 1941), resumes a similar character here as a corrupt newspaper publisher with political connections, but isn't on screen long enough for an actor whose name comes second billed in the casting credits. Standout performances goes to Broderick Crawford, breaking away from dopey characters enacted early in his career, and Eve Arden, being a welcome screen presence (as always). Evelyn Keyes has little to do in a rare comedic role as a daffy secretary. Ruth Terry, playing a gabby showgirl, could be annoying at times, yet she's far from being shy nor modest when it comes to undressing herself in front of a man (O'Brien) she hardly knows,with the lawyer being "embarrassed" through the proceedings more than once.

An agreeable mixture of comedy and mystery that's not as well known as some other films of this nature. After years of being shown on late night commercial television dating back to the 1950s, SLIGHTLY HONORABLE later became a public domain title that was frequently broadcast on public television and available on video cassette in the 1980s (and decades later on DVD), usually in shorter 75 minute edition. It wasn't until Turner Classic Movies aired a restored and complete 86 minute clearer picture edition of SLIGHTLY HONORABLE (TCM premiere: December 9, 2011), that the movie got to be shown uncut for the first time in years. In complete form, SLIGHTLY HONORABLE moves swiftly enough to become satisfactory entertainment for those who may find the movie sightly funny, slightly mysterious or slightly honorable. (**1/2 daggers)

Pat O'Brien and Broderick Crawford are a couple of attorneys and political enemies of Boss Edward Arnold who's grown rich on all kinds of graft. They're starting to have people listen to them until a couple of murders get pinned on O'Brien. They're on the defensive after that until those murders are solved.

Tay Garnett manages to strike the right blend of humor and drama to Slightly Honorable. O'Brien, Crawford, and Arnold do well in very familiar roles to them.

One thing that truly was annoying was juvenile Ruth Terry. She's fresh out of bobby sox and O'Brien's a man of the world. Now if she was something slinky and sexy like Lauren Bacall was with Humphrey Bogart or even sophisticated like Myrna Loy with William Powell, the attractiveness would make some sense. But she's frankly just one royal pain. I can't figure out why O'Brien would possibly be interested in her.

Still it's an interesting plot that the audience will find intriguing.

Frank Presnell's first of three crime novels, "Send Another Coffin", is the basis for this film, completed the year following publication of the original, featuring flinty Ohio attorney John Webb (Pat O'Brien) with his wife Ann (Ruth Terry), the duo patterned somewhat upon Dashiell Hammett's Nick and Nora Charles, although Webb is less suave than Nick and more eager to stir political pots. A corrupt state politician, Vincent Cushing (Edward Arnold), is the principal target for Webb's reforming urge, and when Cushing's mistress Alma (Claire Dodd), erstwhile flame of Webb, is murdered, nearly all of the major characters seem to have a motive, including Webb, who faces most of the heat from the homicide investigation although he perceives himself to be "slightly honorable" when compared with those about him. The work includes a strong comedic element along with its murder mystery and socially conscious themes. Vivacious Terry, with her patented energy and spirit, steals the film in what she states is her favourite role, a part for which she is promised by producer Walter Wanger and director Tay Garnett that the former night club singer/dancer will be spotlighted in a musical specialty number, and that she is, one that is perfectly woven into the screenplay, this while under personal contract to Howard Hughes who loans her to Wanger for this production. A cardinal pleasure inherent with film reviewing is discovery of works that have not received an amount of recognition that they deserve, and that is the case in this instance, for it is a piece that includes among its attributes sparkling dialogue, skillful acting and, especially, that mastery of narrative pace and rhythm that marks the best efforts from Garnett who here cunningly blends details for his established mise-en-scène within the script, as is his custom. Even without his foremost mannequin, Marlene Dietrich, Travis Banton's gowns are noteworthy and there is a strikingly illustrative score from Werner Janssen.

Quite amazing for a B movie!!! Travis Banton was Paramount's top clothes designer in the early thirties. He designed dresses for Marlene Dietrich, Claudette Colbert, Kay Francis and Carole Lombard among others.

John Webb, an attorney, (Pat O'Brien) is invited to a party by Alma (Claire Dodd), an old girlfriend, who is now the mistress of Cushing (Edward Arnold). He meets an annoying singer Ann (Ruth Terry), who he later rescues from the paws of a drunken guest. When Webb finds Alma murdered, he determined to "square" it but can't shake the irritating Ann. Helped by his sassy secretary (Eve Arden) and dopey associate (Broderick Crawford), he is stymied by District Attorney Joyce (oily Alan Dinehart) who is in pretty thick with Cushing. Suspects pile up - Alma's ex husband George (Douglas Dumbrille), even Ann puts her foot in it by implicating Webb!!! As one of the reviewers implied, Ann and Webb would have to be the odd couple of the century. In real life he would never find happiness with an air head like her!!! When Webb's secretary is found dead (Eve Arden didn't get much of a chance to strut her stuff), suspicion puts Webb on the top of the list. Evelyn Keyes has a bit as the new secretary and Phyllis Brookes also has a small part as Cushing's beautiful daughter. Things come to a head in a little Texas cemetery.

The film is excellent because of the superior quality of everyone associated with it. The cast was top notch - aside from Pat O'Brien you have Edward Arnold, Broderick Crawford, Douglas Dumbrille and Alan Dinehart, one of the most suave villains of the 30s. Then on the female side you have the beautiful Claire Dodd, Phyllis Brooks, sassy Eve Arden and the lovely Evelyn Keyes (who would have been excellent as Ann, not nearly so annoying as Ruth Terry). Tay Garnett was a real "man's" director who was at home with action adventures ie "China Seas" (1935) and "Trade Winds" (1938).

Claire Dodd, is definitely my favourite bad girl. When she appeared in a film, good girls like Joan Blondell, Ann Dvorak and Helen Twelvetrees had some pretty anxious moments - she even played Della Street in a couple of early Perry Masons. Whoever she played she always looked a dream. Phyllis Brooks had been a McClelland Barclay model and although she was decorative her acting skills were almost non existent. Evelyn Keyes was more noted for her wit and racy memoirs but she was extremely vivacious and it was always nice to see her in movies.

Recommended.

this is one of those pleasant surprises that makes buying cheap films you've never heard of before so much fun. the first thing that came to mind as this film unreeled was how much fun the dialogue was. this is the blue collar version of the thin man. what it lacks in dry humor and sly irony, from nick and nora, is made up for in sheer fun. ruth terry is terrific as pat o'brien's wannabe girl. her energy is almost manic, and o'brien plays off it perfectly as the straight man to her ditzy rambles. the rest of the cast doesn't let you down either. arnold, arden and broderick crawford play their parts without flaw. the mystery, per se, is pretty average; realizing that you must wonder why more 'average' plots don't fall into the hands of talented directors, writers and cast and go on to be really good films. my only sorrow is in the DVD i have, the alpha video version #alp4644d. if you can find another print, get it. the visuals are OK, at least i have seen much worse, but the sound track is dreadful. about half of the film i couldn't understand, and i still loved it.