JohnHowardReid
Red Skelton (Wally Benton), Ann Rutherford (Carol Lambert), Rags Ragland (Chester), Ray Collins (Kendall), Jean Rogers (Jean Pringle), Henry O'Neill (Inspector Holcomb), Sam Levene (Creeper), William Frawley (Detective Ramsey), Steven Geray (Whitey), Howard Freeman (Steve Conlan), Arthur Space (Detective MacKenzie), Robert Emmett O'Connor (Detective Leo Finnigan), Tom Dillon (Beavers manager), Emmett Vogan (radio producer), John Wald (radio announcer), Morris Ankrum (news editor), Edgar Dearing (desk sergeant), Grant Withers, Jack Mulhall, Bert Moorhouse, Charles Jordan, Jack Carrington, Sammy Blum (reporters), James Warren (sound man), Robert Winkler, Rudy Wissler, Buddy Gorman, Larry Harris (newsboys), Harry Strang (Gumbatz), Harry Tyler (gateman), Frank J. Scannell (Joe), Fred Toones (fan), Ray Teal (traded Beaver), Anthony Caruso, Charles Sullivan, Elliott Sullivan, Dutch Hendrian (henchmen), Dewey Robinson (Beavers trainer), Gil Perkins, William Haade (police sergeants), Lee Phelps (police dispatcher), Harvey Parry (worman), Garry Owen (taxi-driver with record), Mike Mazurki (helpful thug), Howard M. Mitchell (officer), George Magrill (Brooklyn fan), Mitchell Lewis (bearded spectator), Donald Kerr (taxi-driver), Sheldon Jett (suspicious man), Sam Hayes (baseball announcer), Billy Engle (balloon vendor), Eddie Dunn (coffee cop), Charles Dorety (drunk), Clancy Cooper (Officer Slocum), Billy Bletcher (announcer), Chet Brandenburg (painter), William Bishop (psychiatrist), Leo Durocher (himself), Loretta Rush, Lillian Yarbo, Dorothy Wilson, Sue Moore (women), and The Brooklyn Dodgers Director: S. SYLVAN SIMON. Screenplay: Nat Perrin. Additional dialogue: Wilkie C. Mahoney. Photography: Lester White. Film editor: Ben Lewis. Art directors: Cedric Gibbons and Jack Martin Smith. Set decorators: Edwin B. Willis and Mildred Griffiths. Stunts: Gil Perkins. Costumes designed by Irene. Special effects: Warren Newcombe. Music: George Bassman. Assistant director: Al Raboch. Sound recording: John Dullam. Producer: George Haight. Copyright 24 September 1943 by Loew's, Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture. New York opening at Loew's State: 23 March 1944. U.S. release: December 1943. Australian release: 13 September 1945 (sic). 9 reels. 7,825 feet. 87 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Mistakenly identified as a serial killer, a radio sleuth (accompanied by his fiancée, his self-appointed press agent, and a nosy girl reporter) is pursued by both the police and the real criminals.NOTES: Third and final entry in Red Skelton's Whistling series.COMMENT: Although it's the weakest of the Whistling movies, there's a high-flying sequence in this entry that I'll never forget. Red and his comrades are hanging from a grid at the top of an elevator shaft. They hang from each other's legs and then swing this human pendulum in an effort to land themselves on the floor below. Great stunt-work, very effectively handled! Unfortunately, the rest of the film doesn't reach this standard, though it has its moments of fun and suspense. The huge cast line-up helps.The chief fault is Wilkie Mahoney's inane additional dialogue which lacks the sparkle and wit he brought to Whistling in Dixie. The players do what they can with the talky screenplay and director Simon piles on the pace, but their efforts are often unsuccessful.
MartinHafer
Back in 1933, Ernest Truex starred in "Whistling in the Dark" and it was a charming little comedy/mystery. Eight years later, the film was remade with Red Skelton and is the much more famous version of the story--though I prefer the original. Despite my preference, the Skelton film was so popular that it resulted in two sequels...first "Whistling in Dixie" and then "Whistling in Brooklyn".A series of murders have occurred and the police are baffled. However, when radio personality Wally Benton (Skelton) seems to know too many details about the killings, they assume he's the killer. Suddenly, cops are pouring out of the woodwork to arrest the guy. At first, he thinks that it's all a gag. After all, he and his fiancé (Ann Rutherford) are on their way to get married and his co- workers are always playing tricks on him. However, when he realizes they are firing REAL bullets, he and his girl and his idiot chauffeur are on the run. Soon, they are not just dodging the police but crooks as well and EVERYBODY seems to want to kill him.The best part of the film is towards the end, where Wally pretends to be a baseball player in order to alert the police who the real killer is. But he has to be disguised and sports a beard...and knows nothing about playing ball. But, miraculously, all the stupid things he does seem to work! Overall, enjoyable and pretty much more of the same for the short-lived franchise.
blanche-2
Released in 1943, "Whistling in Brooklyn" is the last of the films which starred Red Skelton as radio detective Wally "The Fox" Benton who gets involved in real-life murders. All he wants to do is marry his girlfriend (Ann Rutherford), but something always delays the wedding. Jean Rogers as a reporter and Rags Ragland appear in this "Whistling." This film concerns a serial killer named 'Constant Reader' who is killing people in Brooklyn. Wally falls under suspicion and tries to solve the crime and escape the police at the same time.In one sequence, Wally disguises himself as a ball player on a bearded team playing an exhibition with the Brooklyn Dodgers; he has to go out and play a game, while trying to get a message to the police. Some of the Dodgers appeared - Leo Durocher, Arky Vaughn, Joe Medwick, etc. Fun for old-time baseball fans who remember these players.Skelton can be corny, and some of his humor in this is groan-worthy. But the pace is fast, there are some funny bits, and when Skelton is being serious, he's actually quite sweet and natural. Ann Rutherford is adorable as his girlfriend.Good fun.
ccthemovieman-1
If you like old-fashioned corny humor you'll love this. I'm hesitant to give a movie this silly, corny and stupid eight stars but I had to because overall it was fun to watch and provided a number of genuine laughs. In fact, some of the scenes were downright hilarious. A lot of it is innocent old-time slapstick and, if it entertains, it did its job.This was my first look at early Red Skelton films (I had only known him through his TV show) and it reminded of some Bob Hope films except this one had more slapstick and action.It inspired me to go out and buy other Skelton comedies on VHS but, unfortunately, none ever measured up to this one. The real star of film might not have been Skelton, anyway, as Rags Ragland, playing the chauffeur, had perhaps the highest percentage of funny lines. The baseball scene in here also was very good.Yes, this is stupid, generally-speaking, but it's really entertaining. If only two people have reviewed it (as of my review) then apparently a lot of people haven't seen this. That's too bad, especially with the older crowd, because they've missed a funny movie.
