Forumrxes Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

robert-temple-1 'Woof woof!', that's what I say. This is a film (variously called YOU NEVER CAN TELL and YOU NEVER KNOW) in which a deceased dog, a German shepherd, is given permission to return to earth for a limited time as a human detective to solve his own murder and to clear the nice woman, his former mistress, blamed for the crime. Dick Powell, in his most congenial mode, plays the returned dog, posing as a private investigator named Rex Shepherd who sits around munching on dog biscuits when he is not looking for clues. Yes, it all sounds ridiculous, but it is done with such a light touch and such good humour that it is a most enjoyable film. And it is of special appeal to those of us who believe that dogs are in many ways superior to humans anyway. The reason why everyone is so excited about the murder of the dog is that his original owner died and left his six million dollar fortune to the dog, and as usual there are some wicked humans scheming for that stuff, which is useless to dogs, called money. This was the only feature film directed by Lou Breslow (1900-1987), who was better known as a film writer. Not only did he write this film, but he wrote 78 others, including in this very same year, both BEDTIME FOR BONZO, starring Ronald Reagan, and MY FAVORITE SPY starring Bob Hope and Hedy Lamarr. Breslow must have felt very strongly about dogs to push himself forward as director for this film. There are some very amusing scenes in Animal Heaven (doubtless located at the Dog Star, though this secret is not revealed), and the whole film is not only most enjoyable but often hilarious. However, humourless people need not apply. If you don't know how to laugh (and it is amazing how many people don't, especially these days when dour humourlessness is on the rise), then go watch a war movie or something instead of enjoying this light-hearted romp. But the rest of us can sit back and have a good time watching Dog Justice being done and Dog Ethics triumphing over human greed. (If only we could set the dogs on today's psychopathic bankers, now wouldn't that be a good idea!) The actress Peggy Dow, who only appeared in films between 1949 and 1951, unexpectedly retiring 'for domestic reasons' just as she was really getting going, is charming as Ellen, whom 'Rex Shepherd' wishes to clear of his murder. What a loss to the screen that she dropped out like that. So sit back, munch your dog biscuits, and enjoy seeing how dogs can handle things when human affairs need straightening out.

caronbc *** This review may contain spoilers *** I truly love this movie and wish they would release it on DVD. It is very clever and funny. A millionaire dies, leaving his fortune to his German Shephard with his secretary in charge of the money and the dog. The dog is poisoned and the girl is blamed for his death. When the dog goes to heaven, he tells the higher authorities that it wasn't the girl who killed him and he is the only one who can put things right. He is given one month (one moon cycle) to prove her innocence and so he is sent down to earth as an 'humanimal' (an animal soul in human form) and he is given a secretary (a horse) to help him.The next scene opens with him in an office with a sign on the window "Rex Shephard - Private Detective". He is sitting at his desk and he is nibbling something out of a bag in one of his drawers which turns out to be doggy kibble. His secretary (the horse) has a feed/nose bag for a handbag and has horse shoes on the soles of her human shoes. And so it goes..... I won't spoil it, by listing the clever animal cross human jokes, for anyone who is lucky enough to see it. I have not seen it for over 20 years; and believe me, I have been looking.It is a wonderfully, lighthearted movie for all ages. Although, I'm sure the older you are the more you would get the subtleties of some of the jokes.It was also released as "You Never Know"

bkoganbing In You Never Can Tell, Dick Powell got a chance to satirize his own new image as a tough guy private detective. He's certainly one of the most unusual private eyes that the movies have ever created.If you didn't know it before, you know it now that animals have a soul and when they die they go to a place called Beastatory. That's what's happened to King when he gets poisoned by some nefarious forces who are after his money. That's right, his money. It seems as though King's inherited a fortune, the former member of the US Army's Canine Corps was left a multi-million dollar estate. This German Shepherd is now the envy of Rin Tin Tin.In Beastatory when an animal hasn't lived a good animal life they have a most unusual punishment, they come back as humans, an interesting theological notion as I've ever heard. But King makes an unusual request to voluntarily go back and deal with his murderer. It's granted and he's even given a companion, a thoroughbred race horse who comes back as the girl Friday of the detective Rex Sheppard, that King becomes. Of course when he goes back he's now Dick Powell and the race horse is Joyce Holden.Charles Drake and Peggy Dow are in this film as well, they were the romantic interest a year before in Harvey, the young psychiatrist and the nurse at the funny farm Josephine Hull was trying to stick Jimmy Stewart. The roles aren't quite the same in You Never Can Tell. Peggy Dow was a young lady of much promise who married and retired early after only a few films and the silver screen was the poorer for it.Powell has some very funny moments especially when he can't quite shake his canine background as a human. But Joyce Holden really provides the most laughs in this film. Hysterically funny moment when she races to catch a bus she just missed. Holden probably broke the six furlong record at Aqueduct in that effort.This is a very sadly neglected comedy I wish was shown more often. If TCM ever shows it, don't miss it.

gutheiltg The wacky premise of this superbly crafted film is that a German Shepherd, poisoned to permit his mistress's murder, goes to Beastitoria (animal heaven) and pleads to return to earth, reincarnated as private eye Rex Shepherd, to solve his own murder. Filled with witty dialogue, funny bits where the animal "breaks through" the human, this movie stars Dick Powell in a kind of takeoff on his "Murder My Sweet" serious shamus. I have tried to find it anywhere since seeing it in 1951 without luck. If anyone can locate it, please e-mail me.