TANKS A MILLION

William Tracy and Joe Sawyer

TANKS A MILLION (1941). Director: Fred Guiol. 

"Dodo" Doubleday (William Tracy) is actually a whiz kid with a photographic memory. When he's drafted into the Army, he incurs the wrath of his fellow soldiers and especially Sgt. Ames (Joe Sawyer of Inside Job) by reciting the rule book he memorized at every opportunity. Nonetheless, his knowledge makes him a sergeant in very short order, only making everyone madder and more determined to trip him up. Ames is certain that Dodo has finally screwed up when he winds up inadvertently impersonating Colonel Barkley (James Gleason) and even giving a speech for him. 

Elyse Knox and Noah Beery Jr. 

Tanks a Million is a serviceable service comedy with very familiar elements, such as grumpy sergeants and colonels and grumbling soldiers. There are a few funny moments, however, thanks to the cast, especially the work of Sawyer and a near-apoplectic Gleason. Noah Beery Jr. and Elyse Knox are cast as another soldier whom Dodo knew beforehand, and Dodo's lady friend, Jeannie. Frank Faylen and Douglas Fowley also have small roles as Army men. Tracy is competent as the leading man, although one can't quite call him a brilliant comic actor.

Verdict: Hard to distinguish one of these movies from all of the others like it. **. 

INSIDE JOB (1946)

Alan Curtis and Ann Rutherford

INSIDE JOB (1946). Director: Jean Yarbrough. 

Eddie Norton (Alan Curtis) works as a kind of mechanical man in a department store window, and hides the fact that he is an ex-con because of a youthful indiscretion. His old "friend" Bart Madden (Preston Foster) threatens to tell his employers about his past if he doesn't help him rob the department store. You'd think Eddie would want no part of this scheme no matter what -- especially since Eddie took the fall for Bart --  but the dope not only eventually decides to go along with it but enlists his wife, Claire (Ann Rutherford), in his plans, which include ultimately cutting Madden out of the profit. But loose lips and a cute little boy with a cop father may prevent Eddie from realizing his larcenous ambitions.

Alan Curtis hatches plan

Inside Job features perhaps two of the dumbest protagonists in any movie. They seem to have no real skill at robbery or much of anything else. The three leads give solid performances, although Rutherford is not really the "gorgeous model" type that she is supposed to be (although she was cute enough to excite the interest of Andy Hardy when she played Polly Benedict). The movie glosses over details about the heist so that a lot of the plot doesn't make much sense. Midway through the movie it decides to drag in some sentiment with a cute neighbor kid (Jimmy Moss) next door as Eddie and Claire hide out after the heist. There's also a borderline cloying simple-minded nanny named "Ivory" (Ruby Dandridge, mother of Dorothy) and the kid's father, a cop named Thomas (Joe Sawyer). Marc Lawrence and Milburn Stone are also in the cast. The script for Inside Job is just too weak to make this a contender, but the uncompromising ending makes it clear that crime, in this case, really doesn't pay despite the fact that the couple are pretty much redeemed by their actions at the end. 

Verdict: Minor film noir with sentimental interludes. **.