BLONDE DYNAMITE

Gabriel Dell and Adele Jergens

BLONDE DYNAMITE (1950). Director: William Beaudine. 

Gabe Moreno (Gabriel Dell) has a job as a messenger in a bank, and also has a new girlfriend named Joan (Adele Jergens). Joan manages to steal $5000 from Gabe and give it to head operator Champ Fallon (Harry Lewis), who tells Gabe that he'll get the money back if he gives them the combination to the safe. While this is going on, Louie Dumbroski (Bernard Gorcey) is importuned to take a vacation, after which Slip Mahoney (Leo Gorcey) opens up an escort service in his Sweet Shoppe which employs Sach (Huntz Hall) and the other Bowery Boys as unlikely dates for lonely ladies. Then Champ hits on the scheme of breaking into the bank by digging through the floor of little Louie's shop. 

Escorts? 

Believe it or not, Blonde Dynamite has some genuine laughs in it as the zany story proceeds. A scene with Sach and Whitey (Billy Benedict) taking two older ladies to the opera is a scream, and there's also a funny sequence when Joan hires all of the boys as  escorts to a party to get them out of the way and plans to give them all a mickey. The screenplay makes good use of the comic talents of Slip and his gang, and Gabriel Dell exudes a certain likable charm of his own. Adele Jergens is saucy and vivid as usual as the bad girl who drives the action. Handsome Harry Lewis did mostly television work in the fifties and afterwards and offers a smooth performance in this. 

Verdict: Cute Bowery Boys picture with spirited players. ***. 

THE KETTLES ON OLD MACDONALD'S FARM

Marjorie Main and Parker Fennelly

THE KETTLES ON OLD MACDONALD'S FARM (1957). Director: Virgil W. Vogel. 

"After thirty years I don't think I can fall asleep until I hear the sound of your snoring." -- Pa to Ma Kettle.

Pa Kettle (Parker Fennelly) is finally planning to sell the old farm after winning a new house way back in Ma and Pa Kettle. The potential buyers are Sally Flemming (Gloria Talbott of The Leech Woman) and her fiance, Brad (John Smith of Hod Rod Girl). Sally's father (Roy Barcroft) objects to the wedding because he thinks his daughter is spoiled and will never make a good farm wife. Ma (Marjorie Main) and Pa decide to let the couple move in on a trial basis, with Ma as chaperone, but will they ever actually make it to the altar?

Gloria Talbott and John Smith

Percy Kilbride had left the series by this time and Parker Fennelly took over the role for this final Kettle film. Fennelly is fine as Pa, and doesn't make the mistake of aping Kilbride. As happened in an earlier Kettle film, Pa gets the mistaken impression that Ma is pregnant again. Another complication is the mischievous presence of an amazing trained bear called Tree-Toes, which the Kettles try to capture, as well as the usual, amusing disagreements and misunderstandings.

This was a good way to end the series, as this entry -- while not quite as good as the best entries -- has a better story than the last couple of films, and is consistently amusing. There's also new theme music to go with a new Pa, but there is no "MacDonald" or his farm. Sally and Brad's differences -- frankly she doesn't really seem cut out to have the tedious, back-breaking life of a farm wife and why should she have to endure it?  -- are never really resolved.  Roy Barcroft appeared in a number of cliffhanger serials such as Radar Men from the Moon. John Smith was a handsome leading man who appeared in many "B" movies and television programs. 

Verdict: Fun movie bolstered by performances of Main and Fennelly and the depiction of their long-time warm relationship. ***

THE KETTLES IN THE OZARKS

Ma Kettle reads Pa's letter to one of their children

THE KETTLES IN THE OZARKS (1956). Director: Charles Lamont. 

Ma Kettle (Marjorie Main) packs up all of her brood and takes off to the Ozarks, where she plans to help her brother-in-law, Sedgwick (Arthur Hunnicutt) with his farm. Sedge has been affianced to gal pal Bedelia (Una Merkel) for twenty years, and Ma hopes to do something about that situation as well. Some shady men rent the barn from Sedge, but they turn out to be bootleggers trying to avoid "revenuers." 

Una Merkel, Richard Eyer and Arthur Hunnicutt

By this time Percy Kilbride had had enough of playing Pa Kettle and neither he nor the character appear in this film. Most of the humor has to do with the interplay between the bootleggers and the very mischievous children, with a little reserved for the not-very-romantic romance between Sedge and Bedelia. There's also a goose named Gertie who walks around wearing galoshes on her feet. Otherwise, this entry in the Kettle series is pretty weak.

Gertie the Goose goes out for a walk

The supporting cast includes child actor Richard Eyer [The 7th Voyage of Sinbad] as one of the Kettle children; Richard Deacon ("Mel Cooley" on The Dick Van Dyke Show) as an Indian; Joe Sawyer as a neighbor; and Sid Tomack and Ted de Corsia as two of the bootleggers. Bonnie Franklin, who plays one of town children, later became a sitcom star with her show One Day at a Time. Main, Hunnicutt, and Merkel give very good performances. 

Verdict: Some amusing moments but not enough. **. 

VACATION DAYS

Warren Mills and Freddie Stewart

VACATION DAYS (1947). Director: Arthur Dreifuss.

Miss Hinklefink (Belle Mitchell), a teacher at Whitney High, takes her graduating students -- and Professor Townley (Milton Kibbee), the principal of the school and her crush -- for a vacation at her ranch in the town of Gulch's Gulch. There young Freddie Trimball (Freddie Stewart) is mistaken for a notorious outlaw named "Angel Face," whom he greatly resembles, and assorted people do their damnedest to kill him. 

Jim Hart and June Preisser

Vacation Days is yet another in the series of "Teen Agers" films from Monogram studios and along with the aforementioned players we've also got the usual suspects: Frankie Darro, Noel Neill, Warren Mills as the kind-of-campy Lee, and perky June Preisser; Jackie Moran was apparently on a real vacation when this was made.  Handsome Jim Hart plays "Big Jim," the foreman at the ranch, who gets the girls' juices flowing but may not be all he seems to be; Hart had a minor career primarily based on his looks but he amassed 168 credits! 

With his very nice voice and amiable screen presence, Freddie Stewart makes an impression singing the standard "Once in a While," but despite a few chuckles and spirited players, the movie has little else to recommend it. 

Verdict: More Teen Agers than you can shake a stick at! **.

FREDDIE STEPS OUT

Freddie Stewart and li'l cutie

FREDDIE STEPS OUT (1946). Director: Arthur Dreifuss. 

In the second "Teen Agers" film from Monogram studios, Whitney High School student Freddie Trimball (Freddie Stewart) winds up in hot water when he is mistaken for his double, a crooner named Frankie Troy. Troy has run away from everyone because he wants some peace and quiet, but a rumor is started that Freddie is actually Frankie -- which infuriates his gal Dodie (June Presisser) when "his" wife and baby -- actually Frankie's -- show up. Things are further complicated when the principal, Professor Townley (Milton Kibbee), comes to the mistaken conclusion that the baby belongs to Dodie. 

High School kids? Frankie Darro and Noel Neill

Freddie Steps Out is a cute if minor musical comedy with at least one fairly memorable production number, "Patience and Fortitude." Also on hand are Jackie Moran as Freddie's rival, Jimmy; Frankie Darro as Jimmy's pal, Roy; Noel Neill as Roy's on-again/off-again girlfriend and Dodie's sister, Betty; Belle Mitchell as teacher Miss Hinklefink; Warren Mills as the jittery Lee; and Anne Rooney, now playing Dodie's other sister, Addie. Douglas Fowley [Lady in the Death House] plays Troy's anxious manager, Mr. Adams. There's also an un-credited but very adorable baby. Whitney is probably the only high school in history that has its own dormitory! 

Verdict: Actually has a few good chuckles. **1/2.