"Red" Jones attempts to prove himself to his sweetheart, Ann Elliott, by becoming a successful Fuller Brush door-to-door salesman. When one of his clients is murdered, "Red" becomes the number-one suspect by the police. He and Ann escape a trap set by the killer and his henchmen, but are still being chased through a war-surplus warehouse. Poor Red Jones gets fired from every job he tries. His fiancée gives him one last chance to make good when he becomes a Fuller Brush man. His awkward attempts at sales are further complicated when one of his customers is murdered and he becomes the prime suspect. All those wonderful years Red Skelton spent with MGM…lots of funny gags in many of their musicals. But, MGM didn't get comedy movies. They got humor in ,usicals, but they didn't get making movies that were out-and-out comedies. This, however – when he was lent out to Columbia – is one of his best comedies.<br/><br/>The plot is simple – can the goofy guy win the girl of his dreams (Janet Blair) by becoming a successful Fuller Brush Man…even if murder enters the picture.<br/><br/>There's a succession of funny segments, first when Red gets fired as a street cleaner after setting fire to the city park and then smashing up the commissioner's car. Then there's an extended segment where he first tries being a brush salesmen and meets a different challenge at ever door…including a (if not the) Mean Widdle Kid. In fact, fans of the old Red Skelton television shows will recognize a numbers of lines and skits that became standards for Red. During the period, Buster Keaton was often off-camera in Skelton movies, and while I found no evidence of Keaton working on this film, you'll see his influence in some of the bits. There are some great sight gags in the "chase scene" at the end of the flick.<br/><br/>This is very much Red's picture. Janet Blair does her job here, but it's nothing special. Hillary Brooke, quite active in Abbot & Costello films, does rather nicely here. And, Arthur Space is one of those character actors whose name you probably don't know, but he does nicely here at the police detective.<br/><br/>If you like slapstick comedy, get this one for your DVD shelf. SONY has done a decent job here in terms of the transfer to DVD. Red Skelton could entertain you just with his funny faces, clown like slap-stick pratfalls and knock=about comedy. He was at his best in this fast-action b/w feature that also had in a role as a henchman, great little stunt man, Dave Sharpe. (Watch the wonderful knocks and tumbles during the chase and fight scenes at the end..)And who indeed is the killer of this murder-mystery plot woven into the gags and bang-up routines? Many of the younger movie fans today will understand why Red was a favorite of so many back in the 4O's movies and then later on radio and then on TV,after viewing this one…
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295 weeks ago