Having Wonderful Crime

Having a Wonderful Crime (1945) with Pat O'brien, George Murphy, Carole Landis, George Zucco. Zany mystery/action/comedy. I'd put it under "B" movies although they were shooting for the 'Thin Man" genre. Lots of fast-talking and clever banter amidst ongoing murders. It's a worthy genre they're shooting for but they didn't succeed and it falls flat. Jokes/banter weren't good enough. Couple going on honeymoon attends magic show and the man who's supposed to disappear in the trunk keeps showing up dead here and there. O'brien: "I'm coming along with you two." Murphy: "You can't go with us, we're on our honeymoon!" O'brien: "That's okay, I'm broadminded." The cable-guide gave this 3 stars but I would give it two or less.

The police is tired of crime-solving lawyer Michael J. Malone and his two friends, married couple Jake and Helene Justus. After already solving one case, they are quickly plunged into another when a performer goes missing in a magic show. Malone insists on joining the couple on their honeymoon where the screwball murder mystery spins out of control. I've never heard of this movie or the novel. It's interesting premise to make a comedic trio out of these actors. These are not Stooges but it's oddly quirky. A trio is an odd grouping especially if two of them are married. It probably had to follow the source material but it may function better as a duo. A married investigative couple has a good history.

Screwball comedies had largely been done by 1945, but this tried to recapture the popularity of the genre. It fails miserably and wastes the talents of the stars. Poor Carol Landis, forced to laugh all the way through the film. Poor Pat O'Brien, who keeps falling into the water fully clothed to get laughs. Poor George Murphy for having to say those wholly unfunny lines.

Newly-wed Carole Landis (Helene) starts off this film holding up a gangster and calling the police to come and arrest him. Unfortunately, they don't believe her and are fed up with her and her husband George Murphy (Jake) along with lawyer buddy Pat O'Brien (Michael) who seem to be interfering in police matters and trying to do their own detective work to solve crimes. They are then thrown into a plot involving a disappearing magician which is way too complicated to follow. We know this is a comedy from the outset but the film suffers in that it isn't really funny. Only Landis pulls it off in this department. The story is too busy and scenes drag on - we move from one scene to the next and then the nest – what on earth is going on? And none of it is funny. O'Brien looks like Bill Haley. The girl in the polka dot dress is the most memorable thing about this film.

This is based on a novel by Craig Rice, who wrote several very funny mysteries involving the three main characters. (Rice also scripted a couple of the Falcon movies.) This movie is reasonably true to the spirit of the novels, though would have been better if Rice was more directly involved in its writing. Malone has featured in a few other movies, but Helene and Jake Justus (who were in all but one of the Malone novels) are oddly absent in the other movies. There was also a radio series and a TV series. A few months after this movie was released, Rice was featured on the cover of Time Magazine, the first mystery writer to be so honored.

"Having Wonderful Crime" has energy and wit (best lines: the one in my summary, and "Alright, alright, dehydrate the conversation!") but also an air of over-familiarity about it, despite the rather unusual synthesis of the team of amateur sleuths (a couple on their honeymoon and their skirt-chasing lawyer friend whom they always get into trouble). The plot struggles, and barely succeeds, to keep our interest, but the three leads (none of them a major movie star in their own right) do click together; this is one of the last movies Carole Landis made before committing suicide, and it's hard to believe that she was already suffering from chronic depression, given how joyful and bright she seems to be in this role. I don't know if a sequel to this movie might have saved her, but it probably could have helped her tremendously. **1/2 out of 4.

I've seen this film twice and think that's it's a very charming and humorous detective flick. The way that Pat O'Brien and Carole Landis play off of each other is great. It really holds up considering that it was made in 1945. I really thoroughly enjoyed it on each viewing and will watch it again whenever it comes on. I agree with one of the other commentators... Landis is a hottie!! My only regret is that they didn't make any more with these characters. They could've done so much more! If you like the "Thin Man" movies with William Powell and Myrna Loy then you'll enjoy this one also! Take a chance... WATCH IT! :-)