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This is the fourth in the RKO series of films featuring the RKO generated comedy team of Wally Brown and Alan Carney. (The previous films were "Step Lively", "Adventures of a Rookie" and "Rookies in Burma.) "Girl Rush" is a standard Western gold rush comedy with all of the cliches. Frances Langford sings a few songs and Vera Vague is on hand as a foil for Brown and Carney. Most interestingly, young Robert Mitchum is the hero of the piece. Brown and Carney were RKO's attempt to create a rival comedy team for Abbott and Costello. Alan Carney is a decent impressionist with a rubber face, but he is also sluggish. Wally Brown is supposed to be the "Abbott" of the team, but he is much too funny to be just the straight man. Brown is the stronger of the two, with high energy and good instincts for both verbal and physical comedy. Although only Lou Costello could handle himself with musical numbers (Abbott didn't try), both Brown and Carney are decent song and dance men. To make a clearer comparison of the teams, Brown and Carney perform a version of the "Shell Game", a routine that Abbott and Costello put their mark on. In the A & C version, Abbott is the con man and Costello is the patsy. In the B & C version, Brown assumes Abbott's role and Carney plays his shill. The major difference is that Abbott was able to pull off the con, while Brown is as inept as his partner. Where Abbott takes advantage of Costello, Brown and Carney work together and are equally inept. There is a little chemistry between Brown and Carney which makes their partnership work, but they are equally at home working solo. Abbott and Costello had to work together; Abbott kept Costello from being annoying and Costello kept Abbott employed. Brown and Carney are not bad at all. Devotees of low comedy will enjoy their well made films.
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