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Having Wonderful Crime More at IMDbPro »

16 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Carole Landis is a Forties Hottie, 17 January 2002

Author: Linda Wheeler Donahue (linonnline@aol.com) from Southbury, Connecticut

This film offers a wonderful glimpse into the glamour of one underrated actress, Carole Landis. Her unmatched beauty and compelling charm leap off the screen in "Having a Wonderful Crime."

The 1940s were one of the most important decades in American fashion. How generous of the director, Eddie Sutherland, to display Landis in sensational haute couture outfits throughout this enchanting 70 minutes. Ignore the silly plot, pay no attention to the slapstick sight gags, just absorb the leading lady's tailored suits with their squared shoulders, fitted jackets, mid-calf flounce skirts, all ending in seamed nylon stockings with toeless high heels. Savor her wide-brimmed hats and her varied Forties hairstyles, from pageboy to pinned up pompadour rolls. This film should have a place in syllabi at the Fashion Institute of Technology to inspire young designer hopefuls.

Lovely newlywed, Helene Justus, dons sophisticated outfits that enchant us with the distinctive fashion influences of that decade. I love her incredible chevron striped suit that emphasizes her full-bosomed, hourglass figure and her wedding night dressing-gown with gently squared shoulders, videographed to give us a long side view of her tiny waist. To my eye, her waist size rivals the legendary 18-inch waist of Vivien Leigh as Scarlet O'Hara.

I put "Having a Wonderful Crime" into a sieve, and allowed the banality to run out down the drain so that just the good parts remain ... the beauty, the fashion, and the fun. We get some juicy peaks at upscale lifestyles of 1945. As the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Justus, and pals enter a hotel, Landis' character says, "Darling, shouldn't you register us now?" The man of the couple is central in the relationship and the 'take charge' guy. It would have been unheard of for the young wife to register the couple at the front desk. In another scene, our heroine says, "My skirt's too tight . . ." An obvious playful invitation for viewers to focus in on Carole Landis' amazing curves.

This actress possessed stunning natural beauty AND could also act. Her comedic talent is noteworthy. The strength of this movie is not in the plot, not the direction, not even in the acting. It is in experiencing Carole Landis, a real "hottie" of the Forties.

It is impossible for me to view "Having a Wonderful Crime" and not think about the fact that Carole Landis committed suicide at the tender age of 29, just 3 years after the release of this film. This raving beauty, with even features punctuated by a pouty red mouth, should have been a major star. She just didn't get the breaks.

If you enjoy retro fashion, if you love the Forties, if you appreciate the splendor of human beauty ... see "Having a Wonderful Crime."

8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
One of the Funniest Lines in the Movies, 2 August 2005

Author: krorie from Van Buren, Arkansas

Although this is a somewhat run-of-the-mill film from the World War II period, it is entertaining and a pleasure to see the three stars work together. There are several funny parts in the movie along with several boring scenes with humor that doesn't always work as intended. But one line stands out as a classic, as funny as any line in the marvelous screwball comedy "Bringing Up Baby": When a lady in the lobby looks at Pat O'Brien's magic hat with flowers on top and remarks, "How often do you water your head?" This also gives the viewer a chance to watch an actress who was often wasted in the films of her era, Carole Landis. Then there is the would-be politician George Murphy who was the inspiration for Ronnie Reagan to bid for the White House and win. All in all there is enough to recommend the film as light-weight movie fare, provided the viewer has popcorn and treats to fill in for the slow parts.

5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
lively thin-manesque detective comedy, 6 January 2006

Author: Charles Herold (cherold) from United States

This movie appears to be a series that never developed. It begins by telling the viewer that Malloy is always being dragged into mysteries by his friends and then he's dragged into one.

It's a shame they only made one of these, because it's one of the better detective comedies of the era; not as good as the thin Man movies, but with a similar sensibility and a cute, light-hearted tone. O'Brien does a good job as the hapless lead and Landis shows a giddy charm as his scattered friend. Murphy makes less of an impression but is basically fine.

The movie is a bit sloppy in terms of plotting; I lost track of what was going on at some point and ended up without the slightest idea of why the murder had been committed. But in spite of sloppy storytelling this is a very enjoyable little movie.

6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Charming detective comedy..., 23 July 2005

Author: superj from United States

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! :-)

6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Couldn't recapture the magic, 23 July 2005

Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

I've said on a number of places at IMDb that the real popularizers of the male buddy film were James Cagney and Pat O'Brien. They made a number of great successes for Warner Brothers in the previous decade. O'Brien left Warners in 1941 and unfortunately Having Wonderful Crime is a failed attempt to recapture the magic.

I think this film would have been a whole lot better with James Cagney in the part George Murphy played. It was a good screwball comedy, but Murphy just ain't Cagney. Playing off Pat O'Brien the lines Murphy delivers just don't have the same flair.

But as another viewer remarked, Carole Landis in the best 1940s fashions is a lovely sight to behold. What a tragic end to a beautiful and talented player was soon to befall Carole.

She's reason enough to watch this.

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Carole Landis Showcase, 20 November 2010
Author: dougdoepke from Claremont, USA

Sprightly B-comedy that follows the first rule of good movie-making—Keep things moving. No dead spots here, thanks to up-tempo director Ed Sutherland. But then the 70-minutes has that fast-talking dynamo Pat O'Brien never at a wisecrack loss. But even more, there's a really sparkling Carole Landis. So guys, if you've never seen her, what an eyeful. She really fills out the 40's wardrobe, plus enough blonde hair to start a mattress factory. And she can do a ton of comedy—catch her lively reactions to most every situation in a situation filled movie. Hard to think of her as ever being depressed, as I guess she unfortunately was.

Not everything is roses. If you can follow the mystery plot, there's a place for you at Cal Tech, and that's after a really good set-up— a disappearing magician who actually disappears! Then too, there's a slightly befuddled George Murphy wondering how to keep up with his two co-stars. But that's okay since he has little to do but follow them around. Also, ace villain George Zucco is largely wasted in what turns out to be a minor role.

Still, it's a lively and engaging little wartime farce, just the kind of upbeat entertainment for the nightshift at the airplane factory. Then too, I expect the boys overseas got extra motivated seeing all the movie's great looking girls. But, above all, it's a Carole Landis showcase that still gets a big share of chuckles, even 60-years later.

0 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Terrific Cast, 27 November 2010
Author: Michael_Elliott from Louisville, KY

Having Wonderful Crime (1945)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Pretty good comedy-mystery from RKO has a lawyer (Pat O'Brien) and his two wacky, newlywed friends (George Murphy, Carole Landis) having fun solving various crimes. This time out they're investigating a magician (George Zucco) who disappeared during his act and might have been murdered due to a previous job. This RKO flick features a pretty good cast and they're certainly the main reason to watch this thing. The majority of the film goes for laughs and it gets quite a few of them thanks in large part to the chemistry of the cast. O'Brien has the perfect sense of humor for this type of film as he always plays it straight but at the same time he has no problem looking silly if he has to. His more serious nature works perfectly well with both Murphy and Landis who are more over the top. The three stars fit their roles nicely and have no trouble mixing up all the comedy bits. Horror fans will enjoy seeing Zucco in his brief part but they'll also get to see Lenore Aubert from ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN and Gloria Holden from DRACULA'S DAUGHTER. Aubert gets to go over the top as well especially during some bizarre crying scenes and I'm really not sure if these scenes were meant to be serious or if she was just horrid at crying. At just 70-minutes the film goes by extremely quick and director Sutherland does a fine job at keeping everything moving. The screenplay goes for a lot of dry wit and fast laughs and it's able to get most of them but there are several scenes with people either falling into a lake or pools and I must admit that I grew tired of these falls. Inside a hotel is where a lot of the mystery happens and most of it involves a trunk that keeps disappearing and this leads to some decent laughs as does O'Brien's character who is constantly chasing women.

2 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
A failed screwball comedy, 3 November 1999

Author: aberlour36 from United States

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.

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