It's in the Bag! (1945)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Richard Wallace

Writers:

Lewis R. Foster (screen treatment) and
Fred Allen (screen treatment) ...

Release Date:

21 April 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The ringmaster of a flea circus inherits a fortune...if he can find which chair it's hidden in.

Plot Keywords:

Chair | Flea Circus | Heir | Penthouse | Inheritance

Cast

Fred Allen	...	Fred F. Trumble Floogle
Jack Benny	...	Himself
William Bendix	...	Bill Bendix
Binnie Barnes	...	Eve Floogle
Robert Benchley	...	Parker
Jerry Colonna	...	Dr. Greengrass, Psychiatrist
John Carradine	...	Jefferson T. Pike
Gloria Pope	...	Marion Floogle
William Terry	...	Perry Parker
Minerva Pious	...	Mrs. Pansy Nussbaum
Richard Tyler	...	Homer Floogle (as Dickie Tyler)
Sidney Toler	...	Detective Sully
George Cleveland	...	Busby, Hotel Manager
John Miljan	...	Mr. Arnold
Ben Welden	...	Monty the Bookie

Also Known As:

The Fifth Chair (Australia) (UK)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:Approved (PCA #10575) | UK:U | Sweden:15

Company:

Manhattan Productions

Quotes:

Eve Floogle: You mean last year's diamonds? Oh no, we don't bother with them. You see, we just throw them out. They get so shabby, you know.

Movie Connections:

References The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1939)

Flea trainer Floogle inherits $300 thousand hidden in one of 5 chairs he accidentally sold to an auction house. The search is on - and he's not the only one looking!

The fun starts with the credits as Fred Allen denigrates everyone listed with the exception of his co-stars Don Ameche, William Bendix and Rudy Vally. Jack Benny, supporting cast members, the producer, director and even the make-up artists get a blast from Allen's withering tongue. The plot is simple enough that we can kind of forget it while enjoying the comedic interludes that are woven around it. Good old fashioned slapstick comedy combined with the type of wit and highbrow comedy you'd expect from intellects like Fred and Robert Benchley. Any fan of Fred Allen's radio shows will appreciate this film. There is the delightful visit to Jack Benny's apartment (which costs Fred over $13.00) and even a visit with Allen's Alley denizen, Mrs. Nussbaum. The cameos are strange but interesting. There is wisecracking galore and one wonders just how much ad-libbing went on. The film is a fun glimpse at one of radio's greatest and most forgotten comedians. Is it a comedy classic? A cinematic masterpiece? No way. But it's a blast seeing Benny vs Allen, Benchley vs Allen and getting some belly laughs from the hilarity that unfolds. A keeper.