gridoon2024 Review of Charlie McCarthy, Detective

Charlie McCarthy, Detective (1939)

Genuinely odd mix of genres that somehow works

[6/10 · 22 September 2013]

It has been mentioned that Edgar Bergen was a flawed ventriloquist because you could often see his lips moving while his dummies were talking, but in my opinion that doesn't matter much, because he succeeds in giving Charlie McCarthy (and Mortimer Snerd) so much life that they do come across as separate personalities with a mind of their own. Besides, Bergen's entire act was a novelty at the time and largely still is; the only modern equivalent I can think of are Robbie and Rex in the Nickelodeon teen show "Victorious"! This film tries to be a lot of different things at once; the mix of genres is odd, but ultimately it works. Charlie is often funny, but the funniest sequence is definitely the one with Edgar Kennedy as the police inspector; a legitimate complaint against the film is that Kennedy is criminally underused. The mystery is not as simple as it seems at first and it has some unusual aspects to it, like the noble motives of the murderer (despite the title, Charlie does practically no detecting). Constance Moore sings two songs, and she has an uncommonly beautiful, almost heavenly voice. And there is even an extended (though underlit) multi-person slapstick brawl near the end. Best line (and a must-use in real life, as well): "The pleasure is mine if the check is yours"! **1/2 out of 4.