Go Chase Yourself (1938)

When the First Union National Bank of Williamstown is robbed, the three bank robbers get away by hitching their car to Wilbur's trailer. When the police find part of Wilbur's coat in front ... See full summary »

Director:

Edward F. Cline

Writers:

Paul Yawitz (screen play), Bert Granet (screen play)

Stars:

Joe Penner, Lucille Ball, Richard Lane

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Joe Penner	...	Wilbur Meeley
Lucille Ball	...	Carol Meeley
Richard Lane	...	Nails
June Travis	...	Judy Daniels
Fritz Feld	...	Count Pierre Fountaine de Louis-Louis
Tom Kennedy	...	Icebox
Granville Bates	...	Halliday
Bradley Page	...	Frank
George Irving	...	Mr. Daniels
Arthur Stone	...	Warden
Jack Carson	...	Warren Miles
Frank M. Thomas	...	Police Chief

Storyline

When the First Union National Bank of Williamstown is robbed, the three bank robbers get away by hitching their car to Wilbur's trailer. When the police find part of Wilbur's coat in front of the open safe, they suspect bank teller Wilbur of being in on the robbery. But according to Carol, Wilbur is not smart enough to rob a bank and it shows. While on the run, they come into contact with Julie, the copper heiress, and make plans to have Wilbur help kidnap her. Of course, Wilbur has no clue as to their true intentions.

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Plot Keywords:

trailer | heiress | bank teller | ventriloquist | train | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of Arthur Stone.

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Goofs

When Judy is in the convertible with her parents, about a half hour into the picture, she turns around to say good-bye to Wilbur when a moving reflection of the boom microphone is visible on the trunk of the car. Usually in that era of film, a car's finish is dulled, dirtied or matte to prevent this. Earlier in the scene, what appears to be a man standing beside the camera rig is also reflected in the polished finish of the same car.

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Crazy Credits

No character names are credited with the cast list; Joe Penner's surname is spelled both as "Meeley" and "Meely" within the film.

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Soundtracks

I'm from the City
(1938)
Music and Lyrics by Hal Raynor
Played during the opening credits
Sung a cappella by Joe Penner (uncredited) and Richard Lane (uncredited)

User Reviews

screwball ridiculousness

Bumbling bank teller Wilbur Meeley (Joe Penner) lets out the bank's secret vault to a gang of robbers casing the joint. He wins a trailer and pulls it home under his own power. His wife Carol (Lucille Ball) is no fan of the trailer and sends him to sleep in it. That night, the robbers come back for the vault. As they make their escape, they find and hook up the trailer pretending to be a family on vacation. Wilbur becomes the clueless prisoner of the gang. Carol reports him missing but the manager accuses Wilbur of being the one who stole the $50k.

I've never heard of Joe Penner who is a long forgotten vaudeville star during the Depression era. I can see his wacky voice being funny on the radio. As a movie lead, he's a bit schlubby. He's no leading man. He's more a comedic sidekick. The screwball comedy plot is a mess of convenient encounters and random connections. I'm not sure if it actually makes sense or that it matters. It gets more and more crazy. I actually admire the random sitcom plotting. The biggest aspect is of course Lucille Ball. She's a tall drink of water with a very unique voice. She has her moments even as a side character. She's kinda pretty and can really work her comedic face. This is not necessarily laugh out loud today although I can see the audience of yesteryear having a good time.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gangster d'occasion

Filming Locations:

RKO Studios - 780 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Victor System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1