7.2/10
471
26 user 5 critic

You Never Can Tell (1951)

Unrated | | Comedy, Fantasy | 23 September 1951 (USA)
You Never Can Tell Poster
An ex-police/army dog (German Shepherd), named King inherits a fortune from an eccentric millionaire. But someone poisons him for his fortune, and he gets to go back to earth as a human ... See full summary »

Director:

Lou Breslow

Writers:

Lou Breslow (story), Lou Breslow (screenplay) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

Dick Powell, Peggy Dow, Joyce Holden | See full cast & crew »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dick Powell ... Rex Shepard
Peggy Dow ... Ellen Hathaway
Joyce Holden ... Golden Harvest aka Goldie Harvey
Charles Drake ... Perry Collins
Albert Sharpe Albert Sharpe ... Grandpa Hathaway
Lou Polan Lou Polan ... Police Sergeant Novak
Frank Nelson ... Police Lt. Gilpin
William Vedder William Vedder ... Nicholas - Lindsay Butler (as Will Vedder)
Frank Gerstle ... Detective
Anthony George ... Detective Lt. Louie Luisetti (as Ott George)
See full cast »
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Storyline

An ex-police/army dog (German Shepherd), named King inherits a fortune from an eccentric millionaire. But someone poisons him for his fortune, and he gets to go back to earth as a human detective to bring his killer to justice, and protect the girl who used to look after him. Written by Kathy Li

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

dog | horse | poisoning | afterlife | reincarnation | See All (7) »

Taglines:

A picture for people who think they've seen EVERYTHING!

Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

Certificate:

Unrated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 September 1951 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

One Never Knows See more »

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI) See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The dog's name in the film is King, and when he becomes human his name is Rex. "Rex" is the Latin word for "king." See more »

Quotes

Rex Shepherd: Oh Goldie, these are humans we're dealing with. You can't tell them the truth and expect them to believe it.
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When Rex and Ellen meet, then go sit on the patio, Rex says something like: "Or I'm not a detective." Rex's lips say: "Or I'm not Dick Powell". I may have the wording off some, but doesn't Rex say: Dick Powell"?
See more »

User Reviews

 
Pretty Doggone Good
24 January 2002 | by MetaLark – See all my reviews

I first saw this low-budget black-and-white film at the age of fourteen, promptly forgot the forgettable title, but never forgot the premise or the wonderfully waggish Dick Powell. Now, many years later I've remembered the title and managed to obtain a VHS copy from an online auction house, and as an adult in pretty good standing, I can report that it's still rather delightful.

The premise: "King," a German shepherd dog, inherits a fortune, is poisoned by a heartless villain, and his spirit is taken up to "Beastatory." There he asks for a chance to return to earth as a "humanimal" in order to clear up the circumstances surrounding his own death. His request is granted, and he is installed in a Film Noir-ish office as a salty private eye with the whimsical name of Rex Shepherd, accompanied by a Kentucky thoroughbred filly as his secretary Goldie (Joyce Holden).

The casting is exquisite. Dick Powell, though really quite a nice-looking actor, always struck me as having a slightly canine look; I believe he succeeded so well in private-eye roles partly because of the perception that he would doggedly "sniff out" the truth. The next-in-line heiress (Peggy Dow) is pretty and wholesome. The butler and the housekeeper are suspiciously sinister. The heiress's boyfriend is suspiciously affable. And a host of minor characters bear traces of resemblance to various breeds of dogs.

The whole family, from about eight years up, can enjoy this film on different levels. But you'd best like corn, and I don't mean popped.

6/10
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