"Never a Dull Moment" is one of the funniest movies of all time. The Walt Disney studio went out of its way to make this appealing to adults as well as school-age kids. Or, maybe it was the other way around. It may take a little explaining to set the stage for the young family members.
This is first a comedy caper, but with some subtle satire as well. The script is laced with funny dialog. It moves from one hilarious situation to another. And it has some very good antics. The end scenes might be something right out of the Marx Brothers. Among the things it spoofs are the fame of big names in crime, painting and modern art, TV soap operas, acting in general, the slang of the street world. And aspects of the culture of the day.
Some of those things may be dated, but they may be even funnier to people in the 21st century. Cigarette packages used to have coupons, just like other products. Florian got his switchblade knife with coupons. The use of street lingo in the script is a hilarious take off on the culture of the time. Punk, shiv, sticker, broad, booze - were never funnier than as used in this film.
The riotous comedy begins with a case of mistaken identity. Dick Van Dyke's Jack Albany is an actor. He's being followed at night and ducks through a door. A mob man takes him to be a hit man from San Francisco. No one on the East Coast has met or knows what Ace Williams looks like.
The cast is superb. Van Dyke brings laughs just when he makes lightning quick changes from being funny or light, to stern faced and talking about making someone dead. A movie about killing would hardly be family fare, and one suspects that the writers purposely avoided use of "kill" and "killing" in most instances. Instead, it was Jack Albany who has to "make dead" his prey. That makes it even funnier.
Edward G. Robinson was 74-years-old when he made this movie. But he doesn't show his age. Robinson was a great actor. He played many a tough guy or crook in crime films. But he also played some excellent dramatic roles. And, he was very adept in comedies, as in this film. His role is straight and the comedy rolls off of and around him.
All of the rest of cast are excellent. Dorothy Provine as Sally Inwood, Henry Silva as Frank Boley, Tony Bill as Florian, Slim Pickens as Cowboy, Jack Elam as Ace Williams, Mickey Shaughnessy as Francis, and others add to the laughter in this film.
This movie should be in every great comedy collection. Here are some funny lines. There are many more to be found under the Quotes section of this IMDb Web page of the film.
Jack Albany, acting as Ace Williams, "What's your name, punk?" Florian, "Florian." Jack Albany, "Florian? Why'd they call a tough kid like you a sissy name like Florian?" Florian, "It's a tough name."
Jack, to Florian, "Ask him when he wants me to tear him apart. Before I meet the boss or after?" Frank Boley leans over to Florian, "Tell him it's no difference to me."
Jack Albany, "Well, Pepé's too kind. I'll admit, when I kill somebody, even I don't know what happened."
Leo Joseph Smooth, after backhanding Florian, "Stop that bleeding, will ya? It's stupid."
Joe Smooth, "I heard about that big run-in you had with the Treasury boys." Jack Albany, "Yeah, yeah, I heard that." Joe Smooth, "Well, you were there." Jack Albany, "Well, I heard you heard."
Joe Smooth, "You all right now?" Jack Albany, "Yeah, I limp a little on the leg. You know how..." Joe Smooth, "I thought he gottcha in the shoulder." Jack Albany, "He did, yes... It hit a nerve. Affected my leg. I still limp on it."
Sally Inwood, "Are you insane or do you take something?"
Joe Smooth, "I brought Cowboy in from Vegas. Fastest tommy gun in the West." Cowboy, "Aw, shucks, Joe."
Joe Smooth, "Frank, I want you to shake hands with Ace Williams. And from now on, I want you to treat him like a brother." Frank Boley, "Last year I worked my brother over so bad..." Joe Smooth, "Now, Frank...."
Jack Albany, "You, uh, belong to Joe's organization, sweetheart?" Sally Inwood, "Sure thing. I head up the mob's fine arts division." Jack Albany, "You're puttin' me on." Sally Inwood, "Am I?"
Sally Inwood, "Before you go any further, hot stuff, let me tell you something out of pure generosity."
Joe Smooth, "What happened?" Frank Boley, "He got fresh with the artist and she took care of him." Jack Albany, "I should have killed her."
Joe Smooth, "I'm glad you were able to control yourself. I'm paid up for three more lessons... Pepé was right about you and broads."
Cowboy, "Who died?" Jack Albany, "My Aunt Gladys." ...Cowboy, "What happened to her?" Jack Albany, "Well, she was makin' book in Oakland and they caught her on the take and dropped her in the bay..." Cowboy, "That's rough."
Joe Smooth, to Florian, "Keep your hands to yourself or I'll take 'em away from you."
Joe Smooth, to Jack Albany who's pretending to be drunk and is standing on a ledge, "Ace, I need you tomorrow, so I don't want you getting hurt. You get hurt, I'll kill you."
Jack Albany, "Do you want me to fall off of here and beak my neck?" Sally Inman, "Would you?"
Florian, "Hey, he ain't dead." Joe Smooth, "What?" Jack Albany, "The neck clop disables, it doesn't kill." Joe Smooth, "Well, why'd you wanna go and use that clop for?"
This is first a comedy caper, but with some subtle satire as well. The script is laced with funny dialog. It moves from one hilarious situation to another. And it has some very good antics. The end scenes might be something right out of the Marx Brothers. Among the things it spoofs are the fame of big names in crime, painting and modern art, TV soap operas, acting in general, the slang of the street world. And aspects of the culture of the day.
Some of those things may be dated, but they may be even funnier to people in the 21st century. Cigarette packages used to have coupons, just like other products. Florian got his switchblade knife with coupons. The use of street lingo in the script is a hilarious take off on the culture of the time. Punk, shiv, sticker, broad, booze - were never funnier than as used in this film.
The riotous comedy begins with a case of mistaken identity. Dick Van Dyke's Jack Albany is an actor. He's being followed at night and ducks through a door. A mob man takes him to be a hit man from San Francisco. No one on the East Coast has met or knows what Ace Williams looks like.
The cast is superb. Van Dyke brings laughs just when he makes lightning quick changes from being funny or light, to stern faced and talking about making someone dead. A movie about killing would hardly be family fare, and one suspects that the writers purposely avoided use of "kill" and "killing" in most instances. Instead, it was Jack Albany who has to "make dead" his prey. That makes it even funnier.
Edward G. Robinson was 74-years-old when he made this movie. But he doesn't show his age. Robinson was a great actor. He played many a tough guy or crook in crime films. But he also played some excellent dramatic roles. And, he was very adept in comedies, as in this film. His role is straight and the comedy rolls off of and around him.
All of the rest of cast are excellent. Dorothy Provine as Sally Inwood, Henry Silva as Frank Boley, Tony Bill as Florian, Slim Pickens as Cowboy, Jack Elam as Ace Williams, Mickey Shaughnessy as Francis, and others add to the laughter in this film.
This movie should be in every great comedy collection. Here are some funny lines. There are many more to be found under the Quotes section of this IMDb Web page of the film.
Jack Albany, acting as Ace Williams, "What's your name, punk?" Florian, "Florian." Jack Albany, "Florian? Why'd they call a tough kid like you a sissy name like Florian?" Florian, "It's a tough name."
Jack, to Florian, "Ask him when he wants me to tear him apart. Before I meet the boss or after?" Frank Boley leans over to Florian, "Tell him it's no difference to me."
Jack Albany, "Well, Pepé's too kind. I'll admit, when I kill somebody, even I don't know what happened."
Leo Joseph Smooth, after backhanding Florian, "Stop that bleeding, will ya? It's stupid."
Joe Smooth, "I heard about that big run-in you had with the Treasury boys." Jack Albany, "Yeah, yeah, I heard that." Joe Smooth, "Well, you were there." Jack Albany, "Well, I heard you heard."
Joe Smooth, "You all right now?" Jack Albany, "Yeah, I limp a little on the leg. You know how..." Joe Smooth, "I thought he gottcha in the shoulder." Jack Albany, "He did, yes... It hit a nerve. Affected my leg. I still limp on it."
Sally Inwood, "Are you insane or do you take something?"
Joe Smooth, "I brought Cowboy in from Vegas. Fastest tommy gun in the West." Cowboy, "Aw, shucks, Joe."
Joe Smooth, "Frank, I want you to shake hands with Ace Williams. And from now on, I want you to treat him like a brother." Frank Boley, "Last year I worked my brother over so bad..." Joe Smooth, "Now, Frank...."
Jack Albany, "You, uh, belong to Joe's organization, sweetheart?" Sally Inwood, "Sure thing. I head up the mob's fine arts division." Jack Albany, "You're puttin' me on." Sally Inwood, "Am I?"
Sally Inwood, "Before you go any further, hot stuff, let me tell you something out of pure generosity."
Joe Smooth, "What happened?" Frank Boley, "He got fresh with the artist and she took care of him." Jack Albany, "I should have killed her."
Joe Smooth, "I'm glad you were able to control yourself. I'm paid up for three more lessons... Pepé was right about you and broads."
Cowboy, "Who died?" Jack Albany, "My Aunt Gladys." ...Cowboy, "What happened to her?" Jack Albany, "Well, she was makin' book in Oakland and they caught her on the take and dropped her in the bay..." Cowboy, "That's rough."
Joe Smooth, to Florian, "Keep your hands to yourself or I'll take 'em away from you."
Joe Smooth, to Jack Albany who's pretending to be drunk and is standing on a ledge, "Ace, I need you tomorrow, so I don't want you getting hurt. You get hurt, I'll kill you."
Jack Albany, "Do you want me to fall off of here and beak my neck?" Sally Inman, "Would you?"
Florian, "Hey, he ain't dead." Joe Smooth, "What?" Jack Albany, "The neck clop disables, it doesn't kill." Joe Smooth, "Well, why'd you wanna go and use that clop for?"