Lynne Overman is always entertaining and pair him with a very young Donald O'Connor and even a small B picture has to be a winner. And because of those two, it is. It also helps that the screenplay was written by Stuart Palmer, the author of the wonderful Hildegard Withers novels. Oliver Quade (Overman) – the Human Encyclopedia- travels around the country with "Small Fry" (O'Connor). The come-on for the sales pitch is Oliver's photographic memory. As Small Fry puts it Oliver "knows everything, remembers everything and forgets nothing." Oliver says that he will make a pitch anywhere "
clam-bake, county fair, dog show-what's the difference? If there's a quartet, I'll be there." Sadly, a beautiful Harlequin Great Dane named Prince Dansker is poisoned at the dog show. His owner Guy Lanyard (Harry Davenport) offers a $1,000.00 reward for the identification of Prince Dansker's killer. A dog show judge, AJ Deacon is murdered – his mumbled dying words sound like "Harold blue too." Small Fry, an enthusiastic aficionado of detective stories decides to investigate. While searching for clues he comes upon another body that later disappears. There follows yet another murder but in the end, Oliver and Small Fry sort it out. And along the way, Oliver falls for Lanyard's daughter, Lois (Susan Paley). Oliver's photographic memory provides a number of key plot elements. At one point Oliver tells Small Fry that he is tired of the life on the road, "eating in hash houses" and later refers to "one-armed lunchrooms." I had never heard of the expression "one-armed lunchrooms," and the term intrigued me. Evidently, the one-armed chair was a feature of eating places that served fast-food type lunches and were popular from the very late 19th century through the mid-30s. Who knew? The slang and interesting dialog in the movie add to the enjoyment. This movie is a winner – I just wish I had a better print of it.
3 Reviews
Another film with a soon-to-die dog in the title.
horn-524 December 2006
See: "The Case of the Howling Dog": Oliver Quade (Lynne Overman) is a pitchman who follows state fairs that feature dog shows---which limits his territory more that a little but, hey, it's just a movie---at which he sells encyclopedias...and does it well as he possesses a photographic memory that amazes the rubes.
The Champion, in the title, is a Great Dane who has won the title at the Rubeville State Fair, and it isn't long before the Champion turns up dead, which is because somebody---motive unknown at the moment---has killed the Champion.
This is repeated at other shows along the way and Quade's bright young assistant, "Small Fry" (Donald O'Connor), fancies himself as an amateur detective, and starts nosing around into the mystery and drags Quade along with him.
The Champion, in the title, is a Great Dane who has won the title at the Rubeville State Fair, and it isn't long before the Champion turns up dead, which is because somebody---motive unknown at the moment---has killed the Champion.
This is repeated at other shows along the way and Quade's bright young assistant, "Small Fry" (Donald O'Connor), fancies himself as an amateur detective, and starts nosing around into the mystery and drags Quade along with him.
You'll wish rabies on the culprit.
mark.waltz19 May 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I didn't find some of the line readings believable, especially the usually dependable Harry Davenport when told that his champion great dane is dead. He reacts like a gas station owner discovering that $20 is missing from the till. That's what the plot surrounds, eventually leading to the murder of a human character when they seem to be getting too close to the truth.
Ironically the best performance is not by young Donald O'Connor (who seems to be imitating Mickey Rooney), but by "human encyclopedia" Lynne Overman, the raspy voiced character actor who claims that he just reads and remembers, O'Connor's guardian. He's an odd choice for a leading man, but he's got heart so you see why Davenport's nurse, Virginia Dale, likes him.
Davenport, while not exactly loveable in concern for his dog (pretty much acting like nothing has changed) usually played loveable old men who stole every scene he's in, but that's not the case here although he does act as fairy godfather in getting Dale and Overman together. May Boley is a loveable mother figure to O'Connor here, her presence unforgettable. This isn't awful but certain elements were disappointing, putting it way down the list on the best of 1939, a basic "B", and a mutt in a year full of thoroughbreds.
Ironically the best performance is not by young Donald O'Connor (who seems to be imitating Mickey Rooney), but by "human encyclopedia" Lynne Overman, the raspy voiced character actor who claims that he just reads and remembers, O'Connor's guardian. He's an odd choice for a leading man, but he's got heart so you see why Davenport's nurse, Virginia Dale, likes him.
Davenport, while not exactly loveable in concern for his dog (pretty much acting like nothing has changed) usually played loveable old men who stole every scene he's in, but that's not the case here although he does act as fairy godfather in getting Dale and Overman together. May Boley is a loveable mother figure to O'Connor here, her presence unforgettable. This isn't awful but certain elements were disappointing, putting it way down the list on the best of 1939, a basic "B", and a mutt in a year full of thoroughbreds.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
