Waste of time

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

From RKO. At the open, we see the warden describing some new additions to his prison. One big name in here (besides Lee Tracy) is Shemp Howard as "the Professor", a prisoner, who is clearly here for comic relief. Of course, they make fools of themselves the first day, expecting the blue chip treatment, which doesn't happen. Brent and Keats come up with a plan to try to scam the other cell mates over a copper mine. Keats is played by Chester Clute, who always played background roles, typically with no lines. Often hotel clerks, or waiters. I remember him from Copacabana, Easy Come Easy Go, Saratoga Trunk, Mildred Pierce. When you see his face, you'll say "of course, that guy!". Burton (Lee Tracy) is one of the smarter prison mates who knows what's up, kind of the ringleader. The girlfriends of the prisoners meet on visiting day, and also form an alliance. It's pretty entertaining. Some left turns along the way. Keep an eye out for Grady Sutton, the nephew who comes to see his uncle on visiting day. Sutton had been in a bunch of W.C. Fields' films. There is a comedic side to this mostly serious plot, and according to wikipedia.org director Ray McCarey had directed Our Gang episodes, as well as Laurel and Hardy and the Three Stooges. McCarey croaked quite young (44), but I haven't been able to find the cause of death. Film is mostly well done. A little over the top, but not a bad way to spend 64 minutes.

Millionaires in Prison (1940) ** (out of 4) Silly "B" picture from RKO about four businessmen who go to prison for embezzlement and we see the "changes" they make while behind bars. Whenever I see a movie come up on Turner Classic Movie and it involves prison, it always gets recorded because the Golden Age of Hollywood usually delivered some pretty good prison films. Sadly, this here isn't one of the good ones despite some fine performances. The biggest problem is the screenplay, which just offers up way too many cliché moments as well as some really stupid plot twists and turns. One such moment is some comic relief when two of the men want better food to eat during their stay. Um, not funny. Another weird twist happens towards the end and involves a doctor needing to do something good but I won't spoil it for you. Again, at just 63-minutes the film seems twice as long and that's never good when you're watching a second-tier picture. The one saving grace are the fine performances scattered throughout the film. Lee Tracy is extremely good in his leading role and we get nice support from Raymond Walbum, Morgan Conway, Linda Hayes and even Shemp Howard has a nice role that you wouldn't expect to see him in. Still, MILLIONAIRES IN PRISON just doesn't have enough credibility to work.

A thoroughly "Pac Man" plot that busily chews its way through any scenario of reason, this film features a cure for "Malta Fever", a con scheme involving a copper mine, and two rich men trying to improve prison cuisine. There is also two love stories of a sort and a murder off-screen featuring a convict shoved into a furnace. Lee Tracey stars with a great group of character actors, Raymond Walburn, Thurston Hall, Shemp Howard and Chester Clute. Top it off with Horace McMahon and Cliff Edwards and who wouldn't bite.It's another country club prison where the warden admits if he were fired, he wouldn't run the place without Mickey Burke (Tracey) who, indeed seems to be the general manager of the place. Burke has stuck up a joint to get money to marry his girlfriend and is rather happily serving an eight year stretch. Its all total nonsense, but these are the mugs anyone would serve time with.

There's nice work from supporting players Paul Guilfoyle, Cliff Edwards, Raymond Walburn, Thurston Hall and Shemp Howard, but this is the squeaky cleanest jail with the nicest crooks this side of THE PRODUCERS.SPOILERS: The only real dramatic conflict is will the good doctor save the cons the warden has agreed to secretly inject with killer germs against the good doctors wishes to save the good doctors good face and test an untried drug so that the cons families can get $10k in case they die, or as I like to call it Plot #27. And then there's the corrupt pair of millionaires who want to steal even more money by duping their new roommates (remember their murders, rapist, homicidal maniacs) out of what little money they have by tricking them into investing in a busted copper mine so they can get richer (millionaires who risk their lives in jail for another $50k, right?)! The bottom line it is an Andy Hardy Goes To Jail movie light drama.