I am going to say something absolutely terrible and it may shock fans of old time comedy. Wheeler and Woolsey were, with the exception of the Ritz Brothers as well as Hitler and Mussolini, one of the unfunniest comedy teams in history. They were quite popular in the early to mid-1930s but they definitely have not aged well. I've seen most of their films but the best I could find were only tolerable entertainment. Now, by 1939, Woolsey had since died and Bert Wheeler tried to make a go of it in comedy without his annoying partner. Well, considering that Wheeler was the straight man and also quite annoying, the film was at best passable entertainment. This was made even worse by the fact that it was a remake of a mediocre film made only 6 years earlier (ELMER, THE GREAT). In most ways, the original film was better though fortunately Wheeler came off as a bit more likable than Joe E. Brown's character--though Wheeler was still a self-important idiot.
The 44 year-old Wheeler is supposed to be a hot prospect for pro football and the film begins with an agent (William Demarest) arriving in Montana to sign Wheeler to play for the Chicago Packers. Oddly, Wheeler has absolutely no mind of his own (probably because he just seemed really, really dumb) and this decision could only be made by his fiancée, Marie Wilson (playing a role that might have been easily adapted for Woolsey had he lived). Wilson is also quite dumb and together they might have half a brain. But to make matters worse, she's rather abrasive and the coach conspires with the agent to get her back to Montana. Once gone, Wheeler shows that he's a complete idiot and extremely co-dependent--making a mess of living on his own. By the end of the film, however, Wheeler manages to save the day and everyone seems very happy....except for the audience who were still probably waiting for a few laughs, though they never really materialized.
By the way, William Hopper (later of "Perry Mason" fame) is present but with all the personality of a block of wood. He's tall and somewhat handsome but with practically no screen presence at all. Interestingly enough, he himself played a football player in OVER THE GOAL.
An interesting curio if you want to see Wheeler without Woolsey, otherwise this is a recycled plot, the characters aren't engaging at all and the film has the look of a toss-away B-movie. Watchable but nothing more.
The 44 year-old Wheeler is supposed to be a hot prospect for pro football and the film begins with an agent (William Demarest) arriving in Montana to sign Wheeler to play for the Chicago Packers. Oddly, Wheeler has absolutely no mind of his own (probably because he just seemed really, really dumb) and this decision could only be made by his fiancée, Marie Wilson (playing a role that might have been easily adapted for Woolsey had he lived). Wilson is also quite dumb and together they might have half a brain. But to make matters worse, she's rather abrasive and the coach conspires with the agent to get her back to Montana. Once gone, Wheeler shows that he's a complete idiot and extremely co-dependent--making a mess of living on his own. By the end of the film, however, Wheeler manages to save the day and everyone seems very happy....except for the audience who were still probably waiting for a few laughs, though they never really materialized.
By the way, William Hopper (later of "Perry Mason" fame) is present but with all the personality of a block of wood. He's tall and somewhat handsome but with practically no screen presence at all. Interestingly enough, he himself played a football player in OVER THE GOAL.
An interesting curio if you want to see Wheeler without Woolsey, otherwise this is a recycled plot, the characters aren't engaging at all and the film has the look of a toss-away B-movie. Watchable but nothing more.