Whistling in Dixie (1942)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

S. Sylvan Simon

Writers:

Nat Perrin (screenplay)
Wilkie C. Mahoney (additional dialogue)

Release Date:

December 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Mystery | Crime

Tagline:

"I DOOD IT AGAIN!" (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

Radio sleuth Wally "the Fox" Benton travels to Georgia with his fiance Carol to be married, and to help...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Sequel | Attempted Drowning | Axe | Buried Treasure

Cast

Red Skelton	...	Wally 'The Fox' Benton
Ann Rutherford	...	Carol Lambert
George Bancroft	...	Sheriff Claude Stagg
Guy Kibbee	...	Judge George Lee
Diana Lewis	...	Ellamae Downs
Peter Whitney	...	Frank V. Bailie
Rags Ragland	...	Chester Conway / Sylvester 'Lester' Conway (as 'Rags' Ragland)
Celia Travers	...	Hattie Lee
Lucien Littlefield	...	Corporal Lucken
Louis Mason	...	Deputy Lem
Mark Daniels	...	Martin Gordon
Pierre Watkin	...	Doctor
Emmett Vogan	...	Radio Producer
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Mr. Panky

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #8663) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Loew's

Goofs:

Factual errors: When The Fox finds the treasure chest, he holds up a coin and says, "Look, a $20 gold piece, 1839." The first $20 gold pieces were minted in 1850.

Movie Connections:

References Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Soundtrack:

(I Wish I Was in) Dixie's Land

The Fox in Georgia

Red Skelton and Ann Rutherford are "Whistling in Dixie" in this 1942 programmer also starring Guy Kibbee and Rags Ragland (in a dual role). Skelton played the role of Wally Benton a couple of times. On radio, Benton is "The Fox," a detective, but in his private life he gets dragged into real mysteries as well. This one is at the behest of a friend of his fiancé's (Rutherford) who asks them to come to Georgia to investigate a murder.

There are some funny moments in this film, but it's rather silly, with a lot of corny jokes, funny faces from Skelton and slapstick. Actually Skelton is much better when he's straightforward - he comes off as sweet, sincere and natural.

Some of the supporting cast has the worst southern accents I've ever heard. It's hard to blame them, though, because these types of films were made very quickly. I'm sure they had no dialect coach. However, the horrible accents were very distracting.

Okay, but "The Fox" isn't one of my favorite detectives.