The Fabulous Joe (1947) User Reviews

A lot like a kooky 1960s Disney live-action film or "Mr. Ed".

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 21 January 2021]

"The Fabulous Joe" bears a lot of similarity to the long string of domestic comedies Edgar Kennedy made in the 1930s-40s. In these shorts, Kennedy was stuck with a wife who seemed to care little for him, freeloading in-laws as well as the family having an easy time spending the guy's money. Well, in "The Fabulous Joe", Walter Abel plays Milo, a guy in similar circumstances. He's a well-to-do owner of an investment firm but his wife and daughter spend money like it grows on trees, there's a lazy and obnxious brother-in-law that lives with them, and the wife seems more interested in her kooky charities than Milo. In fact, on their 20th anniversary, Milo buys his wife an expensive present and the wife isn't there to receive it, as she skips out to do more of her silly charity work. But then....well, the film is totally unlike the Kennedy films because somewhere along the line, Milo inherits a talking dog!!! Yes, I wrote A TALKING DOG!

"The Fabulous Joe" is a silly B-movie which never takes itself seriously. After all, you can't expect much from a talking dog flick! In other words, you aren't expecting Shakespeare and it simply is what it is....a goofy comedy featuring a few nice performances, particularly Abel who is known more as a supporting actor. In fact, MANY familiar faces are in this one, such as Ellen Corby, Donald Meek, Marie Wilson, Sheldon Leonard, Clarence Kolb and Donald McBride (among others). To truly enjoy the film, I suggest you turn off your brain and just watch the silliness....and admire how cute Milo's dog is! Otherwise, if you think about it, the talking dog gimmick is pretty dopey!

Rare starring role for classic Canine Actor

[karljhickey14 · 7/10 · 19 June 2022]

Minor , light screwball from the Hal Roach studio notable for a rare starring role for character actor Walter Abel .... and Corky the dog .

Corky is one of the best canine actors of the classic era , alongside Asta of the Thin Man films , Terry from the Wizard of Oz , and Daisy from the Blondie films . Unmistakable with his lopsided ears and corkscrew tale , he appeared in at least 35 films ( I've added IMDB listings myself for several whenever I spot him ) virtually always uncredited . He pops up in screwballs - Theodora Goes Wild 1938 , appears with Marlene Dietrich in The Garden of Allah 1936 , horror films like Man Made Monster 1941 , even film noir - he's Burt Lancaster's dog in Criss Cross 1949.

A natural actor , there are only a couple of obvious camera edits , otherwise his expressions and double takes seem real .

Oh , and there's the people too - Walter Abel was always good at this type of role , plus there are screwball regulars like Donald Meek , Donald Macbride , dumb blonde Marie Wilson , and tough guy Sheldon Leonard .

Marie Wilson Was Great

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 30 June 2007]

This is definitely a way out comedy about a man, Milo Terkel,(Walter Abel) who is hen-pecked by his wife, daughter and live-in brother-in-law who is a free loader. The story starts off with Emily Terkel,(Margot Grahame) and her husband Milo Terkel in a court room and the judge wants to know what caused this couple to want a divorce. The story has a flash back to what brought all these troubles to their marriage. Milo inherits a dog named Fabulous Joe, who is able to talk and only to Milo and this Joe dog starts telling Milo to stop letting his family walk all over him and to put his foot down and gain back the respect from all the members of his family, namely his wife, daughter and live in brother-in-law. Gorgeous Graham, (Marie Wilson) is a very sexy blonde who gets involved with Milo which adds to his problems and the story goes around and around with Milo trying to hid this hot gal in his bedroom without being seen. Very low budget film and not worth viewing.

Silly comedy trifle about a talking dog...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 28 June 2007]

I always enjoyed WALTER ABEL, one of the most likable character actors of the '40s, but THE FABULOUS JOE gives him star billing in a minor feature that attempts to be a witty screwball comedy.

It fails. The jokes are thin, the premise is ridiculous and actor Abel seems to know his material is far beneath him. Only SHELDON LEONARD as a tough guy enamored of Marie Wilson, lends any true comic flair to the proceedings. Miss Wilson reads her lines like a girl in her first high school play with a flat effect, showcasing her shapely figure but little else.

The story involves a henpecked man who gains courage from a drink called a "Mystery Gardenia" and thereafter has conversations with his dog, who gets him into all kinds of trouble--slapstick stuff involving Wilson and his wife's fits of jealousy.

DONALD MEEK and DONALD MacBRIDE have standard supporting roles and two uncredited bit roles are filled by TOMMY NOONAN (as an elevator boy) and ELLEN CORBY. But the camera is on ABEL all the time.

Summing up: A foolish comedy that strains for laughs, suitable only as the second half of a double feature in the '40s.

Good risque comedy of the late forties

[mmcgee282 · 10/10 · 6 February 2021]

I remember seeing this t.v. years ago it was in black and white .I had thought the Walter Able was William Powell and Margo Graham was Joan Bennett .Seeing it again as a part of 6 streamline features volume from Hal Roach ,expressed as Roash, volume 5,brought it back for me that I saw this years ago.Now in it's restored two color Cine color glory. I didn't realize that Tommy Noonan was that old when I saw him in the film as an elevator operator than he went back to the forties when he did film. Now this feature was co produced by legendary actress Bebe Daniels .From the mid thirties to after the war she and he husband actor Ben Lyon was living in England and practicing their talents up there. Now Margo Graham was a British actress ,but, has done American films too.Could it be that Be Be agreed to produce the film if Margo Graham could play the wife in the film?That is the question mark.You look at it and her character Lazy brother,played by Howard Petrie, living with her and Walter and their spoiled daughter,played by Barbara Bates,that Petrie's character speaks American English and she speaks British.It seems that Graham's character neglects her husband getting involved in charity.In this cause it's birds shelters promoted by Nana Bryant.Enough that she has a party for she and Walter wedding anniversary and then she take of to do more charity work as Walter come home with a surprise for her ,but, she is gone .Now his character inherits dog from a now dead client who not only has good personalty,but, has a special gift of talk. Now there is no mention of the name of the animal that is used in the film,but, as soon as Walters decides to go to a bar to drink to forget ah his wife has abandon him ,after Walter inherits the dog,that' when he discovers that the the dog talk.Marie Wilson plays the typical dumb blond role with Sheldon Leonard as her jealous boyfriend. The dog advice lead him to more trouble,Able.The next day when he puts his foot down about his wife doing charity work and that his daughter ,I think, if I remember, he demand that she take back the expensive fur coat she got,I'm not cleared about that, his families reaction is that they leave him and goes to her sister and her husband house played by Dorothy Christy and John Eldredge .The dog advice him to live it up for a while even tries to get him entangled with Marie Wilson who's jealous boyfriend,played by Leonard , dumps her when he gets mad then want her back after he cools down.One of the risque situations is when the dog causes her to slip into the park pond forcing her to go with Abel to his to dry her up and her cloth .The dog causes the clothes to be thrown out in the dogs attempt to get Abel to smooch with Marie,but instead he lets her stay in the other room so that the next day he would buy her some more clothes .This leads to more funnier situation when Leonard shows up without knocking on the door knocking able down,as able tries to remove his tie from being stuck on her zipper.Then down in the middle of the hallway Leonard tears Marie's clothes off out of anger thinking's she had slept with Abel.This leads to more risque situation as Margo makes up with Abel and is going back home and the whole family shows up and Abel having to hide Marie as she is waiting for Leonard to pick her up and bring her new clothes.This leads to more stickier situation that leads to a divorce court .Barbara bates boyfriend played by John miles is very snooty acting.Top that off with Clarence Kolb,who showed up in Hal roach t.v. show My little Marge, as Johns father who feels that able is an old Fart and Nana Bryant as the mother who gets involved in charities .This was real funny,but the only way i could get this is with a compile of other featurette from Hal Roach,The complete Hal Roach Stream liners Collection volume 5 from Classic fix. 02/05/21