Just Off Broadway (1942)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

From my favorite movies..

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Terrible acting. The characters lack depth except the protagonists. Most acting is boring and two dimensional. Too much unrealistic drama. For example, when Nolan is being attacked by another man, the woman who is with Nolan knocks out the attacker with a gun. The worst part is how police suddenly show up. How did they know? Even worse is how two LEOs rush in, as if they know exactly where to go and who to look for. Then they fire off shots as the two people get away. I doubt that this was ever police protocol. A LEO especially does not fire away at a criminal as the criminal is running away at a distance. It's more of a cute movie with corny one-liners here and there. It's supposed to be a mystery detective comedy I guess but it's just poorly made. There are plenty of early 1940s films like Penny Serenade that have depth and three-dimensional characters.

How the jury system could allow a private detective to sit on a jury amazed me. In addition, since when are jurists allowed to question people on the witness stand? That was also amazing.Lloyd Nolan is great here and he even shows wonderful comedic skill, especially in the elevator scene when he talks like an Irish person playing a plumber.Imagine a witness for the defense is killed in the court while testifying thanks to a knife being thrown from the rear of the court.The film is devoted to the escapades of Nolan and Marjorie Weaver, his gal pal and journalist seeking to uncover information on the murder.Phil Silvers is in fine form, his usual comedic self, this time as a photographer attempting to shoot a picture of Nolan.

....as a jury member, mind you. And despite the fact that he's not getting paid by anyone, he takes it upon himself to clear the glamorous defendant Janis Carter from a murder charge. But to do that he has to sneak out of the hotel where the jurors are required to stay - and avoid a pestering freelance photographer. The murder plot is far too murky to fit into just 65 minutes, but the film has entertaining bits of comedy, some smart lines ("I tried counting sheep to go to sleep, but they got so tired that they couldn't jump the fence"), and a spirited sidekick for Shayne (Marjorie Weaver, in her third and best appearance in this series - in three different roles). The climax is either audacious or ridiculous, depending on your point of view: Shayne steps down from the jury box, shoves the lawyers aside and starts asking questions directly to the witnesses! The judge allows all this to happen, and THEN, after Shayne has solved the case, sends him to jail for contempt of court! Incidentally, the title has nothing to do with the film. **1/2 out of 4.

Fast and furious "B" courtesy of Lloyd Nolan's unstoppable for very long Mike Shayne, private, I guess, detective. Murder abounds most foul, but you can be readily assured in this instance the butler didn't do it. Courtroom highjinks are just the beginning of the fun as Mike bothered by brunette reporter with occasional appearances by photographer buddy played by Phil Silvers in early "Sargent Bilco" mode, investigates in the wings of the local Ed Sullivan theater searching for a knife throwing contingency. After 2 or 3 conks on the head, sped up fist fights, being saved by bruised brunette more times than was needed, Mike is finally free to hunt down the master maniac. Imagine the surprise when we find out courtrooms are often like outhouses, full of stuff we'd rather not see, let alone smell.The adventures of Mike Shayne weren't huge moneymakers for 20th Century Fox, in the detecting arena that role was filled by the ever scrutable Charlie Chan. Suffice it to say, this caper "Just Off Broadway" wasn't the best sparkler in the series, but an OK time waster in the 60 minute market. The method of death here can not be expected to be any "knife in the water".