The Amazing Mr. Williams (1939)

Joan Blondell is waiting in a restaurant. "Honestly, I should have my head examined," she says. "The world is full of nice normal men and I become engaged to a crazy cop." The crazy cop is Melvyn Douglas, ambitious young police detective constantly tugged between his job on the one hand and his fiancée on the other. Blondell wants a little of Douglas's time - but for some reason homicide chief Clarence Kolb is intent on making Douglas work as many nights as possible, causing him to miss dates with Blondell.Kolb's wicked plots to keep Douglas focused on his job involve enthusiastic assistance from goofy fellow cops Don Beddoe and Donald MacBride. Blondell herself works in the mayor's office across the courtyard from the cops, with co-worker Ruth Donnelly on hand to supply sardonic cracks. A hilarious early episode features Douglas escorting convict Ed Brophy to prison to begin a 40-year stretch. Not wanting to miss an appointment with Blondell, Douglas stops off at her apartment, introduces Brophy as a pal, and they go out for a day at the beach....Blondell's frustration with Douglas and his darn detective work builds and builds - until suddenly Douglas is arrested and it's up to Blondell herself to track down a key clue and save an innocent man. All of a sudden she's gung ho:Donnelly: "You're crazy - what do you know about being a detective?" Blondell: "Everything! Watch me."It's a silly story but this cast sure makes it a lot of fun - right down to the closing gag, which you can see coming from a mile away but is hilarious nevertheless.

Most films require us to suspend belief to some extent. But this one goes a little too far to set up the premise -- that in order to not disappoint a fiancé, that a police detective would wine and dine a gangster headed to prison, rather than renege on a date. Okay, so you've got to swallow pretty hard to choke down that premise. But, if you can, this is a pleasant enough comedy.In fact, there are a number of minor issues throughout the film that make it illogical, but it's still fun. The two stars -- Melvyn Douglas and Joan Blondell -- have really good screen chemistry. As a result, I was able to overlook some of the problems with the script.Except for movie buffs, Douglas and Blondell are largely forgotten actors today. And that's a shame. In their day they could certainly carry a film. Melvyn Douglas, in particular, was quite adept at comedy or drama. Here, Douglas demonstrates his flair for comedy. Joan Blondell was a prolific screen actress, and I usually associate her with comedy.The supporting actors here do nicely. While you may not remember their names, you'll certainly recognize their faces. Of particular note: Clarence Kolb, here playing the police captain (though he always reminds me of the old man with all the money in the Monopoly game). Ruth Donelly as Blondell's best friend. Edward Brophy as the gangster. Donald MacBride as a detective (and sometimes referred to as the King of the Slow Burn).This movie is no great shakes, but is pleasant enough.

Although made one year later than another Melvyn Douglas - Joan Blondell pairing, "There's Always A Woman", "The Amazing Mr. Williams" can be taken as more of a prequel than a follow-up to that earlier film, in which Douglas plays a retired detective who has gone private and Blondell is his wife who has already discovered her knack for crime-solving. Here, Douglas works for the police force, Blondell is the mayor's secretary, and they haven't even gotten married yet. While Blondell is always a delight to watch and the film definitely has its moments (especially near the end, when her role becomes more active), it is burdened by an episodic story that jumps from subplot to subplot (first, it's a locked-room mystery; then a false identity farce; then a hunt for a serial killer; and finally, a bank-robbery-and-murder story). All in all, it's pleasant but unremarkable. **1/2 out of 4.

Melvyn Douglas once more gives a polished performance in which, this time, he inhabits the role of a detective who can't place love before duty and adventure, and the warmly beautiful Joan Blondell (who, far from being illiterate, as one reviewer suggested, wrote a novel about her early life) is as enjoyable as ever as his ever-suffering sweetheart.It's almost a screwball comedy, almost a Thin Man-type movie, almost a series, I guess, that didn't quite make it to a sequel. It doesn't quite reach classic status, but it has all the ingredients for a fun 85 minutes with an episodic but pacey script, fine character actors, and direction that keeps it all moving fast enough so that you nearly don't notice that Williams (Douglas) isn't exactly Columbo when it comes to detecting. I wish there were more films like this.