Behave Yourself! (1951)

Imagine Marvin Kaplan playing a gangster in film?This was absolutely an inane farce with Farley Granger and Shelley Winters. In the same year that she made the memorable "A Place in the Sun," Shelley got herself into this one mess of a film.The mother-in-law steals the film as she conveys what the traditional mother-in-law is supposed to convey- constant criticism of the in-law and non-stop trouble.In a ridiculous fashion, Granger gets caught up with counterfeiters when he accidentally comes upon the dog they need to make their counterfeit transaction. Winters is his wife and William Demarest is the wily head of the police bureau.No matter where the gullible Granger goes, murder seems to follow. In fact, this is just what this mess of a movie is-just murder to view.

Moderate comedy of what used to be described as the "screwball" variety.There are so many user comments already that there is little point in my summarising the plot for the umpteenth time.Suffice to say that, on the plus side, the movie is lively and, mostly, good natured. Against that is the somewhat incomprehensible plot - I never really worked out what the two gangs of criminals were trying to achieve - and the "frantic" performances of the majority of the cast. Someone obviously decided that "loud equals funny" and, consequently, everyone seems to be in a constant state of yelling hysteria which gets wearing long before the picture is over.Farley Granger was, I thought, OK as the harassed husband: Shelley Winters - miscast as the young wife - was more irritating than amusing.

A romantic comedy in which a scruffy dog is a central player. Already I feel a suspicion of nausea uncoiling deep in my innards. A funny movie about a dog.But it's not the dog that keeps the film from being better than it is. It's the writer/director, George Beck, who does his earnest best to turn a feature film into a television situation comedy.Comedy is obviously not Farley Granger's forte. He's fine as an innocent and exploited schlub -- "Strangers on a Train," "Rope," "They Live By Night." Here he overacts, loudly, and the director should have reined him in. Not that he could have saved the script, which has him walking along a crowded sidewalk and talking to himself while everyone stares. I'm not even sure that Spencer Tracy could have handled the role as written.And something could have been done with the narrative. In itself, it has potential. A dog trained to sniff out dope at dropout points escapes and attaches itself to Granger and his wife, Shelley Winters. Rival teams of gangsters try to recover the dog. It's all in your face but with a bit more subtlety in the gags and the acting it could have been much improved.But Beck seems to think it's funnier than it is. I don't know how many minutes are spent on a scene near the beginning. It's the wedding anniversary of Granger and Winters. They want to make love but they can't coax the pestilent Archie out of the bedroom. Granger throws shoes into the hallway, tries to coax him out the door, tugs him along, but there is no getting rid of Archie. It's amusing, not funny, and doesn't deserve the screen time it gets. At that, it's an improvement over the incident in which Archie gets tangled in Granger's feet and Granger has to fall down a flight of stairs. Not even Ricky Ricardo was so humiliated.Some of the better scenes involve small parts played by familiar actors doing their usual shticks. Sheldon Leonard is a hard-boiled Damon Runyan hood, "Shortwave Bert." Elijah Cook, Jr., is the goggle-eyed loser and an unexpected Francis X. Sullivan is a big-time hood, "Fat Freddy."

I have watched this film over and over and every time I watch it I still laugh at the same jokes and Archie 'the dog' is just so funny and cute. I disagree about Farley Granger, I think he is brilliant in his role. Shelley Winters is superb though and does kind-of outshine him. The film is full of good guy is stupid, meets dog, has interfering mother-in-law and doting wife who sticks by him - Shelley is fantastic!!! and in the end the good guys win, all down to Archie being the most clever one. George Beck did a good job directing his own work but perhaps another director with more experience would have given the film a certain 'pizazz'and flair that would have made it known as one of the best comedies ever. Still this film is great and perhaps unjustly unknown. It's never shown on TV and isn't classed as a film masterpiece, perhaps with more exposure it would become one. Anyway here's a quick plot synopsis: Farley Granger and Shelley Winters - Husband and Wife, living with a typical 'film' mother-in-law played by Margalo Gillmore, who does give the part justice - you do learn to hate her. Of course after her son-in-law gets a reward for stopping the gangsters and becomes famous, she changes her tune. All through the film she goes on about how it's 'HER' house and how Bill (FG) doesn't treat it well and that he's no good, whatever he does. When it's Kate's birthday (SW) and Bill goes to buy her a present after forgetting; until she reminds him on the phone. This is where he meets Archie 'the dog' after Archie follows Bill when Bill gives him some chocolate. Bill has to foot 'the bill' after Archie wrecks the store, and subsequently Bill doesn't get a present for his wife. On the way home he tries to concoct a story to tell his wife, talking to himself and getting strange looks from passers-by. When he tries to explain to Kate and her mother about how 'the present got knocked out of my hand, in a crowd and it went down a sewer' when Archie appears and leaps in to Kate's arms. Outside the store Bill had thrown away the card he had wrote to Kate and Archie had picked it up and gave it to Kate on their arrival back at the house. Therefore Bill couldn't deny that Archie wasn't a present for Kate. After he's gotten away with the present idea, his mother-in-law pipes up with "such a little dog" - he can't win. To conclude this is a great little film and Archie acts superbly, along with the other cast of course!