I Dood It (1943)

Red Skelton musical comedy that also happens to be Eleanor Powell's final leading role at MGM. Skelton plays a loser totally obsessed with an actress (Powell). He achieves every stalker's dream and becomes engaged to her because she thinks he's someone else and wants to make her ex jealous. For Skelton fans, he doesn't have any particularly memorable bits here. Most of the better stuff is ripped off from an old Buster Keaton movie. Not even Keaton's best material, either. The highlights of the movie revolve around Eleanor Powell, including a classic lasso dancing number near the beginning of the film. Her other numbers are clips from Honolulu and Born to Dance. Also some nice musical numbers from Lena Horne and Hazel Scott.It's a watchable movie but nothing special. The comedy is especially weak. And what was with that tacked-on Nazi saboteur plot? I would suggest watching the first ten minutes or so for the Powell number and then fast-forwarding to whenever you see someone singing or dancing. The rest is nothing to bother with.

Just saw this on TCM, and I enjoyed it very much. Red Skelton was a hoot, and Eleanor Powell - even my 26-year-old son thought her dance numbers were 'impressive.' Our favorite of these dance numbers was the first one at the beginning of the movie, a cowboy production where Eleanor Powell danced with lariat-wielding cowhands, then roped a post several times in a row, showing admirable skill. The rest of the movie contains some drama, intrigue, romance, and even a bit of derring-do. And, of course, more dancing and music, including appearances by Jimmy Dorsey. If you like musical comedies of the thirties and forties, this is one of the best!

While there is a definite art deco look to the mediocre musical comedy "I Dood It", it is a minor credit in the list of masterpieces by the great Vincent Minnelli, a sub-par entry in the credits of the great MGM musicals. This comedy/farce has a star-struck dry cleaner (Red Skelton) so enamored of Broadway star Eleanor Powell that he follows her everywhere she goes. (Today we call that stalking.) To get into a nightclub (featuring the Dorsey Brothers) where she goes regularly, he "borrows" a tailored suit (which coincidently fits him) and ends up married to her when she uses him to make her beau jealous because of his interest in another woman. But she finds she can't get rid of Skelton too easily, and he ends up saving the day when her co-star tries to rob a warehouse next to the theater in which they are appearing.Little thought was put into this musical for the poor Ms. Powell as it includes two numbers previously seen in two of her other movies. A hula from "Honolulu" is lifted right out of that film, as is the final from "Born to Dance". While Ms. Powell has aged well in the seven years since that film, she doesn't really look exactly like what she used to anymore, so don't be surprised when you find yourself shaking your head. Her one dance number (a tricky rope tap dance) does stand out, as does Lena Horne's walk-on of "Jericho". Skelton and Powell share a nightclub dance where he is trying to avoid the actual owner of the suit that ends up comical due to his paranoia over being exposed. Another highlight is the "wedding night" scene where a passed out Powell (having taken a sleeping potion) keeps falling out of bed and Skelton tries different acrobatic ways to get her back in so she can "sleep it off".However, the play within the play (obviously a rip-off of "Gone With the Wind") is so bad it seems like something spoofed on "The Carol Burnett Show". And with Skelton yelling about a bomb hidden in the basement, you want to yell at your TV, "No. It's not in the basement. It's on the stage!". There is a funny bit of "Noises Off!" like humor with Skelton messing up when he ends up in one of the actor's costumes on stage then fights with the villain on a rising set-piece. So while there are some really funny moments (influenced with the help of "Comedy Adviser" Buster Keaton) they are few and far between, and much of the film is ridiculous.Patricia Dane's horrendous character seems to have no motivation for her nastiness towards Powell, although Powell isn't the sweet ingénue here, destroying a dressing room in one scene in quite a show of temperament. However, the presence of some wonderful character performers (Thurston Hall, Butterfly McQueen, Sam Levene, Marjorie Gateson) helps sustain the film from total boredom. With his first contract film out of the way, Minnelli would go onto the artistic triumph of "Cabin in the Sky" before his true talents were revealed with a colorful musical called "Meet Me in St. Louis".

If you adore Red Skelton... If you adore Eleanor Powell... If you adore Swing music and ballads... If you enjoy just kicking back and letting the experience take hold...,This is a terrific movie to enjoy with a bowl of popcorn. It's especially good when it's on TCM because there are no nasty cuts or commercials.It's fluff, make no mistake. No Tarantino gore, no Stone conspiracies, no angst... just pure fun watching some of the best talent Hollywood ever had.Lena Horne, Hazel Scott, Jimmy Dorsey, Bob Eberly, Helen O'Connell for the music. Eleanor Powell's magnificent dancing, Red Skelton's brilliant slapstick and his heart-felt sweetness. Then there's the rest of the cast - Thurston Hall, Sam Levene, John Hodiak, and Richard Ainley as Larry West, for whom this would be his last picture.The plot has its nuttier moments, none of it meant to be taken seriously. It has plenty of eye-appeal in the costumes (magnificent gowns) created by Irene Sharaff, inarguably one of the greats in the history of design. There are jewels to glitter and shine and, if they were fakes, they were great fakes.The plot gives Red Skelton plenty of opportunity to do what he did best. Just check out the "beard" scene - you'll know what I mean.OK, so it ain't "Gone With The Wind," or "Of Human Bondage," but it's not supposed to be, even with the Civil War play going on.One of the funniest parts for me was the sound effects guy doing the "hoofbeats" with the coconut shells, even though YOU know that the sound was being made by a Foley guy in post production. But it's a sound made within a picture by someone outside a picture... ahhh, now I'm confusing myself, and probably you, poor reader.Leave your troubles behind. Tune out the kids, the phone, the interruptions, the beds can be made later. Have fun!