Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

GManfred Sometimes I wish I was as easily amused as most folks. This picture gets almost unanimous high ratings from reviewers, and, honestly, I missed the humor involved. I understand it was played for laughs and was made in a jocular vein, but it wasn't that funny. Here are some reasons for my dissent;Marjorie Main, the matriarch of the homicidal family, was never funny. She wasn't funny in the 'Ma And Pa Kettle' series and was just a nasty, bad tempered old battle ax in anything she played in. And she doesn't disappoint here.The twin characters played by Peter Whitney are threatening and not endearing characters, and when called upon to display a humorous side, he couldn't do it. The 'crick-in-the-back deal was semi-funny the first time.Fred MacMurray, a fine actor and comedian, is reduced here to slapstick and pratfalls, which are best left to the Three Stooges and Laurel & Hardy. He tries gamely to overcome the lame script but the odds are stacked against him."Murder He Says" is at best a black comedy, and not a good one at that (Try "Arsenic And Old Lace"). Besides Fred MacMurray the best member of the cast is Helen Walker, a good actress who was great to look at. All in all, an overrated film and a waste of 90 minutes.

Michael_Elliott Murder, He Says (1945) *** (out of 4) Fun Paramount flick about pollster Pete Marshall (Fred MacMurray) who heads out to the Ozarks to see what happened to a previous pollster who traveled to the area and disappeared. Soon he winds up on the Fleagle estate, which is ran by Ma (Marjorie Main) and his twin, idiot sons (Peter Whitney). Soon the pollster is working with a woman (Helen Walker) who is trying to locate some stolen money, which is also wanted by the redneck family. MURDER, HE SAYS was originally meant to be a vehicle for Bob Hope but he ended up backing out and MacMurray would end up with the part. When you see the title and MacMurray's name attached to it you'd expect some type of noir but instead we're left with a spoof of the "old dark house" genre and even though many elements don't work there are still enough that do to make this worth watching. It seems many people will call this a masterpiece but while I wouldn't go that far I still think it's pretty good in its own right. I think the movie's biggest problem is that there are a few dry moments that seem to run on way too long and this includes the ending, which takes way too much time to happen. I found the entire chase sequence at the end to be a bit too weak and without any major laughs except for the final scene in the film. Before that the laughs are rather hit and miss but when they work they really work. One of the highlights of the film is a scene where the rednecks force the pollster to show them where the money is. He really doesn't know but he plans on fooling them so he can make an escape and how he does this was very funny. Another very good sequence happens when one of the twins has a bad back, which when hit pretty much paralyzes him but the pollster hits the wrong one, which just causes more problems. MacMurray actually does a pretty good job in his role as he's quite believable in the part but it's also rather fun seeing the tough guy play a chicken. Walker gets some very good moments and makes for a good love interest and Main is also good in the part, which many will probably mistake for one of the Kettle films. Whitney easily steals the film playing both twin brothers and you couldn't help but laugh each time he was in action.

Neil Doyle For sheer silliness, it's hard to top MURDER, HE SAYS, a largely forgotten comedy that really does provide a lot of laughs if you're willing to succumb to the zany plot.FRED MacMURRAY does a dandy job as a pollster who ventures into hillbilly territory--a household run by MARJORIE MAIN--and gets into a whole lot of farcical situations in a number of plot twists dealing with buried treasure and a family of kooks who are willing to kill to get their share of the loot.The only brief respite from all the mad happenings is a slight love interest angle with HELEN WALKER as the pretty gal who's MacMurray's love interest. But the story goes from one slapstick situation to another with murderous intent dangling everywhere to provide a dark element to the comedy. It's the clever combination of mirth and mystery that keeps the plot spinning. The lazy Susan scene with each member trying to avoid the poisoned food is just one of the funniest moments.MacMurray's role was originally intended for Bob Hope (who had other commitments) but he does a fine job as the man entangled with the backwoods family from hell.

dlMACD I absolutely fell in love with this movie when I saw it. This is a first rate work of entertainment and everyone involved deserves credit for it's craft and simple integrity. The casting is just brilliant, each member perfect for the part. The plot, the dialog, the gags, the pace and the setting together with this great cast makes this movie fun, a little spooky, with a great atmosphere of a ramshackle house way up in the woods. This is a perfect fall and Halloween movie for the whole family. I can't wait to get my own copy. I had a wonderful time watching with my own family and I became a Peter Whitney fanatic for life. I wish this movie was shown on TV more often. It is a sweet and funny piece, a little wistful, a little sly and it deserves an audience.