Alibi Ike *** (1935, Joe E Brown, Olivia de Havilland, Ruth Donnelly) – Classic Movie Review 10,091

Director Ray Enright’s daffy 1935 comedy Alibi Ike is a good dizzy showcase for the wacky talents of very likeable comic Joe E Brown as Frank X Farrell, an offbeat rookie baseball pitcher who is having a bad day when he is abducted by crazy gamblers who want Farrell to throw the World Series. To explain the title, the hero’s insistence on making up excuses earns him the nickname Alibi Ike.

Young Olivia de Havilland (just 19) scores in her film debut as Dolly Stevens, the sister-in-law of the team owner, whom Farrell (Brown) fancies desperately. Dolly does not care for Farrell’s alibi habit either, and walks out on him.

There is a good friendly spirit and there are plenty of laughs, with funny appearances by William Frawley as Cap and Roscoe Karns as Carey, and it is fondly remembered as one of the better baseball comedies.

Alibi Ike is based on an amusing story by Ring Lardner, which appeared in 1915 in The Saturday Evening Post. Lardner is said to have fashioned Alibi Ike after baseball player King Cole.

Also in the cast are Ruth Donnelly as Bess, Roscoe Karns, Eddie Shubert as Jack Mack, Paul Harvey as Lefty Crawford, Joe King as the owner Johnson, G Pat Collins as Lieutenant, Spencer Charters as Minister, Gene Morgan as Smitty, Jack Norton, George Riley, Joseph Crehan, Jed Prouty, Eddy Chandler, Fred Toones, Milton Kibbee, Selmer Jackson and Frank Sully.

Alibi Ike is directed by Ray Enright, runs 72 minutes, is made by Warner Bros, is released by Warner Bros, is written by William Wister Haines, based on a story by Ring Lardner, is shot in black and white by Arthur L Todd, is produced by Edward Chodorov, is scored by Leo F Forbstein (musical director), with production designs by Esdras Hartley.

Major league baseball players, including Guy Cantrell, Dick Cox, Cedric Durst, Mike Gazella, Wally Hood, Don Hurst, Smead Jolley, Lou Koupal, Bob Meusel, Wally Rehg, and Jim Thorpe, make cameo appearances.

It was the most successful of Brown’s baseball trilogy of films, including Elmer the Great and Fireman Save My Child.

RIP Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland DBE (1 July 1916 – 26 July 2020), one of the leading actresses of her time (1935 to 1988), who appeared in 49 feature films.

Alibi Ike was Olivia de Havilland’s first released feature film, though she had made two films released later that year – The Irish in Us and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,091

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