Whistling in Dixie *** (1942, Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, George Bancroft, Guy Kibbee, Diana Lewis) – Classic Movie Review 12,350

The amusing MGM 1942 comedy mystery thriller sequel Whistling in Dixie brings back the first film’s two stars, funny-man Red Skelton and petite Ann Rutherford.

Director S Sylvan Simon’s 1942 comedy mystery thriller sequel Whistling in Dixie stars Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, George Bancroft, Guy Kibbee, Diana Lewis, Peter Whitney, and Rags Ragland.

This amusing MGM sequel to the popular 1941 Whistling in the Dark brings back the two stars, funny-man Red Skelton and petite Ann Rutherford, with a second sequel, Whistling in Brooklyn, just around the corner.

Skelton again plays Wally Benton, The Fox, a radio murder mystery detective star caught up in a supposed real-life mystery, this time set in the Deep South, which interrupts his romantic honeymoon.

The experienced Simon, who made the first film, directs slickly and sharply with a fine eye for comic surprise. Again, the good all round ensemble cast helps a lot, with several delightful support performances.

Also in the cast are Celia Travers, Lucien Littlefield, Pierre Watkin, Emmett Vogan and Hobart Cavanaugh.

It is written by Nat Perrin, Wilkie C Mahoney (additional dialogue), Lawrence Hazard (uncredited) and Jonathan Latimer (uncredited).

The film was a very nice earner for MGM, costing just $388,000, and taking $1,066,000 in the US and Canada and $279,000 elsewhere, and making a profit of $542,000.

No wonder there is another sequel, Whistling in Brooklyn (1943).

The cast are Red Skelton as Wally “The Fox” Benton, Ann Rutherford as Carol Lambert, George Bancroft as Sheriff Claude Stagg, Guy Kibbee as Judge George Lee, Diana Lewis as Ellamae Downs, Peter Whitney as Frank V. Bailie, Rags Ragland as Chester Conway, Celia Travers as Hattie Lee, Lucien Littlefield as Corporal Lucken, Louis Mason as Deputy Lem, Mark Daniels as Martin Gordon, Pierre Watkin as Doctor, Emmett Vogan as Radio Producer, and Hobart Cavanaugh as Mr Panky.

MGM contract player Diana Lewis met the 27 years older actor William Powell at the studio and they married at a dude ranch in Nevada on 5 January 1940 after knowing each other less than a month. They remained together for 44 years until Powell’s death in 1984, aged 91. She retired from acting in 1943. She died in 1997, aged 77.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,350

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