''The Amazing Mr. Williams'' is a 1939 American

screwball comedy film Screwball comedy is a subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1940s, that satirizes the traditional love story. It has secondary characteristi ...

produced by Everett Riskin for Columbia Pictures and directed by

Alexander Hall Alexander Hall (January 11, 1894 – July 30, 1968) was an American film director, film editor and theatre actor. Biography Hall acted in the theatre from the age of four through 1914, when he began to work in silent movies. Following his milit ...

. The film stars

Melvyn Douglas Melvyn Douglas (born Melvyn Edouard Hesselberg, April 5, 1901 – August 4, 1981) was an American actor. Douglas came to prominence in the 1930s as a suave leading man, perhaps best typified by his performance in the romantic comedy ''Ninotchk ...

Joan Blondell Joan Blondell (born Rose Joan Bluestein; August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on ...

and

Clarence Kolb Clarence William Kolb (July 31, 1874 – November 25, 1964) was an American vaudeville performer and actor known for his comedy routines that featured a Dutch dialect. Biography Kolb started out as one half of a vaudeville comedy team, Kol ...

. It was written by Dwight Taylor,

Sy Bartlett Sidney "Sy" Bartlett (born Sacha Baraniev; July 10, 1900 – May 29, 1978) was a Ukrainian American author and screenwriter/producer of Hollywood films. Early life Sy Bartlett was born on July 10, 1900 in the Black Sea seaport of Mykolaiv in th ...

and

Richard Maibaum Richard Maibaum (May 26, 1909 – January 4, 1991) was an American film producer, playwright and screenwriter best known for his screenplay adaptations of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. Among his works are the first anti-lynching play on Bro ...

. The film is about a police lieutenant who is too busy solving crimes to marry his longtime fiancée, who decides to take action and get him to marry her and settle down. The film was released on November 22, 1939.

Plot

Maxine Carroll, secretary to the mayor, waits impatiently for Kenny Williams, who gets called away by Captain McGovern on police business not long after he arrives. Maxine has enough time to try to talk him into leaving the police force to start a family. Kenny joins Detective Deever and Lieutenant Bixler) in the investigation of the murder of a circus performer, which Kenny solves with the arrest of a jealous knife-thrower. Kenny has another date with Maxine, but this time the captain wants him to pick up Texas Buck Moseby at the jail and take him to the penitentiary by train. Instead of heading straight to the train, however, Kenny passes Moseby off as his college friend so he can keep his date with Maxine. Moseby is introduced to Effie, and the four go to the beach casino, then dancing later. Maxine suspects something is not right and calls the captain who tells her Kenny is on the train with Texas Buck Moseby, she informs him that they are both with her, which the captain does not believe. Bixler then tells the captain that the prison warden has called and said Kenny and Moseby have not arrived yet. The captain, who is still on the phone with Maxine, asks her to try to keep them there as long as possible. When the cops do arrive, Moseby tries to make a run for it, but Kenny is too quick for him and puts handcuffs on him. Effie faints when the captain announces that Buck Moseby is a notorious convict and killer. Because of the incident with Moseby, Kenny is suspended for 60 days without pay by the police commissioner at the citizens committee meeting the following day. The Phantom Slugger, who has been fatally attacking random women on the street, has still not been caught, and the citizens committee is in an uproar about it. Captain McGovern suggests a male policeman wear women's clothes as a decoy to try to catch the criminal. Maxine writes a note suggesting they use Kenny and hands it to the mayor. The police commissioner is willing to reinstate Kenny if he will agree to go undercover, which he does. After 48 hours, Maxine is worried that neither she nor anyone at the police force has heard from Kenny, when they find out he has been spotted. Maxine goes to the location, but as soon as she sees Kenny the Phantom Slugger attacks her and knocks her out. Kenny struggles with the criminal, still in women's clothes, and arrests him. Kenny visits Maxine in the hospital. She pretends to be sicker than she is and convinces him to turn in his resignation. The next day it is discovered that the night watchman at the First National Bank has been killed in a burglary worth $25,000. The captain finds Kenny's resignation but needs him to investigate the burglary, so Bixler pretends to have resigned as well to pique his interest in the investigation. Meanwhile, Maxine and Effie are planning a wedding for noon at the mayor's office, but Kenny is late as usual. The captain arrives and boasts that Kenny has nabbed the burglar, Stanley. Maxine calls off the wedding. Kenny arrives but it is too late. Stanley insists he was forced to take part in the robbery by another man. Kenny discovers new evidence that might clear Stanley but he is supposed to take him to the prison by train. Meanwhile, the captain and detectives are trying to arrest Kenny for taking Stanley off the train. Kenny enlists Maxine's help in finding the person who purchased the liquor bottle found in Stanley's car, which leads them to the racetrack to arrest the real killer.

Cast

as Kenny Williams *

as Maxine Carroll *

as Captain McGovern *

Ruth Donnelly Ruth Donnelly (May 17, 1896 – November 17, 1982) was an American film and stage actress. Early years and family Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Donnelly was the daughter of Harry Augustus and Bessie B. Donnelly. Her uncle, Freder ...

as Effie * Edward Brophy as Buck Moseby *

Donald MacBride Donald Hugh MacBride (June 23, 1893 – June 21, 1957) was an American character actor on stage, in films, and on television who launched his career as a teenage singer (making several recordings in 1907) in vaudeville and went on to be an ...

as Lieutenant Bixler *

Don Beddoe Donald Theophilus Beddoe (July 1, 1903 – January 19, 1991) was an American character actor. Early years Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Beddoe was the son of Dan Beddoe, a Welsh classical singer, and his wife Mary. He graduated from the ...

as Deever * Jonathan Hale as Mayor * John Wray as Stanley *

Peggy Shannon Peggy Shannon (born Winona Sammon; January 10, 1907 – May 11, 1941) was an American actress. She appeared on the stage and screen of the 1920s and 1930s. Shannon began her career as a Ziegfeld girl in 1923 before moving on to Broadway product ...

as Kitty *

Luis Alberni Luis Alberni (October 4, 1886 – December 23, 1962) was a Spanish-born American character actor of stage and films. Early years Alberni was born in Barcelona, Spain, on October 4, 1886. He acted in stock theater for four years in Marseille ...

as Rinaldo * James Crane as Johnny *

Dick Curtis Richard Dye (May 11, 1902January 3, 1952), known professionally as Dick Curtis, was an American actor who made over 230 film and television appearances during his career. Early years Curtis was born in Newport, Kentucky, the son of Frank Dy ...

as Joe *

Eddie Laughton Eddie Laughton (20 June 190321 March 1952) was an American film actor. Laughton appeared in more than 200 films between 1935 and 1952, and is best known for his work with The Three Stooges. Career Laughton's family immigrated to the United State ...

as Mousey * William Forrest as Anderson * Walter Miller as Browning *

Barbara Pepper Barbara Pepper (born Marion Pepper; May 31, 1915 – July 18, 1969) was an American stage, television, radio, and film actress. She is best known as the first Doris Ziffel on the sitcom '' Green Acres''. Early life and career Marion Pepper ...

as Muriel, Wedding Guest *

Sally Payne Sally Payne (September 5, 1912 – May 8, 1999) was an American actress. She featured in several B-Westerns in the 1940s. Career Payne worked as a model for artists before making her first film, ''Hollywood Hobbies'' (1935), where she appeared ...

as Jean, Wedding Guest *

Virginia Sale Virginia Sale (May 20, 1899 – August 23, 1992) was an American character actress whose career spanned six decades, during most of which she played older women, even when she was in her twenties. Over the 46 years she was active as an actr ...

as Miss Mason, Schoolteacher *

Lorna Gray Virginia Pound (July 26, 1917 – April 30, 2017), known professionally as Lorna Gray and (after 1945) Adrian Booth, was an American film actress known for her comic roles, and later as a villainess. She is best known for her roles in Columb ...

as Nurse *

Robert Middlemass Robert Middlemass (September 3, 1883 – September 10, 1949) was an American playwright and stage actor, and later character actor with over 100 film appearances, usually playing detectives or policemen.(13 Feb 1937)Mrs. Susan C. Middlemass ...

as Police Commissioner * Robert Dudley as Citizens Committee Man *

Frank Jaquet Frank Garnier Jaquet (March 16, 1885 – May 11, 1958) was an American actor known for playing supporting roles with his career extended from 1934 to the mid-1950s. Biography In 1925, Jaquet was part of the Summer stock cast at the Elitch ...

as Citizens Committee Man * Sarah Edwards as Citizens Committee Woman *

Lela Bliss Lela Bliss (May 11, 1896 – May 15, 1980) was an American actress. She made her first silent film, '' Pretty Mrs. Smith'', in 1915 and appeared in at least over 40 movies until the 1960s. Career Bliss appeared in supporting roles and bit par ...

as Citizens Committee Woman *

Ralph Peters Ralph Peters (born April 19, 1952) is a retired United States Army lieutenant colonel and author. In addition to his non-fiction books, he has published eight novels under the pen name Owen Parry of which ''Honor's Kingdom'' received the Hamme ...

as Tobacco Store Proprietor *

Milton Kibbee Milton Kibbee (January 27, 1896 – April 17, 1970) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 360 films between 1933 and 1953. He was the brother of actor Guy Kibbee and his daughter was actress Lois Kibbee. He died in Simi Vall ...

as Liquor Store Proprietor *

Maude Eburne Maude Eburne (born Maud Eburne Riggs, November 10, 1875 – October 15, 1960) was a Canadian character actress of stage and screen, known for playing eccentric roles. Early years Eburne was born the daughter of John and Mary Riggs, in Bront ...

as Landlady *

Robert Sterling Robert Sterling (born William Sterling Hart; November 13, 1917 – May 30, 2006) was an American actor. He was best known for starring in the television series '' Topper'' (1953–1955). In 1960, Sterling was honored with a star on the Hollywoo ...

as Elevator Boy * Wyndham Standing as Elevator Passenger

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Amazing Mr. Williams 1939 films 1930s mystery films 1930s romance films American mystery films American romance films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films Films directed by Alexander Hall American police detective films Films with screenplays by Richard Maibaum 1930s American films