''Whistling in Dixie'' is a 1942 American crime comedy film, the second of three starring

Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...

as radio detective and amateur crime solver Wally Benton (also known as The Fox) and Ann Rutherford as his fiancée. The pair are called upon to solve a crime in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. The film also re-introduces Rags Ragland, playing dual roles as twins, the mostly-reformed Chester, as well as his villainous brother from the first film. The film turns into a romantic comedy mystery, complete with death traps, corrupt politicians and lost gold, ending with a frenetic fight at the end between Wally Benton and both of Rags Ragland's characters. The film is a sequel to '' Whistling in the Dark'' and is followed by ''

Whistling in Brooklyn ''Whistling in Brooklyn'' is a 1943 film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, and Jean Rogers. It is the third and last film starring Skelton as radio personality and amateur detective Wally "The Fox" Benton, foll ...

''.

Plot summary

Cast

as Wally "The Fox" Benton * Ann Rutherford as Carol Lambert *

George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts and at the national and internati ...

as Sheriff Claude Stagg * Guy Kibbee as Judge George Lee *

Diana Lewis Diana Lewis (September 18, 1919 – January 18, 1997) was an American film actress and a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player. Early years The daughter of vaudeville performers, Lewis was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey. She attended Fairfax ...

as Ellamae Downs *

Peter Whitney Peter Whitney (born Peter King Engle; May 24, 1916 – March 30, 1972) was an American actor in film and television. Tall and heavyset, he played brutish villains in many Hollywood films in the 1940s and 1950s. Early years Whitney was born ...

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 Pierre Frank Watkin (December 29, 1887 – February 3, 1960) was an American character actor best known for playing distinguished authority figures throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood. He is best remembered for his roles of Mr. Skinner the b ...

as Doctor * Emmett Vogan as Radio Producer * Hobart Cavanaugh as Mr. Panky

Reception

According to MGM records the film earned $1,066,000 in the US and Canada and $279,000 elsewhere, making a profit of $542,000."Top Grossers of the Season", ''Variety'', 5 January 1944 p 54
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References

External links

* * * * 1942 films 1940s crime comedy films 1940s comedy mystery films American crime comedy films American black-and-white films Films about radio people Films directed by S. Sylvan Simon Films scored by Lennie Hayton Films set in the United States Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films 1942 comedy films 1940s American films {{comedy-crime-film-stub