The Good Humor Man (1950 film)

Last updated
The Good Humor Man
The Good Humor Man poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Lloyd Bacon
Written by Frank Tashlin
Based onAppointment with Fear
1946 story in The Saturday Evening Post
by Roy Huggins
Produced by S. Sylvan Simon
Starring
Cinematography Lester White
Edited by Jerome Thoms
Music by Heinz Roemheld
Production
company
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release dates
  • June 8, 1950 (1950-06-08)(Los Angeles) [1]
  • July 13, 1950 (1950-07-13)(New York) [2]
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Good Humor Man is a 1950 American slapstick action comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Frank Tashlin. The plot concerns a Good Humor ice cream salesman who becomes involved in a murder. The film stars Jack Carson, Lola Albright, Jean Wallace, George Reeves, Peter Miles and Frank Ferguson. It was released on June 1, 1950, by Columbia Pictures.

Contents

Producer S. Sylvan Simon, writer Frank Tashlin and cinematographer Lester White had been involved with the production of The Fuller Brush Man (1948), another Columbia Pictures slapstick comedy with a brand name in its title. [1]

Plot

Good Humor delivery driver Biff Jones is in trouble with the law after being falsely connected with a $300,000 robbery of the cash safe at work and an apparent murder. He is in love with neighborhood gal Margie Bellew, who lives with her younger brother Johnny. Biff and Margie, with the help of Johnny and all of the neighborhood kids, absolve Biff by fighting and capturing the gangsters who committed the crimes.

Cast

Reception

In a contemporary review for The New York Times , critic Bosley Crowther wrote: "Perhaps, in a rush of generosity we might dignify this little film by calling it simply an endeavor at slapstick comedy. That would be putting it kindly. for it does follow more or less the lines of a sadistic comic adventure laid down by Mack Sennett years ago. ... But slapstick implies a bright tradition. Let's not call it anything." [2]

Critic Philip K. Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times compared Jack Carson's performance to that of Red Skelton in The Fuller Brush Man : "Skelton, it seems to me, has the edge on Carson when it comes to this kind of anything-goes comedy. While Red may be thick-skinned, he constantly demonstrates that he can take it and, with the unquenchable instinct of the do-gooder, bobs up smiling for more. Carson, on the other hand, is thick-skinned, period. ... In his ponderous, wise-cracking way, he gets around." [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Scheuer, Philip K. (1950-06-09). "Jack Carson Holds Own as 'Good Humor Man'". Los Angeles Times . p. 8, Part II.
  2. 1 2 Crowther, Bosley (1950-07-14). "The Screen: Slapstick Comedy". The New York Times . p. 17.