In adapting Three Men On A Horse for the screen Jack Warner took a big chance in not having one of his box office leads headline in this film. Instead Three Men On A Horse remains pretty faithful to the Broadway play and gives some of the character people under contract at Warner Brothers a chance to shine on their own. I don't know about you, but personally I like these kind of films where all these performers with a particular shtick get to outdo the other.
The nominal lead is Frank McHugh and it seemed like either he or Alan Hale appeared in every Warner Brothers production of consequence for a while. McHugh plays the typical henpecked milquetoast who does poetry for greeting cards for a living and grossly underpaid for his originality and he has a genius at doping out winning horses. But that's only a hobby, he never bets himself.
But when Damon Runyon like characters Sam Levene, Teddy Hart, and Allen Jenkins find out about his 'hobby' one night in the Hotel Lavalliere Bar, these three gibbronis decide to ride along on a winning thing. They kidnap the poor schlimiel, but treat him ever so gently and cater to his whims which aren't all that much. Along for the ride are Joan Blondell as Levene's girlfriend, Eddie Anderson as the hotel porter and elevator operator and Edgar Kennedy the bartender.
But there's more than that here. Frantically looking for McHugh who's disappeared is his wife, Carol Hughes and his boss Guy Kibbee. And also on the scene is McHugh's brother-in-law Paul Harvey who doesn't think much of him. Actually Harvey's blowhard character is my favorite in this film.
Amazingly enough it all kind of works out for McHugh in the end. But you have to see the film to find out. And I mean HAVE to see the film which is a real treat with some of the best character players ever on screen in the golden age of the studio system all in one film.
And no big stars to get in their way.
