Stop, You're Killing Me

1952
Approved
1h 26m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

After the repeal of Prohibition, a beer-maker decides to sell beer legally, but no one wants to buy his revolting beer, and he does not want to force sales.After the repeal of Prohibition, a beer-maker decides to sell beer legally, but no one wants to buy his revolting beer, and he does not want to force sales.After the repeal of Prohibition, a beer-maker decides to sell beer legally, but no one wants to buy his revolting beer, and he does not want to force sales.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

343

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
The film was originally designed as a vehicle for Danny Kaye, then under contract to Warner Brothers, but the comedian terminated his agreement with the studio.

Goofs
Repeal of Prohibition was December 5, 1933, but in the opening scene set that day in Manhattan, most people are wearing warm-weather clothing. In addition, on the marquee of the Loew's State Theatre is the title of the film Sundown (1941) and on the marquee of the Criterion Theatre is Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937).

Quotes
Mike: I ain't never again voting the ticket of the Democratic party. They muscle in on everybody's racket!
Lefty: Yeah, with them nothing is sacred--including a guy's livelihood!

Connections
References Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (1937)

Soundtracks
Stop, You're Killing Me
(uncredited)
Music by Carl Sigman
Lyrics by Bob Hilliard
Sung by an off-screen chorus during the opening credits

User reviews14

Review

Featured review

7/10

Thanks to the seasoned cast a fun romp

Daffy bit of nonsense that benefits from the perfectly matched leads. Big, brawling, braying Broderick Crawford and the divine Claire Trevor at her brassy, sassy height. As a hood and his wife/moll longing to go straight and enter high society for the sake of their daughter the pair tear it up, Broderick with his over the top performance, which is just right for the material and Claire's more shaded but equally well measured work.

Joining them in the fun are several distinguished character actors, Ned Glass, Sheldon Leonard, Harry Morgan, Margaret Dupont etc., all doing some variant of their patented shtick and adding to the jolly nature of this black comedy.

The only place where this fall short is in the casting of the secondary leads. Neither Bill Hayes, who went on to decades of fame on the daytime soap Days of Our Lives, nor Virginia Gibson make much of an impression against the colorful juggernaut and polished scene stealing of the stars.