'Irish Luck' sets a path for Darro & Moreland

Irish Luck (aka "Amateur Detective") (1939)
Starring: Frankie Darro, Dick Purcell, Mantan Moreland, Sheila Darcy, and James Flavin
Director: Howard Bretherton
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

Hotel bellhop and wanna-be detective Buzzy (Darro) becomes involved in a case of murder and stolen bearer bonds when he takes it upon himself to prove the innocence of a guest (Darcy) who is suspected of murder.

"Irish Luck" was the first film that teamed Frankie Darro and Mantan Moreland. In 1930s racially segregated America, it was a bold move to produce a film led by a comedy team consisting of one black and one white actor. It was a move that paid off, though, as the eight films the pair made together were among the most successful Monogram released.

With "Irish Luck," the formula for most of the films to follow was established: Darro and Moreland were a pair of working class buddies, usually in some service industry and usually with big dreams, who find themselves in the middle of a dangerous conspiracies and murder plots. Through luck and tenacity (and usually some late minute help from the authorities), they solve the mystery and save the day.

One of the neatest aspect of many of these films is that unlike most others from this period where black characters were embarrassingly subservient to white characters and generally slow-witted, the Darro/Moreland characters are presented as equals and close friends. In at least half the films, Moreland is usually the voice of reason that Darro ignores and then drags him into whatever harebrained scheme ends up getting them involved in their misadventure. In fact, more often than not, Moreland is the smarter of the two, and in almost everyone of their films, Darro is a bad influence upon him present in so many other comedies.

With "Irish Luck", Moreland's character stands at a halfway point between the slow-witted Step-and-Fetchit character so common in comedies from the 1930s and 1940s, and the friend and equal standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Darro that we see in some of their other films... but there is still a warmth of friendship that shines through. I suspect these films were written this way, because Darro and Moreland were, reportedly, friends in real life.

Some of the portrayals of Moreland's character aside, the script for "Irish Luck", by Mary McCarthy, is very well done. The writer swiftly and elegantly explains the history between Buzzy and the police detective played by Dick Purcell in an exchange between characters that seems completely natural. She also keeps the mysteries at the heart of the film engaging while still playing fair with the viewers by leaving clues to its solution where we can spot them along with the characters.

"Irish Luck" is a strong start to Darro and Moreland's Monogram team-up that's well worth the hour it'll take you to watch it.

Darro & Moreland bring value to an otherwise weak film

You're Out of Luck (1941)
Starring: Frankie Darro, Mantan Moreland, Richard Bond, Kay Sutton, Tistram Coffin, Janet Shaw, Vicki Lester, Paul Maxy, Alfred Hall, and Willy Castello
Director: Howard Bretherton
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

Friends, co-workers, and brothers-in-slackerhood Frankie and Jeff (Darro and Moreland) become involved in a police investigation of a murder linked to a gambling ring. Will they help Frankie's police detective brother (Bond) solve the case, or will they end up the next victims of the gunmen?

"You're Out of Luck" is a fun little mystery/comedy that is another showcase for the talents of Darro and Moreland. It's not quite as good as "Up in the Air," mostly because the way Frankie and Jeff become involved in the murder investigation, and remain involved, feels forced at every turn. The film is further weakened by the fact the paltry budget is made on shows multiple times on the screen through recycled and thinly disguised sets and cheaply done effects used in place of location shots. There's also the issue that the story feels a bit haphazardly put together and overcrowded with characters--most of whom serve no purpose in the story whatsoever. (Darro's character is given two possible love interests, neither of which do anything for the story nor his love life, and his cop brother's girlfriend likewise does nothing for the story. These characters are so pointless that I don't remember any of their names and I had a hard time telling two of them apart while the film unfolded.)

The film's weaknesses are almost made up for by Moreland having some of the best quips of any of the films he made together with Darro... and by Moreland once again being the smarter of the characters (even if no one ever listens to him). The film is completely carried by the charm of its two leads and the feeling that a true, warm friendship exists between them, and even that barely manages to drag it up to a low 5 rating.

If you're a big fan of Darro & Moreland, "You're Out of Luck" is worth checking out, but it may not be worth going too far out of your way for; look to see if you can find it in a DVD multipack. If you're not familiar with their work, "Up in the Air" is a far better place to start.

'Up in the Air' has strong cast and weak script

Up in the Air (1940)
Starring: Frankie Darro, Mantan Moreland, Marjorie Reynolds, Tristram Coffin, Lorna Gray, and Dick Elliot
Director: Howard Bretherton
Rating: Six of Ten Stars

When the obnoxious singer (Gray) headlining a radio station's anchor program is murdered, Frankie (Darro) gets his friend Jeff (Moreland) to help him find the killer. Along the way, he tries to fulfill his dreams of stardom while also helping a beautiful young singer (Reynolds) to become the program's new headliner.

Jeff (Moreland) and Frankie (Darro) prove themselves not ready for prime-time.

"Up in the Air" is a film where the cast is doing there very best with weak material. Darro and Moreland are great together--as they are in every teaming I've seen so far--and the other performers are also at the top of their game. If only more effort at been put into the script, as well as the set-piece musical performances by Lorna Gray and Marjorie Reynolds, this could have ranked among Monogram's best efforts. It's always a shame to see actors giving it their best but being undermined by weak material.

I think the film is still worth seeing if you are a fan of either Frankie Darro or Mantan Moreland, and a must-see if you like them when work together. One part of the film that I'm curious about is the "minstrel show" sequence where Frankie and Jeff are trying out for a spot on the radio show. Their routine is intentionally embarrassing--and even more so when viewed through 21st century eyes. Given that black-face was already falling out of favor by 1940, I wonder if that medium wasn't chosen to make Frankie and Jeff's comedy routine seem even more hackneyed and bad.

'Midnight Limited' is a train of mystery

Midnight Limited (1940)
Starring: Marjorie Reyolds, John King, and George Cleveland
Director: Howard Bretherton
Rating: Three of Ten Stars

A "phantom bandit" is robbing passengers on the overnight night train from Albany to Montreal and then vanishing without a trace. Rail company detective (King) teams with the only person to get a look at the bandit's face (Reynolds) in hopes of bringing him to justice.


Poor John King. The man did have some talent for acting, but it seems like he always was cast against female co-stars who are so energetic they overwhelm him and make him look like a bump on a log when they share scenes. Such was the case in "Half a Sinner" and it happens to him again in "Midnight Limited". King isn't exactly bad, but he can't hold his own against the strong screen presence and powerful personality of Marjorie Reynolds.

King's drab personality stands out even more, because this is a badly done, boring movie. From the sets, to the sound effects (the Midnight Limited must be a marvel in train technology... never before has the world known such a quiet, stable train! All the cars must be mounted on Serta matresses!), to the poorly written dialogue and uneven pacing of the script, there really is nothing here that's done well. Except perhaps the running time. At just over an hour, "Midnight Limited" is dull but not tortorous to sit through.

Only the presense of the always delightful Reynolds and the mysterious drunk played with great flair by George Cleveland make this film watchable.