I love film noir. The seedy plots, the femme fatale, the urgent voiceovers. Fred MacMurray has it all down to a science, cool and calm in every situation, calling everyone “baby” and saying things like “how could I have known that murder could sometimes smell like honeysuckle?” That’s what I call a suave exterior.
No one knows a wisecrack like Groucho Marx. I confess, this was my first viewing of a Marx brothers film. It became immediately clear to me that Woody Allen, with whom I’m more familiar, is a humongous fan of the comedic style, mimicking even Groucho’s delivery. There are more one-liners than you can shake a stick at in this movie, if you can keep up with the fast pace and absurd plot. Here, a favorite exchange of mine (with Groucho as Rufus):
Rufus T. Firefly: Not that I care, but where is your husband?
Mrs. Teasdale: Why, he’s dead.
Rufus T. Firefly: I bet he’s just using that as an excuse.
Mrs. Teasdale: I was with him to the very end.
Rufus T. Firefly: No wonder he passed away.
Mrs. Teasdale: I held him in my arms and kissed him.
Rufus T. Firefly: Oh, I see, then it was murder. Will you marry me? Did he leave you any money? Answer the second question first.
