There is a persistent rumor that Jack Benny only made one good film in his career: Ernst Lubitsch's TO BE OR NOT TO BE. Actually, the radio and television comedy star did make other comedies that were worth watching - most notably CHARLIE'S AUNT , IT'S IN THE BAG and LOVE THY NEIGHBOR (both with Benny's radio feud partner Fred Allan), and GEORGE WASHINGTON SLEPT HERE (with Anne Sheridan and Charles Coburn - a kind of dry run for Cary Grant and Myrna Loy's MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAMHOUSE). But he certainly made one or two serious misfires: BUCK BENNY RIDES AGAIN and THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT (the last one even Benny realized was awful).
MAN ABOUT TOWN was typical of the rut that Benny frequently fell into. Because of his radio personality, the movies rarely thought of experimenting with him in a variety of roles. Different aspects of his cheap tightwad and his narcissistic would-be great lover popped up in many of his films, even his best ones. In MAN ABOUT TOWN he is a musical comedy star and producer in London, playing opposite Dorothy Lamour (whom he is in love with). But she is tired of his finding excuses not to marry her, so she is cold shouldering him. Benny tries to get her back in line by showing too much attention to Binnie Barnes, an English aristocrat. Barnes, upon the advise of Isobel Elsom, reciprocates to make her husband, Edward Arnold, jealous. As is pointed out in another of the reviews, Elsom is determined to reignite her husband's (Monte Wooley) jealousy the same way. Benny is not upset by this development - besides making Lamour smolder (as he hopes) he is getting a lot of publicity for his new show (which has a final musical number where Benny is a potentate with a harem).
Arnold and Wooley both are certain that each other is the cuckold here, but when they both realize that both of their wives have been seemingly carrying on with Benny, they both decide to rid the world of him. So while on stage in that final number, Benny sees both men standing side by side with murder in their eyes, and makes a fair shambles of his show's finale. Lamour and Benny's faithful valet/factotum Eddie Anderson save his bacon.
It is amusing at points, and besides "Rochester" it is of interest to Benny and old radio fans to see his first "juvenile" singer, Phil Harris, in the film too. But it is little more than a mild amusement. See it once, and that is all there is to it. Amusing but not a film for the ages.
MAN ABOUT TOWN was typical of the rut that Benny frequently fell into. Because of his radio personality, the movies rarely thought of experimenting with him in a variety of roles. Different aspects of his cheap tightwad and his narcissistic would-be great lover popped up in many of his films, even his best ones. In MAN ABOUT TOWN he is a musical comedy star and producer in London, playing opposite Dorothy Lamour (whom he is in love with). But she is tired of his finding excuses not to marry her, so she is cold shouldering him. Benny tries to get her back in line by showing too much attention to Binnie Barnes, an English aristocrat. Barnes, upon the advise of Isobel Elsom, reciprocates to make her husband, Edward Arnold, jealous. As is pointed out in another of the reviews, Elsom is determined to reignite her husband's (Monte Wooley) jealousy the same way. Benny is not upset by this development - besides making Lamour smolder (as he hopes) he is getting a lot of publicity for his new show (which has a final musical number where Benny is a potentate with a harem).
Arnold and Wooley both are certain that each other is the cuckold here, but when they both realize that both of their wives have been seemingly carrying on with Benny, they both decide to rid the world of him. So while on stage in that final number, Benny sees both men standing side by side with murder in their eyes, and makes a fair shambles of his show's finale. Lamour and Benny's faithful valet/factotum Eddie Anderson save his bacon.
It is amusing at points, and besides "Rochester" it is of interest to Benny and old radio fans to see his first "juvenile" singer, Phil Harris, in the film too. But it is little more than a mild amusement. See it once, and that is all there is to it. Amusing but not a film for the ages.