Warner Squirrels Gather Nuts For Columbia

Riotous Reunion For Blondell and Brent in The Corpse Came C.O.D. (1947)



A delightful hark back to the 30's when stars George Brent and Joan Blondell were doing comedies like this by bushel-barrel for Warners. He was 48 in 1947, she 41. You swear The Corpse Came C.O.D. was WB-derived but for Torch Lady ahead of credits. Blondell still looks marvelous, this on eve of character work she'd do more or less exclusive for the remainder of a career. Did JB realize this was last stand for her line in girl reporters? The story is Hollywood-set, another plus, with murders committed on the lot. Again, I blew guess of the killer, as maybe did others obtuse as me in '47. Columnist Jimmy Starr wrote the yarn. Possibly Columbia curried favor with him by adapting it. Favorable ink had been bought for less. How many other deals came down to such expedience? In the end, a "B" Columbia could be about anything, so long as it stayed under ninety minutes and didn't annoy people. This one's bright as a copper penny and a nice seeing out for Brent/Blondell in precode evocation. Do note the RKO Albee ad at left ... quite an assemblage of comic veterans, some of whom had been at it long as George and Joan. Wally Brown was prior teamed with Alan Carney, and Joe Besser would later support Abbott and Costello on their TV series as well as join the Three Stooges after Shemp Howard died. All this plus The Corpse Came C.O.D. onscreen added up to more than a ticket's worth.