It's Moider Like The Song Says

Murder, He Says (1945) Is More Arsenic Stew

A backwoods Arsenic and Old Lace, with Fred MacMurray under threat of murderous hillbillies in search of hidden loot. "Dark comedy" was a natural mate to war worries, audiences willing to laugh in the face of death. Did the Code object to murderers as figures of fun? It's understood that Peter Whitney (as twins) has bashed in the head of a visitor previous to MacMurray, and effort to poison guests is very much out of Arsenic playbook. To Murder's credit, there is no shrinking from deadly intent of the Fleagles; they kill intruders, and that raises risk that Fred will be a next victim, so stakes are higher than normal for a chase comedy. Again in pic favor: no rug is pulled re victims piled up, as was case with in-the-end anemic Karloff comedy, The Boogie Man Will Get You, another rubber stamp made off Arsenic and Etc. Frolic is stretched thin, most taking place in and around the Fleagle house, but I imagine this raised howls among multitudinous patronage.

Many would remember and speak of this show with affection in after-years when Murder, He Says was tougher to see. I'm sure it made a difference viewing with hundreds as opposed to lone sit, which was recent case for me. Murder, He Says may have initiated mindset that hill folk were killers at heart, as what was Deliverance but Murder, He Says minus laffs? And 2000 Maniacs merely pays off Paramount's 1945 premise, in spades admittedly, but someone among creatives (H.G. Lewis?) must have recalled the earlier comedy. Murder farcing gets as physical, a run through secret passages like one Paramount staged for The Cat and The Canary in 1939. Just a little less slapstick, and Para could have scared folks with this one. Latter-day owning Universal has Murder, He Says in their "Vault" selection, but the transfer has whiskers and should have been freshened before taking our checks.