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Customer Reviews of It's in the Bag

"ahhh, if it isn't Mrs. Nussbaum..."
this is a funny movie, though under-rated. this and what i call the companion movie called "It's a Joke, Son!" starring Kenny Delmar as 'Senator Claghorne' are must-have films for Fred Allen fans (even though Fred isn't in the second film with Delmar, it's based on a character created by Fred all the same.) On this "It's in the Bag" film, the one and only Fred Allen stars as Fred Floogle, a flea circus showman. The film is about a guy who has a wealthy relative who passes away. Fred follows human nature and starts buying expensive things and puts money on stocks. Fred thinks he's inherited his uncle's $12 million fortune but all he gets is 12 chairs after the will is read. angry, Fred has his son sell the chairs. It's only later that a vinyl record surfaces with Fred's uncle instructing him to claim the $300,000 he hid in one of the chairs! Too late...they've been sold to countless people all across town. this causes Fred to go on a wild goose chase tracking down the 12 chairs. This is where the film starts to pick up speed. An array of '40s radio stars make cameo appearances: Rudy Vallee, Don Ameche, William Bendix, and the immortal Jack Benny. Bendix spoofs his "tough-guy" build by being a cowardly leader of a gang of muggers. Ameche and Vallee hit the stage in a night-club but the bass singer is missing. Fred joins them on stage as an imposter who sings a terrible bass section {by this time in the film he's running from the police because they think Fred is working for the Bendix Gang!}. Along the way Fred encounters Mrs. Nussbaum (Minerva Pious, the same woman who played that character on Fred's radio programs) in an eerie segment that allows the viewer to see what "Allen's Alley" would've looked like had Fred went into TV. Jack Benny's scene is the stand-out of course. Cheap jokes are here...Fred acts like he's the president of a Jack Benny Fan Club and needs an item for display. Fred, of course, wants the chair that Nussbaum sold Jack. an assortment of sight-gags follow (including a cash register inside his living room and wax paper to wrap the chair in!). all the while he's being chased by a detective trying to prove that Fred is in ca-hoots with the Bendix gang. Walter Tetley has a memorable role as an elevator operator. The "immediate seating" gag is hilarious as well. Jerry Colonna, the wide mustache maniac side-kick of Bob Hope, has a zany appearance as a psychiatrist who slaps himself across the face numerous time thinking a tsetse fly is swarming his face! Victor Moore plays the campy Chef and others making cameos are John Carradine, Robert Benchley, and Binnie Barnes. Fred finally tracks down the chair with the money but reality sets in...and you'll never believe what happens next...the film is an overall lesson in greed and irrational behavior. Fred Allen was a radio comedian from 1932-1949. He's famous for his topical humor, battles over censorship, battles with network executives, the "Allen's Alley" routine that ran from 1945-1949, and his false feud with Jack Benny. Allen wrote all of the material that made it to the air...he employed several writers but they served as leg-men and joke finders, nothing more. It's said that Allen read up to 100 newspapers for material. His leg-men also scoured the headlines and back-pages of newspapers for potential material. Fred Allen hated TV...we don't really know why but some have speculated that Fred didn't have a face or a delivery for TV. to see for myself I taped a TV game show Fred hosted...i did this on a cassette and i played it back and i was amazed to hear how great it SOUNDED but it didn't feel so great WATCHING it! Due to Allen's inability to make it on TV with a major hit, the TV generation doesn't know him at all. In 1954 Allen headed to the fourth chair on the panel of "What's My Line?". Ironically, Fred died in 1956 of a heart attack amidst his popular run as a panelist on "What's My Line?"...a TV show of all things!! But, "It's In The Bag" might well be the greatest thing to showcase Fred, visually, aside from his "What's My Line?" years.

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It's in FRED's Bags!
It's a shame that only a chosen few REALLY KNOW who Fred Allen is. In the 1940's his popularity was that of names we still cite today - Jack Benny, Abbott & Costello, etc.

But in his day Fred's radio program was incredibly popular, as well as his "fued" with Jack Benny. If you love old radio, or old time comedy you will enjoy IT'S IN THE BAG. Fred Allen was, as still is, one of the smartest writers of comedy there was - even today great legends such as Mel Brooks and George Carlin cite his influence.

One drawback with the film is that to get all the jokes you will need to be familiar with "the age" when the film was released since some of Fred's jokes are dated (commentary about crowded theaters comes to mind), but some of the jokes are just as fresh today as they were 56 years ago (commentary on how relatives get in the picture, why do we need to watch credits, psychoanalists, etc.)

In some ways it's a very "da-da-ist" film -as in the vein of W.C. Fields' INTERNATIONAL HOUSE. You can read the film synopsis above so I won't waste time with that - I'll just say, see it for an enjoyable, smart comedy.

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One of Radio's better Movies
There have been numerous attempts at fashioning movie vehicles for radio stars:most of them failed to work,or work consistently well,but It's In The Bag is something of an exception.Starring Fred Allen-who had a great face for radio-and featuring cameos from Jack Benny,Robert Benchley,Don Ameche,Rudy Valee,and William Bendix,this is a simple,plot-driven movie packed full with in-jokes and tried-and-tested routines.Mel Brooks would return to the source material - a Russian short story - for the 1970 movie The Twelve Chairs,but the pretentiousness of that version is missing here.If you like Benny(who is on fine form) and Allen(who is at his most appealing,or least unappealing,depending on your perspective)then It's In The Bag is well worth a look.