Joseph G. Sanford Movies

No relation to the Cracked Nuts he directed in 1931, this hokey sci-fi-comedy from director Edward F. Cline stars Stuart Erwin as Lawrence Trent, a country rube who wins a refrigerator-slogan contest and gets some money for his efforts. Meanwhile, mad scientist Boris Kabikoff (Mischa Auer) builds a silly-looking robot in his own image and hooks up with a New York patent attorney (William Frawley from I Love Lucy) to bilk Trent out of his prize money. Shemp Howard plays the robot as a lusty creature with a penchant for skirt-chasing and is used by black servant Chloe (Hattie Noel) to do housechores and frighten her husband Burgess (Mantan Moreland), who has a gambling problem. Una Merkel co-stars with Astrid Allwyn and Pierre Watkin. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

In this drama two children return from their separate boarding schools to a nasty surprise. The father of one is romantically involved with the other's aunt. The two immediately try to destroy the love affair. They all get involved with chasing some thieves and end up in jail. There the judge marries the lovers and the children are finally able to accept it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Back in the 1940s, it was not uncommon for recording artists to cut records exclusively for the jukebox trade, and sometimes to perform musical numbers "live" to jukeboxes via telephone hookup. Perhaps it is necessary for one to know these things before viewing Jukebox Jenny, very much a product of its time. Vaudevillian Ken Murray stars as Malcolm Hammond, sales manager for the record-company owner by Roger Wadsworth (Don Douglas). Engaged to Genevieve Horton (Harriet Hilliard), daughter of his financial backer (Marjorie Gateson), Wadsworth is strong-armed into a marriage with brash Jinx Corey (Iris Adrian). Hammond tries to rescue Wadsworth from this contentious union, but in the process he falls in love with Genevieve himself, and endeavors to turn her into a top recording star, utilizing his know-how of the mechanics of the "juke" business. With eight musical numbers, it's a wonder that there's time in Jukebox Jenny for any plot at all! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this musical, a sharp witted press agent teams up with an unemployed chorine and dubs her "Miss Manhattan" to promote a cheap line of clothing. To escort her about town, the agent invents a "Mr. Manhattan." He then has them fake a marriage. When he realizes that he is in love with his creation, the agent promptly fires "Mr. M" and takes her to the altar personally. Songs include: "Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me," "Unfair To Love," and "A Lemon In The Garden Of Love." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Ralph Bellamy and Margaret Lindsay, stars of Columbia's "Boston Blackie" series, let their hair down and went "screwball" in the Universal comedy-mystery Meet the Wildcat. Bellamy plays a New York gumshoe on the trail of an art thief. His investigation is confounded by the presence of snoopy girl reporter Lindsay. The two stars spend most of the film double-crossing one another until they put their heads together and get their man. One particular mid-film highlight is Bellamy escaping jail while wearing Margaret's clothes (when he orders her to disrobe, guess what she thinks is in store for her?) Meet the Wildcat was directed with zany efficiency by future Abbott and Costello colleague Arthur Lubin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

To those under the age of 60, it should be noted that the title of this lively Universal filler was inspired by a popular song of 1941. Carrying over their antics from RKO Radio's "Mexican Spitfire" series, Lupe Velez and Leon Errol star respectively as Havana nightclub entertainer Madame La Zonga and South American aristocrat Senor Alvarez. What the audience knows but La Zonga doesn't is that Alvarez is a phony, who's no more Latin than a Coney Island hot dog. While the stars carry the comedy burden of the film, a romantic subplot develops between ambitious bandleader Steve (Charles Lang) and his Cuban sweetie Rosita (Helen Parrish). Astonishingly, this 62-minute film manages to crowd in an abundance of musical numbers, including the title tune. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A college student's passion for swinging music leads him to found his own band. When he starts spending more time playing music than studying, his father, a prominent hotelier, steps in and sends the lad to a dude ranch in Arizona. Undeterred, the boy brings the band with him. Once there, he encounters a pretty girl. Unfortunately, her father owns a rival hotel chain. Fortunately, after much singing, dancing and misunderstanding, the two young people finally manage to fall in love. Though only an hour long, the film is packed with 16 popular songs. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

One wonders if the title Too Many Blondes was inspired by the well-publicized romantic peccadilloes of the film's star, Rudy Vallee. The plot centers on a husband-wife radio team, Dick (Vallee) and Virginia (Helen Parrish). When Dick is caught in an innocent but compromising situation with brassy blonde showgirl Hortense (Iris Adrian), Virginia is encouraged to inaugurate divorce proceedings by her oily ex-beau Ted (Jerome Cowan). It all winds up in Mexico, with Dick ardently chasing Virginia until she catches him. This being a Universal B-picture, it goes without saying that Shemp Howard shows up as comedy relief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide