In their 10th starring vehicle together Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis headline this 3D production based on a story from Damon Runyon. Like any Runyon story we get gamblers, gangsters a bit of romance thrown in for good measure with character names like Honeytalk Nelson, Jumbo Schneider and The Seldom Seen Kid.
Martin stars as Honeytalk Nelson who is in over his head with IOU’s to a local mobster played by the one and only Sheldon Leonard. All he has to do to clear up his debt is fix a horse race with the help of his cousin who happens to be an animal loving veterinarian in training played by the other half of the famed comedy duo Jerry Lewis. Songs and romance ensue as things get a little complicated due to the fact that the the horse Martin needs to prevent from winning the big race happens to belong to beautiful Marjie Millar. Can her beauty be enough to straighten Dino out? What do you think? British stalwart Richard Haydn turns up as the would be jockey but as fate would have it the horse just doesn’t cotton to him. It sure likes Jerry though which leaves our bumbling hero as the opportunistic rider. Most of the fun in this entry comes from Jerry doing a British accent as he impersonates Haydn as well as a scene where he lip synches to Dean and various radio programs under Millar’s window.
The feature was produced by Hal Wallis who seemed to have a hand in building many bright stars of the 1950’s and was directed by George Marshall. Marshall was an old hand at these type of films and directed countless features from Glenn Ford and Bob Hope comedies to both Destry films. The 1939 and 1953 versions. He had already done two features with our star duo, Scared Stiff and their debut My Friend Irma before this entry. Photogenic Marjie Millar who plays Dino’s love interest had her career sadly cut short when she suffered a serous injury in a car accident in 1958. Sheldon Leonard went on to a successful career in television productions but could always turn up as a gangland character when he chose to. Also in the cast is long time television actress Pat Crowley and character actor Robert Strauss as The Seldom Seen Kid.
Mike's Take On the Movies 
Hey pallie, likes MIke, thanks ever so much for liftin’ up our Dino in this way. Know that your prose is bein’ shared with all the pallies gathered ’round ilovedinomartin.
Way to cool! Much appreciated and will be sure to throw a Martin film into the mix again sometime. Just snagged a copy of Texas Across the River so someday……..