If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

While the 1941 version of "Whistling in the Dark" is by far the most famous version, back in the 1930s there was a previous version and I enjoyed it very much. Now, less than a decade later, MGM is back with a new version--this time starring Red Skelton. As for me, I much preferred the original version even if it starred the much less famous Ernest Truex. Of course the original was more famous but it also didn't try so hard to be funny and was more subtle and likable.When the film begins, some evil scumbags are scamming lots of gullible ladies with their cult. However, this is no common, ordinary cult leader, as apparently he and his gang of thugs are killers! Their latest atrocity needs to be the perfect murder and instead of the boss (Conrad Veidt) planning it, he decides to force a radio program writer and performer, Wally Benton (Red Skelton) to plan this perfect killing. And, to provide Wally with an incentive to cooperate, they also kidnap his two lady friends along with him. How can Wally possibly escape or warn the authorities about the pending murder?This film is interesting and mildly funny--only mildly. This is because many of the laughs are a bit forced and Skelton's almost constant one-liners are almost never funny. I MUCH preferred Skelton's later roles, as his character was much sweeter and likable. Here, his character is unusually smart and unusually bland. As for me, I really thought the original film was far better...and is the version to see if you get a chance. However, the remake isn't bad...good enough at the time, that it spurred on two sequels--"Whistling in Dixie" (1942) and Whistling in Brooklyn (1943).

With the exception of the last 15 minutes or so, this was a pretty awful film.Red Skelton, as Walter Benton, radio show star of a crime show who along with his boss's daughter and fiancée is kidnapped by a sinister cult leader, Conrad Veidt, who wants Skelton to come up with a perfect murder so that he can kill the heir of a fortune left by one of his devotees.The film just plods along with ridiculous lines by Skelton and Crew. Eve Arden is given very little to do as Skelton's agent, her wise-cracking is sorely missed here by the writers. Ironically, Skelton is Walter Benton in this film; years later, we had the character of Walter Denton in Arden's hit television series "Our Miss Brooks." Richard Crenna played Denton.The film picks up in pace and comedy when the radio is able to be connected and everyone finds out about the plight of Skelton and the two women.

Remake of 1933 movie is the first in a series of three movies. Wally "The Fox" Benton (Red Skelton) is the star of a popular radio mystery program who is kidnapped by criminals. They plan to kill somebody and want Wally to plan the perfect murder. As added incentive for him to do as they want, they also kidnap Wally's fiancée (Ann Rutherford) and another girl who likes him (Virginia Grey).Fast-paced enjoyable Red Skelton comedy hits on all cylinders. Great direction, great script, superb cast. Skelton is wonderful in his first starring role. Ann Rutherford is absolutely adorable as his fiancée. Something about her I've always loved since I first saw her in the Andy Hardy films. Virginia Grey is the other girl who wants Red and she's fiery and spunky and lots of fun as well. The way the three of them team up to handle the bad guys is terrific. Conrad Veidt is excellent as the heavy, as are all of his henchman. There's more support from the likes of the great Eve Arden, Lloyd Corrigan, and Henry O'Neill. It's really a first-rate cast in a very fun and funny movie.

Like the Road To Singapore which was the debut and yet the weakest of the Road films for Crosby and Hope, Whistling In The Dark which was Red Skelton's starring debut was overall rather weak, but definitely shows Red Skelton's zany comedy style. He did two more films as radio detective Wally Benton aka the Fox, Whistling In Dixie and Whistling In Brooklyn that were better than this one.The fact that smooth and clever villain Conrad Veidt who runs a spiritualist racket would need help from Red Skelton to construct a perfect murder is dopey on the face of it. Still Skelton is kidnapped by Veidt and along with him are two women that he's been seeing, Ann Rutherford and Virginia Grey, and he's got to come up with a foolproof method of homicide. Nobody notices that in addition to being a performer and writer, Skelton is also something of a fool.But that's what makes the weak premised film provide a lot of laughs with Grey, Rutherford, and even Veidt joining in on the general hilarity. And I do love the way Red apparently has a knowledge of electronics and makes the villain's radio receiver set a broadcast method. Can't be a complete fool to devise that.Though the succeeding Fox films were better, Whistling In The Dark will provide a great introduction to the comedy stylings of Red Skelton.