Car 99 (1935)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Charles Barton

Writers:

Karl Detzer (story)
Karl Detzer (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

2 MÁRCIUS 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

DEVIL DOGS OF THE HIGHWAYS! (original poster - all caps)

Plot:

A story of the Michigan State Police and the strong sense of loyalty and duty it instills in its men...

Plot Keywords:

Michigan | Secret Gang Boss | Sheriff | Crime Gang | Car Chase

Cast

Fred MacMurray	...	Trooper Ross Martin
Ann Sheridan	...	Mary Adams
Guy Standing	...	John Vilker, alias Prof. Anthony
Marina Koshetz	...	Nan Vilker
Dean Jagger	...	Trooper Jim Burton
William Frawley	...	Training Sgt. Barrel
Frank Craven	...	Sheriff Peter Arnot
Nora Cecil	...	Granny Adams
Charles C. Wilson	...	Trooper Captain Ryan
Joe Sawyer	...	Whitey, burly henchman (as Joe Sauers)
Mack Gray	...	Smoke, thin henchman
Eddy Chandler	...	Trooper Haynes, Car 45
Robert Kent	...	Trooper Blatzky (as Douglas Blackley)
John Howard	...	Trooper Carney
Alfred Delcambre	...	Trooper Jamison (as Del Cambre)

Runtime:

67 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

One of over 700 Paramount Productions, filmed between 1929 and 1949, which were sold to MCA/Universal in 1958 for television distribution, and have been owned and controlled by Universal ever since.

Slapstick Motorbike Cops Versus a Kingpin of Crime

Although early Paramount programmers are something of a rarity in DVD stores, "Car 99" (1936) does not exactly fill us with super enthusiasm, despite the superb presence of super-charismatic Marina Schubert, who easily steals the acting honors from suave "innocent", Sir Guy Standing, homey Ann Sheridan and brash newcomer, Fred MacMurray. Ostensibly a thriller, the movie more often turns into a slapstick charade. In fact, director Charles Barton (in this, his second film, he is obviously out to duplicate his excellent debut with "Wagon Wheels") utilizes his comparatively large budget by trying to pack in too much material too fast for comfortable viewing. The blustering performances of William Frawley, Charles C. Wilson and even MacMurray himself on occasion, don't help. The film actually improves on second sight where one can appreciate the more leisurely approach of players like Ann Sheridan, Dean Jagger, James Craven, Robert Kent and John Howard to this uneasy blend of farce, frolic, high-speed bike and car chases, mild detection, alluring moll, stop-at-nothing gangsters and crime.