Mess 'em Up (1936)
*** (out of 4)
Private detective 'Tip' O'Neil (Preston Foster) is asked by his employer (Alan Mowbray) to investigate who shot his dog but this then leads to a human murder, kidnapping and blackmail case. O'Neil has a long list of suspects who might be behind the money scheme and he tries to crack the case with some violence and a not-so-bright assistant (Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams). If you're a fan of Turner Classic Movies like I am then you know they quite often show forgotten detective and crime films from the 30s and 40s. Everyone knows the more popular titles but once I got hooked on the station I was amazed to see how many good ones were out there but simply forgotten. This one here doesn't contain a brilliant story and it's not too hard to figure out who's behind everything but it's still rather unique because of the main character. I think it would be fair to call O'Neil a tad bit crazy simply by the way he acts. I can't ruin what happens at the end but just look at the way O'Neil carries on and you'll see what I mean about him being crazy. The other thing that makes the character so memorable is the way he loves to use violence to get the information he needs. Yes, he pays a couple people off but his big thing is beating confessions out of people and this includes a very funny story of how to use a hose without leaving a bruise. This unlawful act wasn't in any of these mysteries that I can remember so it's rather refreshing seeing a character willing to use it. Foster turns in a very good performance as he handles every side of the character without any problems. He was a lot of fun and it seemed as if he was having a blast playing it. Margaret Callahan, Mowbray, Ralph Morgan and Max Rosenbloom are good as well. Tough guy Williams is also a lot of fun in his role, another one who loves to beat and cheat people. It goes without saying but the title itself is something that would draw you to the picture and thankfully the film matches it in terms of entertainment.