I Sell Anything (1934)

I Sell Anything features Pat O'Brien as a fast talking auctioneer who operates from a store on Second Avenue who boasts he can sell anything to anybody.

As Spot Cash Cutler, Pat has one busy afternoon when he takes in Ann Dvorak who tries to lift a watch from him because she hasn't eaten in a few days. Things like that happened during the Depression. But also he gets himself good and taken when he lets go for Fifty dollars a silver belt buckle that was owned and designed by Cellini. The glamorous Claire Dodd who bought it from him then turns around and sells it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for $5000.00.

Of course Pat's hot under the collar having been taken like that. It's his pride more than anything else that's hurt. So he goes to her place on Fifth Avenue and demands a cut. Now he has about as much standing to squawk, legal or otherwise, as I do. But Dodd's intrigued with him.

Pat should have listened to the advice of his faithful assistant Roscoe Karns and stayed well clear of Dodd. She's got quite a ride in store for him and for that you have to hope TCM runs this film again in the near future.

We're all used to seeing Pat O'Brien as the fast talking streetwise con man, but we're not used to seeing him get taken. That's the gimmick here in I'll Sell Anything. Might make one curious to watch.

O'Brien is in a comfortable part for him as is Roscoe Karns. Ann Dvorak and Claire Dodd are in their usual good girl/bad girl roles.

Actually a good thing Dvorak is around as a choice, although she really doesn't contribute anything to the story except offer O'Brien an alternative woman.

Still it's an amusing 71 minutes.