In his wonderful book of movie lists, 'From Cyd Charisse
to Psycho' Dale Thomajan picked "Jimmy the Gent" as The Best (Feature) Comedy under Seventy Minutes Long and this classic, one of the funniest films ever made, richly deserves that accolade. Okay, you might say there are not too many great feature comedies under seventy minutes long but this gem is as good as, and a whole lot better, than many comedies twice its length. It crams as much plot and as many gags, visual and verbal, into its sixty-seven minute running time as it's possible to get and gives James Cagney as the titular Jimmy one of his best early roles.
He's the fast-talking and not strictly honest proprietor of an heir-tracing business whose latest scheme isn't just to get one up on his rival, (a wonderful Alan Dinehart), but to win back the love of his life, (Bette Davis, no less). It was directed by Michael Curtiz and if "Casablanca", "Mildred Pierce" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" aren't enough to convince you, throw this in and you can see why Curtiz was one of the all-time great directors. This moves at lightening speed, (well, at sixty-seven minutes it would have to), and remains one of cinema's great masterclasses in comic timing.
He's the fast-talking and not strictly honest proprietor of an heir-tracing business whose latest scheme isn't just to get one up on his rival, (a wonderful Alan Dinehart), but to win back the love of his life, (Bette Davis, no less). It was directed by Michael Curtiz and if "Casablanca", "Mildred Pierce" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" aren't enough to convince you, throw this in and you can see why Curtiz was one of the all-time great directors. This moves at lightening speed, (well, at sixty-seven minutes it would have to), and remains one of cinema's great masterclasses in comic timing.
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