A “Perfect Movie Fan”, Joe Ruddy, is brought to Hollywood as a publicity stunt, and is put in charge of a production company as a gag, but everybody isn’t in on the gag, and Joe imports a notorious gangster, “Buggsy” Malone, to play “himself” in a film based on his life. “Buggsy” has gone straight, more or less, but retains some of his old habits to the extent of assuming control of the film, and the whole studio.
Director: Joseph Santley.
Writers: Isabel Dawn (screenplay), Russell Rouse (based-on-play “Yokel Boy”).
Stars: Albert Dekker, Joan Davis, Eddie Foy Jr., Alan Mowbray, Roscoe Karns, Mikhail Rasumny, Lynne Carver, Marc Lawrence, Tom Dugan, James C. Morton, Pierre Watkin, Marilyn Hare.
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Republic Pictures was one of the better of the Poverty Rows studio producers, but even that does not prove much these days. YOKEL BOY is a great example of a solid B film cast wasted on a script that goes nowhere nor offers anything interesting outside the occasional schtick of one of the capable clowns. It reminds me of how good (& silly) Joan Davis can be with her rubber leg dancing & slapstick. But even then, she still feels like an after thought in the film. But it is always good to see her; thanks Jon!