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Released July 01, 1941
Featuring Shemp Howard (Solo)
Universal
59 min. (Feature Film)

Most of Shemp's screen time is limited to voiceover, with his character of 'Eddie' in disguise as 'Ivan the Robot.' That's actually stand-in Ernie Stanton in the tin suit, not Shemp.

Conman Boris Kabikoff (Mischa Auer) has stolen corporate plans for a robot, but they're incomplete. Kabikoff hires stooge Eddie (Shemp Howard) to masquerade as the robot 'Ivan,' passing it off as his own invention in a scheme to defraud investors. Boris and Eddie hook up with patent attorney James Mitchell (William Frawley), whose ex-wife has left him broke and anxious to make a fast dollar. Mitchell falls for Boris' scheme and imagines a fortune in his future. Mitchell's secretary Sharon Knight (Una Merkel) has recently reunited with her hometown boyfriend Larry Trent (Stu Erwin), the winner of a $5,000 radio contest. Boris and Mitchell focus their respective schemes on Trent's contest money.

A talented cast, trapped in a low-rent Universal B comedy feature.

Shemp is very funny as Eddie, a dimwitted conman suffering from Blonde-a-Phobia... Kabikoff: "What's that?" Eddie: "I can't help myself, I just gotta chase after blondes." Kabikoff: "What do you do with them?" Eddie: "I don't know. Ain't caught one yet."

The majority of the film's laughs are contributed by Mantan Moreland and Hattie Noel, Mitchell's butler and maid, with their take and doubletake reactions to "Ivan."

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Avg. Rating: [7.50/10]
 
CRACKED NUTS on IMDb

Stuart Erwin
Lawrence Trent

Una Merkel
Sharon Knight

William Frawley
James Mitchell

Shemp Howard
Eddie / Ivan

Mischa Auer
Boris Kabikoff

Astrid Allwyn
Ethel Mitchell

Emmett Vogan
Mr. McAneny

Pierre Watkin
Mr. Benson

Milt Parsons
Lars Olson

Will Wright
Sylvanus Boogle

Francis Pierlot
Mayor Smun

Tom Hanlon
Dixon, radio announcer

Ernie Stanton
Ivan / Shemp's stunt double

Billy Bletcher
Parachute man

Pat O'Malley
Policeman

Jack Perrin
Policeman

Lyle Clement
Policeman

Marion Martin
Blonde in corridor

Hal K. Dawson
Sawhorse man

Dave Willock
Radio technician

Dorothy Darrell
Ethel's maid

Marin Sais
Screaming woman

Dorothy Vernon
Woman at radio show


Erna Lazarus
Screenplay

Scott Darling
Screenplay

Charles Van Enger
Director of Photography

Milton Carruth
Film Editor

Jack Otterson
Art Director

Harold MacArthur
Art Director

Russell A. Gausman
Set Decoration

Bernard B. Brown
Sound Director

Jess Moulin
Sound Technician

Hans J. Salter
Musical Director

Heinz Roemheld
Music and Lyrics


















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