Unknown writer Jonathan Briggs is tricked into buying in to a struggling western magazine only to find that all Is not as it appears. In the meantime, he falls for the publisher's assistant ... Read allUnknown writer Jonathan Briggs is tricked into buying in to a struggling western magazine only to find that all Is not as it appears. In the meantime, he falls for the publisher's assistant and complications arise.Unknown writer Jonathan Briggs is tricked into buying in to a struggling western magazine only to find that all Is not as it appears. In the meantime, he falls for the publisher's assistant and complications arise.
- Mr. Johnson
- (uncredited)
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
- Hutchins' Associate
- (uncredited)
- Mr. Packer
- (uncredited)
- News Vendor
- (uncredited)
- Rudy
- (uncredited)
- Spectator at Speech
- (uncredited)
- Fat Man in Restaurant
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn a curious coincidence, this film has two credited Directors of Photography - both of whom would die young. Oliver T. Marsh, the first to be assigned, was a trailblazer among cameramen, considered so talented M-G-M put him under a long-term exclusive contract. Halfway through production of this film, Marsh unexpectedly died of a heart attack at only 49. He was replaced by Sidney Wagner, who would go on to earn multiple Oscar nominations before also dying young, at the age of only 46 in 1947.
- GoofsAt about the 1 hour 9 minute mark a fly lands on John Shelton's sleeve.
- Quotes
Regina Mason: Father, why don't you stand up for yourself; are you a man or a mouse?
Reginald Mason: I must be a man; your mother is afraid of mice.
- ConnectionsReferenced in The Affairs of Martha (1942)
- SoundtracksRock-a-Bye Baby
(1886) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Effie I. Canning
Sung a cappella by Donald Meek
Cast is uniformly excellent and film is genuinely funny at all the right places. We get to see the big brother of the fabled Plot Genie machine, plus some hilarious sessions with Shelton attempting to brainstorm 2-gun western fiction. There's even a look inside a magazine printing plant. Shelton and Grey are fine in the leads, with great support from Butterworth and Dekker as fly-by-night publishers and the hilarious Donald Meek as Louis L'Amour's Uncle Dusty, the best western novelist who never got further west than a bar in Hoboken. Anyone who has ever written under a deadline will appreciate those scenes! One quibble: as usual in a movie about writers, every book manuscript is shown in a binder *except* one, and when you watch the movie, you'll understand why.
The resolution is not what one would expect from Hollywood, which gives this modest film a considerable boost dramatically and a slightly bittersweet edge to the finale. Tech credits are fine, although the film was shot on sound stages, like most other films of its time, and it's trite but true to say that an MGM B is the equivalent of an A from any other studio of the day.
Direction by Busby Berkeley is smooth and capable, but there are none of the musical numbers you may expect from seeing his name in the credits. In his directorial career Berkeley made numerous non-musicals, most of them forgotten today, as is this one, which is regrettable. Revivals tend to focus on his over-the-top choreography, not on his more modest productions, and Turner Classic Movies, which owns this film, hardly ever shows it. However, the TCM schedule promises a run of Blonde Inspiration at 7:30 am (EST), 29 January 2003. It's not too early to set your VCR. I've already done so!
- 12-string
- Nov 3, 2002
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Fools Rush In
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 12 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1