The Fuller Brush Man (1948)

A young man (Red Skelton) can't seem to hold on to a job for more than a few weeks. His girlfriend (Janet Blair) refuses to marry him unless he can prove he's reliable and can hold down a job. His last chance comes when he has an opportunity as a Fuller Brush salesman. Does anyone even remember the Fuller Brush salesmen anymore? They've long gone the way of the "Avon Calling" salesladies and the door to door encyclopedia salesman. Still, the film works even if one's clueless about what a Fuller Brush salesmen was/is. When I say works, I mean that in a generic sense. The film itself is only sporadically amusing and much of it depends on your tolerance for Red Skelton. As a comic, Skelton lacks Bob Hope's comedic timing with a quip or Jerry Lewis' manic ability to pull a laugh out of nowhere. At heart, Skelton is a clown without the make up. This is one of his better star vehicles and it's still not very good. The film's comic highpoint is that old standby of everyone squeezed into a confined space (think the cabin room scene in A NIGHT AT THE OPERA). In this case, a small apartment kitchen where a bunch of murder suspects are hiding out from the police. The film's big warehouse destruction finale overstays its welcome and seems to go on forever. Directed by S. Sylvan Simon. With Hillary Brooke, Adele Jergens, Donald Curtis and Verna Felton.