Texas, Brooklyn And Heaven (1948)

A reporter (Guy Madison) on a Texas newspaper quits his job and drives to New York where he hopes to write a play. On route, he picks up a hitchhiker (Diana Lynn) who he talks into coming to New York with him. Based on the novel EDDIE AND THE ARCHANGEL MIKE by Barry Benefield and directed by William Castle (HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL). A monotonous romantic comedy impeded by a substandard screenplay, torpid direction and a miscast leading man. The hunky Madison was good in westerns but a fizz in romcom. The high spirited Diana Lynn gives it a good try but Madison gives her nothing to play off of. Granted, the public domain transfer I saw was pretty ragged but I doubt even a pristine print could improve the film outside of visually. The movie's one bright spot is Florence Bates, who steals the film as a pickpocket trying to reform. With Audie Murphy, James Dunn, Lionel Stander, Margaret Hamilton, Michael Chekhov, Irene Ryan, William Frawley and Moyna Macgill.