It's in the Bag! (United Artists) (1945)

JACK H. S KIR BALL Presents FRED ALLEN in Official Billing ITS IN THE BAG" JACK BENNY DON AMECHE WILLIAM BENDIX VICTOR MOORE BINNIE BARNES RUDY VALLEE and ROBERT BENCHLEY As Guest Stars JERRY COLONNA Fred Allen, Great Comics Seen In "It's In The Bag" ^ Estimated as having the largest potential audience of any motion picture in recent sea¬ sons, Fred Allen’s new starring comedy, “It’s In The Bag,” a United Artists release, comes .to the.Theatre. A llen’s radio listeners, whose vas t admiring ^ throngs who have consistently kept the star at the top of most survey lists, are expected to turn out in full force to welcome him on the screen. Added audience appeal is evidenced by the “guest star” list which includes Jack Benny, Don Ameche, William Bendix, Vic¬ tor Moore and Rudy Vallee. Other notables in the unique line-up are Binnie Barnes, Robert Benchley, Jerry Colonna and John Carradine. In addition, the picture brings a new romantic duo, young William Terry and lovely Gloria Pope, while radio fans will be thrilled to see the famous “Mrs. Nussbaum,” star of the Allen pro¬ gram, in a characteristic role. “It’s In The Bag” is said to resemble the Fred Allen radio shows in its rapid, spontaneous movement although the story, a genuine thriller, covers far more territory than the usual broad¬ cast “drama.” In it the “chase mechanism” is declared to be am¬ plified to hysterical proportions as Allen frantically seeks to re¬ cover a missing inheritance. The mad pursuit takes him through Jack Benny’s apartment, a thea¬ tre, a nightclub and ends furiously in a gangster’s hideaway. Many of the situations are said to be Allen’s own inventions which gives assurance of the picture’s hilarity. Morrie Ryskind, one of Hollywood’s foremost comedy cre¬ ators, supplied much of the verbal zest. The director was Richard Wallace. Formerly associated with Mack Sennett, and with an impres¬ sive record of recent hits, Wallace is a recognized leader in the fun- film realm. Produced by Jack H. Skirball, “It’s In The Bag” was filmed from lese two teaser ideas will arouse an enormous jiount of advance interest in the picture, bw up the stills shown here and letter in copy ! suggested. Place them, as tack cards or a screenplay by Jay Dratler and Alma Reville. Lewis R. Foster col¬ laborated with Aflen on th^Yci.v;en^ treatment. Comedy-Jammed Allen Show Makes Hilarious Entrance Allen Off Air To Make Movie John Carradine Gloria Pope William Terry Minerva Pious Dickie Tyler Sidney Toler George Cleveland John Miljan Ben Welden Produced by Jack H. Skirball Directed by Richard Wallace Released Thru United Artists Described as a movie with more stars than you can shake a stick at, Fred Allen’s newest venture, “It’s In The Bag,” a United Artists release, comes . to the . Theatre. According to advance notices, most of the stars in the film, who have been shaking verbal comedy sticks at each other for some time, continue to IT’S MURDER rfvo A 'T'lT'TA UV 'T’tJlT' CT “It’s In The Bag’ 1-KAlEU OX lUfi Allen’s own typewriter and the do so in the picture and with hi¬ larious results. Listed as guest stars are such topflight celebrities as Jack Benny, Don Ameche, Wil¬ liam Bendix, Victor Moore and Rudy Vallee. Binnie Barnes, Rob¬ ert Benchley and Jerry Colonna are other leading performers. Like the Fred Allen radio pro¬ grams^ nmch of the material in originated on comical story is said to have the same convulsive spontaneity which OF LAUGH - GETTE 4 TT/^Tl'T' /XTVT A T VW highlights the famous broadcast. ^-A-Uljrxll Uii A xIUIjIuX W ig ^ tale of five elusive chairs, one of which contains $300,000 in 171?ATT17Ar’C ivri71?l?\? cash hidden within its upholstery. rxllliU AL/L<Jliii ivlllitltil Allen, as a flea circus proprie- MILLION - DOLLAR MUiJrem Wo1l\?iearnf„f ^ fSu! T iT'rr^^ x tttvtAX^VT^ T Contents. The incidents and I rill 1 l-<l!il3 HJllAlil l-ill’situations leading to the eventual recovery of the fortune are de- HAPPY HORRORS! WHjtny/“ 171? rfcl7 A C'mi?!^! /I Pop'^lar Binnie Barnes will be lUH vir A olUlix : . . . iHseen as Allen’s wife while every A C'T’ XA17 /^XT A 1? A film’s roster has an im- GASl iir GWAxlALi 1 portant part. Jack Benny appears A TVTTA WT'XT’ 'w/ht' A tvt 4 1 as himself being the stubborn AND W'E MEAN CHA.! purchaser of one of the chairs which Allen tries desperately to rxixxx-i Tctrieve. Amoche, Vallee and THE YEAR’S TOP MUB Moore portray singing waiters in TERY COMEDY . . . '......._ GREATEST COMEDY CA 1 YEAR! ^ a cafe sequence. Bendix has the role of a gangster, one of Allen’s most dangerous obstacles in the frantic chair pursuit. Hectic romantic moments in the comedy are supplied by two attrac¬ tive newcomers, Gloria Pope and William Terry. Of special inter¬ est to radio fans will be the ap¬ pearance of the well known “Mrs. Nussbaum,” so popular with hosts of Allen listeners. Produced by Jack H. Skirball and directed by Richard Wallace, “It’s In The Bag” was filmed from the screenplay by Jay Dratler and Alma Reville. Lewis R. Foster collaborated with Allen on the screen treatment. Top Favorites Appear In Fred Allen Hit Jack Benny, Don Ameche, Wil¬ liam Bendix, Rudy Vallee and Victor Moore appear as “guest stars” in “It’s In The Bag,” Fred Allen mystery-comedy hit coming to the.Theatre on. through United Artists release. Along with these top favorites, Binnie Barnes, Robert Benchley, Jerry Colonna, John Carradine, William Terry, Gloria Pope and Dickie Tyler enact the laugh- filled episodes of the Allen hit. “It’s In The Bag” was produced by Jack H. Skirball and directed by Richard Wallace. The Story IT’S A CHUUKLY CHH A DEPRESSION KILLE STAR EYE-FILLER! MURDER WILL OUT! THIS MURDER WILL K OUT . . . LAUGHING! FULL OF GOOFY GUYS, GALS, GRUESOME GA LOUD LAUGHS, MERRY . . . AND STILL WITH A PLOT! IF YOU DON’T LAUGH SEE YOUR DOCTOR! LAUGHING . SPONSIBLE! WE’ Robert Benchley and his pat¬ ented sure-fire mouse catcher (the strange contraption below) are hi¬ lariously in evidence in the Fred Allen starrer, “It’s In The Bag,” Jack Skirball production now play¬ ing at the . Theatre {hronerb United Artists release. _ 15A--1 Col. Scene (.15) O^o't for P When his wealthy uncle dies mys¬ teriously, Fred Floogle (Fred Allen), flea circus operator, expects to inherit $12,000,000. Fred, with his wife Eve (Binnie Barnes), and two children, Marion (Gloria Pope) and young Homer (Dickie Tyler), enjoy a wild spending spree. Par¬ ker (Robert Benchley), Fred’s four-flushing enemy, now decides that Parker, Jr., should marry Marion. Fred’s final inheritance, how¬ ever, consists of five chairs. Deep¬ ly in debt, Fred has Homer sell the chairs to an antique dealer for $300. Afterward Fred discovers that the uncle, a victim of swind¬ lers, has hidden $300,000 in one of the chairs. By this time the chairs have been resold. Homer, who knew where they went, loses his memory but later reveals that one of them was purchased by Jack Benny (himself). Fred re- Qovers the chair but finds it con¬ tains nothing. While a psychiatrist (Jerry Co¬ lonna) probes Homer’s memory, Fred and Eve discover another one of the chairs in a movie theatre but it fails to yield the missing cash. Meanwhile, Homer recalls that two of the chairs went to “Naughty Nineties” nightclub. Pike (John Carradine), ^^e of the swindlers, is trailing ^Tred, who secures a job as singing j^ait- er at the club, joining Don che (himself), Rudy Vallee him¬ self) and Victor Moore (hin^elf). Following a brawl in which i tomer is killed, Fred is ari^g^gj for murder. Behind bars he ^arns that Pike’s gang murdered h, cle, incited the brawl and thi^ ^he two chairs contained nothiiv^ Released because of insuf^jgjjt evidence, Fred rushes to Joiner who remembers that the fifth,hair now belongs to the Williain Kndix bimself) gang. In Bendix’ creted in his own pockets, I-,jj (himself) gang, in uendix' ^f^ce Fred rifles the chair and fin^ ^he currency, but he is discoverec ing a fight in which Bendix i pj.g_ sumably slain. Saved by a Ijiiet- proof vest, Bendix agrees tchelp Fred and tortures Pike into i con¬ fession. As Bendix hastens to relieve the $300,000 which Fred hi summons the police. Now ric secure, Fred and Eve procee^^h arrangements for the weddi, Marion and Parker, Jr. ” If you’ve been wondering why Fred Allen, after more than 10 straight years on the air, has giv¬ en up his regular weekly broad¬ casts, there’s a reason—he’s been making’ a movie. The comedy, “It’s In The Bag,” which was produced by Jack H.'^ Skirball for United Artists and comes to the.Theatre on ., is Allen’s first film venture in four years. It has consumed virtually all of the co¬ median’s time, on preparation and production, since he deserted the air-lanes several months ago, ex¬ cept for guest-star appearances. OH To War! The hilarious Jaek H. Skirball comedy production “It’s In The Bag” starring Fred Allen and a host of top comedians will be shown overseas in combat areas by the Army Pictorial Service, the War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry an¬ nounced. A United Artists release “It’s In The Bag” has Jack Benny, Don Ameche, William Bendix, Victor Moore, Rudy Vallee, Bin¬ nie Barnes, Robert Benchley, Jerry Colonna, Gloria Pope, Wil¬ liam Terry and Dickie Tyler in its all-star cast. The production was directed by Richard Wallace from a screenplay by Jay Dratler and Alma Reville. Page Fourteen