Roger Pryor is a nice guy, but money slips through his fingers before he can spend it. When the jeweler will not let him have Leila Hyam's engagement riing on credit, she calls it off. But two wacky millionaires make a bet that no one can spend $1000 A Minute, and offer him $10,000 if he can do it, with Edward Brophy to go along to make sure he doesn't violate the terms -- he must buy real things, and they cannot be investments.

Like me, you'll identify this as a variation on George Barr McCutcheon's BREWSTER'S MILLIONS. I found it an amiable enough farce with Brophy getting most of the funny bits -- a bit of a surprise to me to find him actually getting some laughs, particularly when paired with a Great Dane. This is very early days for Monogram Pictures, so they have a good assortment of talent on view, including Sterling Holloway, Edgar Kennedy, Herman Bing, Franklin Pangborn, and even George 'Gabby' Hayes. It's also remarkable for being the bet print of any Republic picture I've ever seen. Over all, it's ok: like many comedies in this era, it's more frantic tan funny, but it does have its funny moments.

***WARNING- POSSIBLE SPOILER AT END OF THIS REVIEW *** I recently viewed a DVD transfer of a 16 mm print made originally for television. I have been searching for this for over 40 years. Once it made the TV circuit in the early 1950s, it seemed to disappear. This is the first I've seen or heard of it in all that time.

Mr. MacIntyre's extensive review is quite solid and accurate. I have no qualms with it at all. I found Pryor quite good and Brophy excellent. Bing is absolutely hilarious. Also I enjoyed Holloway as a tax driver who must chauffeur Pryor about without ever getting paid - since Pryor can't spend any money without a receipt and it can't be for a service, only for a solid object. Why Holloway doesn't just give up makes for the comedy- he's committed to collecting his $60-70 fee and hopefully a tip. His slow burns are quite funny.

The sound is quite good - deserving of its Oscar nomination (although this was the first year that every studio could submit a favorite in the sound, score, scoring, song categories and be guaranteed of a nomination). It had no chance of winning, but at least it made Republic feel good about itself.

What gets short shrift is the romance - there's hardly any of it. It's all in the chase. I found the script quite humorous and the film itself a lot of fun.

***POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD*** Don't know if this counts as a spoiler, but for the record the purchases are: pearls, a race horse, a wine cellar, a fur coat, a car, a yacht, and a Great Dane.