Edgar Allan Pooh . . . upon American Women, as the always prophetic Warner Bros. warn We Americans of (The Then) Far Future of the sort of HANDMAID'S TALE-like backlash doubtless in store for the female half of the U.S. Populace IF distaff dictators push their witch hunt PURGE of Real Life leaders such as Al, Roy, Charlie, Dustin, Richard, Woody, and Garrison any further. Everyone knows that women lived on a Real Life pedestal in the Early 1900s, when MANPOWER was made. Yet this flick begins with "Hank McHenry" manhandling his "taxi dancer," and the entire male cast is frequently shown "goosing" hospital nurses before "Johnnie Marshall" punches "Fay Duval" so hard in her face that she collapses in a heap! Though MANPOWER's contemporary audiences must have been stunned and totally perplexed by these then unheard-of events, Warner was primarily addressing the Ladies of Today's 2018 America. Warner advises these Modern Chicks that there's a Time and a Place for everything, and U.S. Men have NO intention of fading away quietly into the night (like the dudes who've gone AWOL on WONDER WOMAN's home island). Sociologists estimate that 80% of U.S. Men have copped some sort of feel during the past 10, 25, or 40 years (not to mention 96% of Women, when predator roles are reversed). None of these past hijinks will appear seemly under the glare of Today's Women-dominated media, Warner senses in MANPOWER. If the chick flick folks insist upon purging ALL of these guys, the resulting vacuum of Good Guys will invite a wave of New Founding Fathers whose rules will make Allred's life seem like a pleasant picnic by way of comparison, MANPOWER forecasts.

lugonian MANPOWER (Warner Brothers, 1941), directed by Raoul Walsh, stars an powerhouse cast of Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich and George Raft in a routinely made screenplay dealing with the life and times of a couple of hard-working linemen. Following the pattern to Walsh's earlier directorial assignment, THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT (1940) featuring Raft and Humphrey Bogart as truck driving brothers, with Ann Sheridan and Ida Lupino the female co-stars, the surprise of MANPOWER comes not so much for its familiar plotting but the interesting casting of Marlene Dietrich (on loan-out assignment from Universal) in a sort of role that could have gone to either Sheridan or Lupino of THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT fame.The plot revolves around linemen working for the Pacific Power and Light Company: Hank McHenry (Edward G. Robinson), foreman of the crew, and Johnny Marshall (George Raft), his closest friend who works directly under him. Called out on an emergency assignment during a thunderous storm, the maintenance crew risk their lives surrounded by high voltage wires dangling from telephone poles. As Hank nearly loses his life by having his foot tangled in a hot wire, Antoine "Pop" Duval (Egon Breacher) loses his own by not getting out of the way of a live wire. Because Johnny happens to be Pop's closest friend who earlier arranged for his daughter's early parole from prison, Johnny, accompanied by Hank, ends up breaking the news to Fay (Marlene Dietrich). Though Fay's lack of emotion towards her father's death leaves Johnny cold and angry, Hank, however, feels differently towards her. Finding Fay to be the hostess at a clip joint called The Midnight Club, run by Smiley Quinn (Barton MacLane), Hank goes over there to make an impression on her. In spite of her past, and being told she's doesn't love him, Hank marries her anyway, much to the dismay of Johnny. Following a serious accident that keeps him from his job, Johnny, under Hank's urging, recuperates at his home with Fay acting as nursemaid. When Fay realizes her feelings towards Johnny is getting stronger, she intends on doing something about it.Others members of the Warners stock player participating in this production include that of Frank McHugh (Omaha); Alan Hale (Jumbo Wells); Eve Arden (Dolly); Joyce Compton (Scarlet); and Ben Weldon (Al Hurst). Highlights consist of Walter Catlett (Sidney Whipple) as a high strung hospital patient who falls victim of numerous childish pranks from the visiting, fun-loving linemen; while Billy Wayne (Benny, the counterman) gets his quota of laughs in the dining room sequence by calling out the food orders. Then there's Ward Bond playing Eddie Adams, another fellow lineman, who, on numerous occasions, "gets out of line" with Hank. Marlene Dietrich gets herself one brief song interlude (interrupted by patrons through some spoken dialogue) to "He Lied and I Listened" by Frederick Hollander and Frank Loesser, while Beal Wong gets more time vocalizing, "Chinatown, My Chinatown" by Joe Young, Sam Lewis and Jean Schwartz.While credited as an original screenplay by Richard Macauley and Jerry Wald, much of it appears to be reworked from earlier screen material, mainly First National's own TIGER SHARK (1932) with Edward G. Robinson and Richard Arlen as tuna fisherman in love with the same girl (Zita Johann). Warners production of SLIM (1937) featuring Pat O'Brien, Henry Fonda and Margaret Lindsay, which happens to be about linemen, is often an overlooked item but bearing little connection to what's become MANPOWER a few years later. Even so, movies aren't made, they're remade or recycled. Though basically known for playing crime figures, MANPOWER does offer both Robinson and Raft a chance to act in something other than tough guys holding guns. Of the two feature films to team Robinson and Raft (their second being A BULLET FOR JOEY (United Artists, 1955)), MANPOWER, has become the most worthwhile and revived of their collaborations over the years. On the other hand, Dietrich's Warner Brothers debut should have been something special, or at least different. A costume or biographical drama, for instance, in European setting and lavish sets. However, it did offer her a chance working opposite Robinson and Raft for the only time and becoming a worthy attraction to what's basically a man's movie. As with her Fay character, Dietrich does have more chemistry opposite Raft than she did with Robinson. Though Dietrich had been conflicted between two men before, her finest opportunity happens to be the ones opposite rugged he-men types of Randolph Scott and John Wayne in both Universal's 1942 productions of THE SPOILERS and PITTSBURGH.With a great start of action, comedy and crisp dialogue, a pity MANPOWER didn't fulfill its promise for its full 103 minutes. Even through some of its weaker passages, MANPOWER can still be electrifying, thanks to Raoul Walsh's know-how direction and skill he handled with THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT. Available on DVD through Turner Home Entertainment, MANPOWER can also be found on the Turner Classic Movies cable channel. (**1/2)

MartinHafer This is not one of Warner Brothers' finest films, as the writing is pretty silly at times and terribly predictable. For example, when the character "Pop" appeared, I said to my daughter that that old guy would have to die in the film--and about 20 minutes later, sure enough, he had assumed room temperature! In fact, throughout the film, the action was pretty ordinary and often telegraphed. Despite starring Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich and George Raft, the film had a definite "B-movie" feel to it due to the shallow plot and rather one-dimensional characters. This one-dimensionality was especially true with Robinson, as he was amazingly pugnacious and impossible to believe throughout.Now despite all this and the overall ordinary nature of the film, it still is rather entertaining and worth a look if there is nothing better on television. Not a great film but a decent time-passer.By the way, a few years earlier, Warner Brothers made a somewhat similar film called SLIM. While MANPOWER is not exactly a re-make, they both have a lot of similarities and involve death and danger on the power lines.

aberlour36 With a great cast and director, in the golden age of movies, one can only gasp at the failings of this film. In the first place, the casting is terrible. One has to believe that little Eddie Robinson is a brawling blue collar guy and that George Raft is also a rough, tough electrical lineman. The writing is dreadful, especially the comic relief of Alan Hale. Every move of the film is predictable. And poor Marlene! Mostly, she just simmers and smokes cigarettes. A waste of time for all concerned, especially viewers.