vincentlynch-moonoi It's very interesting to read the reviews here about this film. Clearly, some of our reviewers "get it" and "get" Jack Benny. A few do not. And then there's the reputation this film has -- that it was a flop at the box office. Well, okay, but when it was released may have been a factor -- during the darkest days of World War II, immediately following the death of FDR. And what was it's main film competition at the time? "Carousel"! And of course, part of it's negative reputation is due to Jack Benny's own joking about it for years on his television show. It was his last film during a time when he soared to new popularity on radio and then television.When you read more recent reviews by professional critics, you find they are often quite kind to this film. Leonard Maltin, for example, wrote that the film is "broad" and "funny".I have always enjoyed this film. The first test it passes for me is that it is different. Some comedies you can get mixed up with other comedies. Not "The Horn Blows At Midnight". It's unique.Second, the entire cast is rather pleasing. I'm not sure that Jack Benny was ideal for film. In "George Washington Slept Here", he was too sarcastic, for example. But here, he's pleasant enough...and you can almost imagine him as a not too with-it angel bungling his job. As much as Red Skelton and Bob Hope can tickle my funny bone, they would have been all wrong for this film. No, Benny was ideal for the story.Then there's Alexis Smith in one of my favorite films with her. She's been better...and not. She's very pleasing here.The supporting actors are terrific. Guy Kibbee is perfect as the "boss" angel, Reginald Gardiner is perfect as the thief (and he's not always one of my favorites), and Franklin Pangborn is great as the house detective (and a master of the slow burn). And, as defrocked angels -- Allyn Joslen and John Alexander (another character actor I'm usually not enthralled with, but who does very nicely here). There are others you'll recognize, as well, and they all do exactly what they need to do.And the climactic scene -- Benny getting flushed into the coffee ad machine -- is truly a classic, and one that I never forgot after seeing it as a kid. It still makes me laugh out loud. ANd it's that rare time that you'll Jack Benny doing physical comedy. And, I wonder, did Stanley Kramer watch this scene before he filmed "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"? Highly recommended for the fantasy sequences, as well as the period atmosphere that is so clearly outlined here. A heckuva unique comedy!

Gavno That title isn't meant to be a put-down... considering that Carl Stalling of the Termite Terrace cartooning unit at Warner Brothers did some of the music, and the sound effects track used a LOT of stuff from Bugs Bunny cartoons, I think it's a fair question.A FAR better movie than Jack Benny claimed (for years afterward he did jokes about the film, wondering why he didn't get an Oscar), THE HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT is simply a cartoon for adult audiences, staged with human beings instead of animated drawings. It uses all of the basic tools of a cartoon... an outlandish situation, a suspension of belief in reality, and a total disregard for physics and natural law.A lot of posters here criticize the movie for not being funnier. It IS funny, very much so... but it's a much more laid back and understated humor than we see in today's films. Remember, film audiences in 1945 were not expecting to see something out of PORKIES or ANIMAL HOUSE; their tastes were a lot different than ours. This isn't a comedic style that beats you over the head; it's a platform that lets the considerable comedic talent employed show off it's best schtick... Margaret Dumont playing her trademark Upper Class Lady (as Mme. Traviata, the opera singer) and looking completely ridiculous in that role with her choice of music... Reginald Gardener using his facial expressiveness to indicate extreme pain at the mutilation of his music... Benny doing his stand-up jokes... and Franklin Pangborn, "The Master of the Slow Burn", displaying his best move again and again all thru the movie.There IS over the top craziness here tho, in the final dream sequence where the battle for possession of the trumpet takes place. In good WB cartoon style they saved the insanity for the end of the picture. The cartoon sound effects show up in profusion here, and Stalling's cartoon musical scoring comes to the fore; THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE being played in perfect Termite Terrace style to indicate drunkenness gets it's point across perfectly.It's a FAR better movie than Benny ever let on in his radio show patter; he should have been PROUD of it, and I suspect that actually he secretly WAS.

whpratt1 Jack Benny. (Athanael) was a great star in the Radio Days and whenever he made a film in the 40's it usually wound up being a Big BOMB. Well, in this film, I think Benny did a great job of performing as an angel who played a wicked Horn. His girl friend angel, Alexis Smith,(Elizabeth), adored Athanael despite his ability to be rather dumb about the things of this world and needed her guidance in making decisions. There are many classic veteran actors in this film which all give a great supporting role. Alexis Smith was very beautiful in this picture and at the height of her career and gave an outstanding performance along with one of the great Comedians who entertained people during the horrible War Years and gave them something to Laugh at and enjoy. If you like a great classic picture, this is a very good film to sit back and go back in TIME.

MartinHafer Years ago, when Jack Benny wanted to make fun of his movie career, this was usually the film he mentioned. While it really isn't a bad little film, it was probably among Benny's worst starring films (a few early films he made shouldn't count as he was more of a supporting player). That's because the plot is REALLY silly,...such that some of the more sophisticated and high-brow viewers will no doubt become bored to tears.Here's the dopey lot in a nutshell: Jack is a clumsy but well-meaning angel. He is sent to earth to blow the horn that will signal the end of the world. However, he is met by a couple of fallen angels who do everything they can to prevent this--they LOVE Earth just the way it is thank you and eternal damnation, somehow, doesn't interest them. Well, they succeed in distracting him, so his girl, Alexis Smith, is sent to give him a hand. Ho hum.Well, despite an odd and silly plot, the film is fun, has a lot of energy and has a few laughs. Not exactly the greatest endorsement, but that's just the way I see it.