(1949)
3
Craig Butler
Although its original source is (surprisingly) a novel by the eternally hardboiled James M. Cain, Everybody Does It is a fairly amusing comedy. It may not be a world beater, but it does have its share of modest delights, starting with the well-structured, if too pat, screenplay by Nunnally Johnson. It's the kind of screenplay that forces smiles from reluctant viewers, even if they can see a joke being set up and can almost beat the performers to the punch line. Edmund Goulding keeps things hopping at a sprightly pace, making sure that no one has too much time to linger over some of the implausibilities for longer than is food for them. He is helped in this by Paul Douglas, who as usual resembles a bulldog that somehow stumbled into a businessman's suit -- and quite a few other outfits in this particular instance. With his little jowls and a scowl that would not be out of place on a five-year-old, Douglas is a vulnerable curmudgeon whose trials delight the audience. Celeste Holm is a perfect foil for him, matching his grimaces with the appropriate putdown and conveying a fondness for him that always seeps through any irritation he causes. Watching these two interact, along with the luscious and dangerous Linda Darnell, is a great deal of fun. Everybody is no great shakes as a film, but it's the kind of amusing knick-knack that is always fun to run across during a dreary day.
Everybody Does It on AllMovie
Everybody Does It (1949)
