AllMovie

The Gracie Allen Murder Case is a middling comedy mystery; one's enjoyment of Gracie will depend entirely upon one's fondness for Gracie Allen's dumb blonde persona. Certainly, no one has ever made a "dumb cluck" character that was quite as extreme as Allen's -- nor, in the right circumstances, one that was more appealing. Those circumstances, however, tend to be in tandem with husband George Burns and in smaller doses than as the star of a full-length film. Asked to headline a feature, Allen's schtick begins to wear thin before the first 60 minutes are through. On the plus side, Warren William makes a good foil for her; he may not be as perfectly in tune to her as Burns, but he brings his own quality to the takes and reactions that are required of him. And when left to his own devices away from Allen, he manages to uphold the mystery aspect of the story quite well. The screenplay doesn't put enough stock (or thought) into that mystery, which is unfortunate, but it does get from point A to B without too much fuss or bother. Alfred E. Green's direction is adequate, and Frank Loesser's ditty, "Snug as a Bug in a Rug," is delivered amusingly by Allen.