Monday, March 12, 2012

A Southern Yankee

A maladroit, idiotic Missourian hotel clerk desperately wants to be useful towards the Union cause and constantly nags the residing Northern soldiers in his place of work. When he accidentally unhands a notorious Southern spy whose identity is scarcely known, his wish finally comes true. Now, posing as the Rebel spy, the cowardly bellboy must go behind enemy lines to relay a crucial message to another infiltrator. "A Southern Yankee" is another riotous laugh-a-minute vehicle for Red Skelton, a hilarious comedian who sadly has gone forgotten by recent generations. Skelton's one liners are consistently funny and the gags I was pleased to discover, but not totally surprised due to their quality, were developed by the legendary Buster Keaton. "A Southern Yankee" is an entertaining, and even occasionally brilliant romp.