Jack Benny (second from left), tries to get a rise out of Alexis Smith (left).
Yup, what they say is true: Timing is everything.
Once upon a time, comedian Jack Benny starred in a movie that did so poorly at the box office it became a running joke for the rest of his career. The reason it bombed? The timing of its release.
The infamous WWII comedy The Horn Blows at Midnight, about an angel sent to destroy the earth, opened in theatres a few days after the 1945 death of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Now, can you imagine: (A) a wartime comedy about the destruction of the earth; and (B) Jack Benny as the Tool of Destruction? Exactly.
However! The Horn Blows at Midnight is surprisingly good. The film is so fun, in fact, we watched it twice in a row.
Benny is a trumpet-playing angel who is unexpectedly summoned to the office of heaven’s Deputy Chief of Operations. This Deputy Chief angel instructs Benny to take a special horn down to earth and blow it at exactly midnight to signal mass destruction. (Heaven has decided to get rid of earth due to all the violence, something to which war-weary audiences could relate.)
One would think that such an important task would not be allocated to just anyone; however, heaven feels everybody deserves a chance. This is comforting theology, but bad project management.
Benny descends to earth and prepares to blow the Trumpet of Doom at the appointed location (on top of a New York hotel), but he runs afoul of two “fallen angels”. These are formerly good angels who were sent on prior missions to do heaven’s bidding, but decided instead to stay on earth where they could drink hard liquor, smoke cigars and throw lavish parties for beautiful women.
Benny, as an angel, is unfamiliar with earth’s customs, which makes for plenty of great lines. There is a little dark humour as well. In one scene, Benny tries to find out what time it is, because it’s important he blows the trumpet precisely at 12:00 a.m. He approaches the clerk at the front desk of the hotel:
Clerk: “Are you staying overnight, sir?”
Benny: “No, and neither are you.”
There is also a running gag about the elevator in the hotel being commandeered by angels descending from heaven, while frustrated hotel patrons grumble angrily about not being able to return to their rooms.
The supporting cast could not be better. Franklin Pangborn is the house detective who is dispatched to solve the mystery of the disappearing elevator. Reginald Gardiner is a glib, oily-haired thief who hangs about the hotel, targeting rich older women. Benny’s romantic interest is Alexis Smith, who is exceptional in what might otherwise be a forgettable role.
This movie is obviously written for Benny, and he isn’t asked to stretch his abilities as an actor. But Benny is good in his role as a hapless angel who strives to do the right thing while battling circumstances beyond his control. He delivers his lines like the seasoned pro he is. In one scene, Delores Moran is trying to seduce Benny so a hoodlum can steal the Trumpet Of Doom.
Moran: “Can’t you see what my eyes are saying to you?”
Benny: “Yes, and you should watch your language.”
There’s a reason Benny is considered one of the all-time great comedians. He was often the butt end of jokes on his own radio program, and his writers gleefully latched onto the box-office failure of The Horn Blows at Midnight. It’s to Benny’s great credit that he encouraged these gags instead of squelching them.
The Horn Blows at Midnight deserves recognition as an amusing film that pokes fun at life on earth. Its observations of human foibles are as timely today as they were in the 1940s.
The Horn Blows at Midnight: starring Jack Benny, Alexis Smith, Dolores Moran. Directed by Raoul Walsh. Written by Sam Hellman and James V. Kern. Warner Brothers, 1945, B&W, 80 mins.
Silver Screenings 
Benny was a master of timing — that’s especially evident when you listen to his radio shows. I always wondered why “The Horn Blows at Midnight” bombed. And it was also his last major film role.
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“Now cut that out!”
Jack Benny really did have perfect timing, didn’t he? It’s great to see it at work in this film. Thanks for dropping by!
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I’m not an authority on Benny but this sounds like a lot of fun. I can understand why the timing affected this film, but I’m glad to see it can, and is still being enjoyed today. I hope to catch this one soon. Thanks.
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Hopefully you’ll get the chance to see it. Benny is really very good in the role.
Then again, I was expecting to hate it, so maybe my opinion is a little biased…?
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I’m going to have to see this film. I can imagine the timing wasn’t too favored but it does sound like an interesting film… thanks
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It’s as shallow as an end-of-the-world movie can be. The supporting cast really adds to the doomsday fun.
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I do not recall this film at all but will definitely be checking it out. And wasn’t it just like Benny to accept the film’s failure and run with it? So many actors take themselves far too seriously Not Benny. As the butt of many a joke, he was the cheapest man on earth who tried, most unsuccessfully, to play the violin. And he could bring down the house with a look and a word, “Well!”
He probably got more mileage from that bomb than he did any one of his successes.
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From what I’ve read, the real Jack Benny was a very generous man. Apparently, he also knew how to play the violin and wasn’t too bad.
There is a wonderful story about his discovering a promising young singer (name??) and told her he would help her by arranging the largest audition possible. Which he did – by putting her on his show. She always attributed her big break to Jack Benny.
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This sounds like a lot of fun – I’d like to see more of Jack Benny so will watch out for it!
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It really is a lot of fun. Jack Benny doesn’t have leading-man looks but he’s compelling on screen nonetheless.
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I love Jack Benny but have never caught up with this movie before. It sounds like one of those whimsical comedies that Hollywood did so effortlessly in the 40s and which seem so hard to do well these days. Very nice review, Ruth!
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I like how you’ve described “whimsical comedies that Hollywood did so effortlessly in the 40s”. They made it look so easy, didn’t they?
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I LOVE Jack Benny! My absolute favorite comedian (though his TV & radio work was far more masterful than his film work). While “The Horn Blows at Midnight” bombed, Benny got a lot of mileage out of it. I recall him always referring to how bad this film was in his jokes (but it really isn’t). I agree it’s quite enjoyable and, as you say, timing is everything!!
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He’s my fave, too. In fact, I often keep my car radio on the Sirius Classic Radio channel so I can catch his show. (Which they don’t play often enough, if you ask me.)
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Never heard of this one, but it does sound fun. I love the premise…and Jack Benny.
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There are some really funny lines in this movie. It’s worth making the time to see it.
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I saw this on TV when I was about ten, fifty-seven years ago …. it cracked me up then, and it’s still funny today. The slapstick finale involving a very large cup of coffee is a riot.
If you haven’t already seen it, “To Be Or Not To Be” is pretty close to being a comic masterpiece.
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Isn’t this a terrific film? It’s become a new fave. I really need to see “To Be or Not To Be”. It’s shameful I haven’t seen it yet.
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