The Nitwits is a 1935 American comedy film directed by George Stevens from a screenplay written by Fred Guiol and Al Boasberg, based on a story by Stuart Palmer. Released by RKO on June 7, 1935, the film stars the comedy duo of Wheeler & Woolsey (Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey), with featured roles being filled by Fred Keating, Betty Grable, Evelyn Brent and Erik Rhodes.
| The Nitwits | |
|---|---|
 Original theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | George Stevens |
| Screenplay by | Fred Guiol Al Boasberg |
| Story by | Stuart Palmer |
| Produced by | Lee Marcus |
| Starring | Bert Wheeler Robert Woolsey |
| Cinematography | Edward Cronjager |
| Edited by | John Lockert |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Fred Keating replaced Lionel Atwill, who later played the villain in the 1946 remake, Genius at Work.[2]
Plot
editCigar-stand attendants Johnny and Newton get mixed up in a murder investigation at a radio station.
Cast
edit- Bert Wheeler as Johnny
- Robert Woolsey as Newton
- Fred Keating as William Darrell
- Betty Grable as Mary Roberts
- Evelyn Brent as Alice Lake
- Erik Rhodes as George Clark
- Hale Hamilton as Winfield Lake
- Charles C. Wilson as Police Captain Jennings
- Arthur Aylesworth as Lurch
- Willie Best as Sleepy
- Lew Kelly as J. Gabriel Hazel
Production
editThe film's original title was Mellodicks, which Lee Marcus, the producer, found repugnant. He offered $50 to any employee of RKO who could come up with a better title. While he received numerous suggestions, he finally settled on the picture's final title, which had been a generic title around the RKO lot for years.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Inside the Lines: Detail View". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 29, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
- ^ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/2145/The-Nitwits/articles.html [bare URL]
- ^ Watz, Edward (2001). Wheeler & Woolsey. McFarland. p. 232. ISBN 0786411414.
External links
edit- The Nitwits at IMDb
- The Nitwits at AllMovie
- The Nitwits at the TCM Movie Database
- The Nitwits at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films