SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

HeadlinesExotic Boring

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

dougdoepke A surreal comedy from Warner Bros., apparently made while studio heads were on vacation. How else do we explain such inspired lunacies as a hotel elevator to heaven, angels with periodic bouts of delirium tremens (likely what the writers were suffering), or a giant coffee service hanging from the side of a skyscraper! Somehow this exotica got from storyboard to screen without the usual deadening hand of studio convention. It's pretty funny too, although the big screen is not the best venue for Jack Benny, whose personal brand of humor shows best on radio or tv. Still, the laughs are there among the general weirdness, and anyone who turns down the sound of the final scene should experience a nightmare of urban existence as frightening as any from vintage film noir, with Benny literally drowning in a sea of caffeine. This is also a chance for men to scope out that heavenly body known as Alexis Smith. Her statuesque bearing was probably a little too stiff for major stardom, but no one ever looked better in a toga or the high fashions of the day. All in all, this inventive little comedy was far ahead of its time, and despite Benny's running radio gag, possesses all the underpinnings of a minor cult classic.

utgard14 A trumpeter (Jack Benny) dreams he's an angel sent to Earth to blow his trumpet at midnight to signal the end of the world. Two other angels already living on Earth try to stop him because they like Earth just the way it is. Jack Benny is a treat to watch. While "To Be or Not to Be" is the better film, this is arguably a better showcase for Benny's comedic talents. This is also one of Alexis Smith's best roles. She was a lesser leading lady in the '40s and, for my taste, a bit on the stiff side. She loosens up here, though. Fun support from Guy Kibbee, Allyn Joslyn, Franklin Pangborn, John Alexander, and Reginald Garner. Oh, and lovely Dolores Moran -- have mercy! Well directed by Raoul Walsh with some particularly impressive Heaven scenes. A notorious flop at the box office, Jack Benny frequently made fun of the failure of this movie on his radio show. Back when my job required me to travel a lot, I listened to old episodes of Benny's show on satellite radio. It was a great show and his mentions of this movie made me anxious to see if it's really as bad as claimed. Surprisingly, it isn't bad at all. It's actually very funny and creative. The screwball climax is perfect.

JasonLeeSmith Fans of Jack Benny's radio show will probably have, at least, heard of this movie. It took on almost mythic qualities in the program as an incredible flop. Of course, Benny's lack of acting talent and the failures (both real and invented) of all of his movies were regular fodder for the gag-writers on his show. I feel it speaks volumes of Benny's character that he found it so easy to laugh at himself.While it wasn't a great financial success, "Horn" is an amusing enough movie. Benny plays an angel who is sent to Earth to herald the end of the world. The title of the film is a reference to the final trumpet which will sound before the end of the world. Benny is thwarted in his efforts by two AWOL angels who live on Earth and don't want to be forced to give up the pleasures of the flesh.While there are many flaws with this movie, it is nevertheless enjoyable and I found myself interested in it from beginning to end.The plot is rather ahead of its time, and strikes a chord with many modern works. When I first read the plot, I thought of the novel "Good Omens" which was, funnily enough, about an angel and a devil who conspire to stop the end of the world, because they have grown fond of life on Earth.Now, I am going to say something which I imagine many people are going to take issue with: the biggest hindrance to the movie is Jack Benny. I feel that the man was a gifted comedian and a talented performer, but he was a really lousy film actor, I think he needed a live audience. He was so wooden that it really detracted from my enjoyment of the film. Someone like Jimmy Stewart would have been a much better choice for the role -- but they probably didn't have the budget, and the film was made as a Jack Benny vehicle after all.The bright spot of the movie are the two renegade angels who play their roles quite well and are very funny. They keep things moving at a brisk pace and manage to remain interesting throughout.I managed to record this movie when it appeared on the late show on Turner Classic Movies. I think its a shame that this, like most Benny films, has not been released on DVD, for while he was not the ideal actor, his movies are almost always worth watching.

MartinHafer Years ago, when Jack Benny wanted to make fun of his movie career, this was usually the film he mentioned. While it really isn't a bad little film, it was probably among Benny's worst starring films (a few early films he made shouldn't count as he was more of a supporting player). That's because the plot is REALLY silly,...such that some of the more sophisticated and high-brow viewers will no doubt become bored to tears.Here's the dopey lot in a nutshell: Jack is a clumsy but well-meaning angel. He is sent to earth to blow the horn that will signal the end of the world. However, he is met by a couple of fallen angels who do everything they can to prevent this--they LOVE Earth just the way it is thank you and eternal damnation, somehow, doesn't interest them. Well, they succeed in distracting him, so his girl, Alexis Smith, is sent to give him a hand. Ho hum.Well, despite an odd and silly plot, the film is fun, has a lot of energy and has a few laughs. Not exactly the greatest endorsement, but that's just the way I see it.