EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise

BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Teringer An Exercise In Nonsense

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

gridoon2018 The least you can say about the 6 Hildegarde Withers films is that they tried to give us a different setting for murder in each episode; the New York Aquarium, The Continental Museum, Catalina Island, etc. In "Forty Naughty Girls", there are two extra elements: there is just one setting, a Broadway theater where the sold-out title show is being presented, and the story plays out in "real time". This is the most comedy-oriented entry in the series, with Hildegarde doing arguably more pratfalling than detecting; nonetheless, she does at least manage to solve the case herself (and it's a tough one), unlike the previous Zasu Pitts outing ("The Plot Thickens"), where Inspector Oscar Piper should take about 90% of the credit. Tom Kennedy, a "Torchy Blane" series regular at the time as dumb cop Gahagan, makes a guest appearance as....dumb cop Casey, and as usual he guarantees some good laughs ("There is the killer, and he brought his horse!"). For a B production, "Forty Naughty Girls" does a good job of "faking" a higher budget than it probably had. **1/2 out of 4.

Michael_Elliott Forty Naughty Girls (1937) * (out of 4) The sixth and final film in the RKO series has Zasu Pitts returning for her second stint as Hildegarde Withers and of course James Gleason is back as Inspector Piper. This time out Withers and Piper are attending a popular play on Broadway when the press agent is shot dead. The two begin the investigation and learn that he was trying to mess with an actress (Marjorie Lord), which didn't sit well with her boyfriend but there are a few others with a motive to kill the man. FORTY NAUGHTY GIRLS has a horrible reputation and it even managed to get a rare BOMB rating from Leonard Maltin who rarely goes that low on older movies. After viewing the film I don't think it's that bad but at the same time this thing is still a complete disaster that has very little going for it. I think a lot of the blame can be pointed at RKO taking this "B" series and dropping it down to a "D" level. The screenplay, the look of the film and the overall production values are a lot lower than what was seen in earlier movies and I'm going to guess that someone needed to finish off a contract and this film was thrown together to do just that. The screenplay is just a boring mess with one suspect entering the picture every few minutes but the problem is that there's nothing here to make you care who the killer is. I'll admit that something would happen, I'd grow bored and then ten minutes later I couldn't remember what had just happened. Another problem is the performance of Pitts. There's no question she was a talented actress but her talents weren't going to be needed in every type of film and it's clear the producers didn't know how to use her here. As Withers she's not playing a character but instead she's pretty much playing that dumb moron she played in various comedies including her work with Hal Roach. There wasn't a single second where I actually believed she could come up with any clue let alone solve any type of murder. The humor is so forced that you have to wonder why the director or producer didn't cast someone else or at least change the story to better fit her. Gleason is obviously tired of the role as he sleepwalks through the film. The one saving grace is Lord who is good in her few scenes. It's easy to see why this marked the end of the series as there certainly wasn't much room to get worse.

Neil Doyle EDNA MAY OLIVER is the missing ingredient in this feeble murder mystery with JAMES GLEASON as Inspector Piper attending a theater with his friend ZASU PITTS (as Hildegarde Withers), but soon in charge of investigating a double murder.This backstage comedy/mystery tries to follow the pattern of other such mysteries featuring Gleason and Edna May Oliver, but fails to register strongly enough in either the laugh department or the serious stuff.It has the feel of a low-budget programmer shot in ten days with no chance for character development or original plotting. Even revelation of the murderer is handled in such a low-key way that any viewer will be half asleep before the solution even occurs.Not recommended for fans of this series.

ejrjr RKO Radio Pictures released Forty Naughty Girls during 1937 to capitalize on Showgirls of 1934. Unfortunately, the script does not afford the actors nor director much opportunity and the result is perfunctory and at times pedestrian.James Gleason is Homicide Inspector Oscar Piper out with girlfriend Hildegard Withers played by Zasu Pitts, at a Broadway performance of Forty Naughty Girls, produced by Ricky Rickman. Murders commence shortly after the play opening. Oscar and Hildegard move from the audience to backstage investigations.Quickly we learn that publicist Edward "Windy" Bennett is having an affair with leading lady Rita Marlowe played by Joan Woodbury, who has just become engaged to producer Rickman. Also, Windy Bennett is extorting money from playwright Tommy Washburn. And, then Windy Bennett is found dead, shot in the back of the head.Subsequently, Washburn is shot and killed. Rita Marlowe is the initial suspect and then the evidence points to a stagehand who happens to be her father.Since this film has a running time of only 63 minutes, action propels the plot and there are numerous twists and turns. However, none move you to the edge of your seat. Director Eddie Cline must have had a tight shooting schedule because this is a proverbial race to the finish line. While casually amusing the story suffers from numerous shortcomings especially character development. Also, the humor barely rises above simple.Marjorie Lord as showgirl and singer June Preston is adequate which is dictated by the script.This was never intended to be anything more than a second feature and that is all it will ever be. Nothing bad, nothing great.