Three Men on a Horse (1936)

Three Men on a Horse is something of a time capsule, and being so, it may displease some modern audiences looking for something a bit less tame or with sharper teeth. For those who delight in well-made farces, especially those created on the Broadway stage of the 1920s or 1930s, Horse will provide more than enough entertainment to land in the winner's circle. The plot is silly, but lovably so, and it provides the necessary excuse for all of the shenanigans that follow. The George Abbott-John Cecil Holm dialogue has been adapted nicely, with a few pieces of sharp wit thrown in by screenwriter Laird Doyle; as a result, the film crackles along from start to finish. Director Mervyn LeRoy makes sure that it keeps crackling, never letting the pace slow down except as is necessary to provide the proper buildup to the next comic set piece. The cast is perfectly on target, with exceptional contributions from the gentle, put-upon Frank McHugh and the deliciously wisecracking Joan Blondell. Horse is ultimately too slight to amount to a classic, but it's good, zippy fun all the way. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide