Jackass Mail (1942)

Wonderful Movie

the audience applauded

Don't Believe the Hype

As Good As It Gets

Marj Main had been in the biz about ten years when this part rolled around. (My favorite role for her is "The Women", not to mention all the Ma Kettles.) Of course, Beery had been in silents for YEARS, and made the transition to talkies. In "Mail", Baggot (Beery) tries to rob a wagon with Tucker (Main) on board. He interrupts another robber who also thought there was gold to be had. Darryl Hickman is Tommy, who gets a delivery, the center of all the trouble. Tucker seem to have a myriad of occupations... she drives a mail coach, and dances and sings on the saloon stage. Not really much of a plot here...or maybe too many sub plots. When Tommy's dad is knocked off, he goes to live with Baggot, which appears to be out in the woods. Kind of feels like they they had Main and Beery sitting around, so they wrote a story around em. Not the best work for either of them. Tucker decides they want the railroad to come to town, so halfway through, we go with that storyline. This film seems to have several sub stories, which come to an end when another begins. Written by Gardner Sullivan, who had started in the silents, like Beery, and had worked with him waaay back in 1924. Sullivan was also involved with "All Quiet on the Western Front", two Oscars, so that one had a much tighter storyline. It's OK, but I think they tried to work in too many stories. They should have tightened up the script and gone with less sub stories. It's still fun to see two greats like Main and Beery at work.

After Wallace Beery did The Champ with Jackie Cooper and after he did Min And Bill with Marie Dressler, MGM made a concerted effort to team him with old women and kids. In Jackass Mail he gets to work with both. Beery is cast as his usual reprobate character an outlaw in this case with J. Carrol Naish as a sidekick. In trying to rob a mule freight line that's ramrodded by Marjorie Main he gets fooled when another pair of outlaws, Dick Curtis and William Haade pull the job. Beery keeps trying to return to his crooked ways, but circumstances and Main keep him on the straight and narrowSubstituting for Jackie Cooper is young Darryl Hickman and Beery has to live a lie the way John Wayne did with Lee Aaker in Hondo after he kills Haade who is Hickman's father.After Marie Dressler died, Beery was teamed with a succession of character women like Marjorie Main. Jackass Mail is a great example of the chemistry the two had with each other. And his scenes with Darryl Hickman are poignant as well, probably the best in the film.

Not a dull moment. Great chemistry between Marjorie Main and Wallace Berry AND between Wallace Berry and Darryl Hickman. I especially enjoyed little Tommy guilelessly busting Baggot when he was up to his old tricks. It was precious and refreshing.Marjorie Main's style of dealing with men is a lesson in the direct approach made charming and irresistible.J. Carrol Naish as a Mexican up-to-no-good tempter of Berry behind the scenes but Marjorie's entertaining buddy in front of her was also a very amusing departure from his usual roles.It was definitely worth staying up for.

This is the second or the Beery's mule pictures in the early 1940's. I enjoyed it. Not because it's a great western - it's not. It's simple B fair. But what it is seems to transcend the normal B schlock and it's mostly due to Beery and Main. If you don't disect it - you'll love it!