The Milkman Reviews

THE MILKMAN did not deliver the cream in this picture, a silly vehicle for O'Connor and Durante in which they strut what little stuff is given them by the quartet of writers. That it took four authors to make this film is a mystery and proof that too many cows spoil the milk. O'Connor is an addled war veteran whose father, O'Neill, owns a large dairy. O'Neill's old pal, Durante, works for a different milk company and is about to retire from his job. O'Neill would like O'Connor to rest from his war rigors, as the boy has a speech affliction that causes him to speak like one of Ross Bagdasarian's chipmunks when he is under tension, which is often. O'Connor wants to follow in O'Neill's footsteps, but when his own father won't give him a job, O'Connor goes to work with Durante. But he is a terrible milkman, nervous and unable to follow the advice of the 1940s song, "Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet." Risdon owns the rival milk company and her ne'er-do-well nephew, Barker, is in hock to a gang of gamblers led by William Conrad. There's a bit of menace, some nice comedy work by Durante (and far too much mugging by O'Connor), and a few songs that never went anywhere. The best acting in the picture is turned in by Piper Laurie as the girl who wins O'Connor. Screenwriter Stern became very successful in TV, writing "The Honeymooners" and producing "Get Smart," "MacMillan and Wife," and other shows. Ragaway became a best-selling author of small, very funny books which he published through Stern's book company, Price-Stern-Sloan. All four writers would do far better in years to come on their own. Songs include: "Girls Don't Want My Money" (Jimmy Durante, Jack Barnett, sung by Durante), "That's My Boy" (Durante, Barnett, sung by Durante, Donald O'Connor), "It's Bigger Than Both of Us" (Sammy Fain, Barnett, sung by Durante, O'Connor), and "Early Morning Song" (Fain, Barnett, sung by O'Connor).