The awesome, suave Robert Montgomery is "Silky" Kilmount, former booze maker during prohibition. Now that it's all legal and above-board, he's raking it in the legal way. Eddy Arnold is "Doc Ramsey", just getting released from prison, after getting framed by Silky years back, according to Doc. Montgomery's accent keeps changing, as he tries to speak in a blue collar, uneducated accent, a major departure for him. So when Silky inherits a title and a whole lotta land in the UK, Doc offers to look after things back home. but it doesn't go so well. This one is pretty light, fluffy material. some funny scenes, as Silky goes on the tour of his own castle, and corrects the tour guide who is leading the group. co-stars Reginald Owen (disney star) and Ed Gwenn (Kris Kringle!). it's pretty good. typical role for Arnold; always played the lawyer, the mafia boss, or some such. Montgomery usually played the well educated businessman, or the fiance, who was usually rich, or sometimes the common man marrying up. and keep an eye out for Norma Varden; was Lady Beekman in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". here, she's the mother of the young Kilmount lad, who is getting cheated out of his inheritance. Some ups and downs. according to the NOTES section on TCM.com, actual scenery of London was shot by producer Saville, and was later used in the film. Novel by Brock Williams. Directed by Richard Thorpe, who did many silents and many talkies, from the 1920s right into the 1960s. this one would have been right in the middle of his career.
Review of The Earl of Chicago
