Fans of Red won't find him doing one of his ditzy characters here. Instead, most of the comedy comes from the set-ups with Red reacting in often normal ways. He's an inventor, most importantly of one of the first gas-mobiles (cars), whose worth he's got to prove against defenders of the horse & buggy. At the same time, he's got to somehow wangle lady-love Sally Forrest away from her cranky old livery stable owner father, Bill Demarest. And it doesn't help that rival Macdonald Carey's out to sabotage Red at every turn. So there's plenty of plot to drive things along.
My guess is that the biggest attraction now are those picturesque old autos that amount to a real curiosity. The climactic auto race provides a good chance to sample the various experimental modes of propulsion, from steam to electricity to gasoline. Then too, some of the talk about polluting autos seems almost contemporary. Nonetheless, the rural picnic scenes are utterly charming and visually compelling, along with Monica Lewis' spirited warbling and Forrest's imaginative dance number. All in all, the movie's an unexpectedly interesting and lively slice of entertainment, though not the best showcase for Skelton's brand of slapstick humor.
My guess is that the biggest attraction now are those picturesque old autos that amount to a real curiosity. The climactic auto race provides a good chance to sample the various experimental modes of propulsion, from steam to electricity to gasoline. Then too, some of the talk about polluting autos seems almost contemporary. Nonetheless, the rural picnic scenes are utterly charming and visually compelling, along with Monica Lewis' spirited warbling and Forrest's imaginative dance number. All in all, the movie's an unexpectedly interesting and lively slice of entertainment, though not the best showcase for Skelton's brand of slapstick humor.