This week’s mystery movie has been the 1939 RKO picture “Fixer Dugan,” with Lee Tracy, Virginia Weidler, Peggy Shannon, Bradley Page, William Edmunds, Edward Gargan, Jack Arnold, Rita LaRoy, Irene Franklin, John Dilson and Edythe Elliott. Photography was by J. Roy Hunt, art direction by Van Nest Polglase, special effects by Vernon L. Walker. Screenplay by Bert Granet and Paul Yawitz, adapted from the play “What’s a Fixer For?” by H.C. Potter. Produced by Cliff Reid and directed by Lew Landers.
“Fixer Dugan” is available on DVD from Warner Archive with three other RKO pictures: “Criminal Lawyer,” “Behind the Headlines” and “Crashing Hollywood.”
Writing in the New York Times (May 6, 1939), B.R.C. said:
When you’ve seen one circus picture, particularly one, “Fixer Dugan,” at the Rialto, you’ve practically seen them all. The high and low spots you should be able by this time to greet like old friends: the trapeze artiste who takes a fatal misstep; the lion that escapes and mangles somebody not essential to the story, and so on.
And yes, it was a bit soon to have another circus picture, but I wanted to do a Peggy Shannon film and there aren’t many in the Daily Mirror vault.
You may recall a controversy last year about movie titles being mere lists until Saul Bass began doing them. Here’s another entry in rebuttal to that argument.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Bob Burns.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery woman. She does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Rita LaRoy.
For Wednesday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is William Edmunds.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Monday’s and Tuesday’s mystery guests), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery woman) and Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery woman).
For Thursday, two mystery kids in newsboy caps!
Update: This is Virginia Weidler and an unidentified companion. Sonny Bupp, who gets roughly equal screen time in the same sequence, is identified while this young man isn’t. I try to post images of people of color whenever possible to show that they were in films, but not always identified, in the hope that someone will recognize them.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Don Danard (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guest) and Mike Hawks (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
And for Friday…
Update: This is Lee Tracy and Peggy Shannon.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s Mystery Kid No. 1), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s Mystery Kid No. 1), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s Mystery Kid No. 1), Patrick (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mystery gent and Thursday’s Mystery Kid No. 1), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Thursday’s Mystery Kid No. 1), Sylvia E. (mystery movie, Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests and Thursday’s Mystery Kid No. 1) and L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast).
ladailymirror.com 
My Monday morning guess is Russell Simpson
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Good guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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I suppose Chill Wills is too obvious for Monday. Did he have a brother?
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Our guess for today is Francis Ford.
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Two votes for Francis Ford, but alas I’m afraid not.
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The Marx Brothers At the Circus.
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No, but you’re on the right track.
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Here’s a wild guess: Francis Ford?
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A very good guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Monday: Bob Burns in FIXER DUGAN.
Tuesday: Rita La Roy.
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Rita LeRoy and Whirlpool.
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Rita La Roy for Tuesday?
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Isabel Jewell?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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FIXER DUGAN and Jack BAxley on Monday.
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Guss Glassmire Monday and William Edmunds today.
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Just making a guess based on nothing but the circus setting — “The Dark Tower”?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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A shot in the dark for a Wednesday, but is the Mystery Man William Edmunds?
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William Edmunds.
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Bob Burns, Rita LaRoy, William Edmunds in FIXER DUGAN.
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Virginia Weidler today and Lew Kelly on Monday.
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Guessing Philip Hurlic in ZENOBIA, a wacky movie with TWO elephants
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Alas, I’m afraid not. But an interesting guess.
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Virginia Weidler and?
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Virginia Weidler.
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Bradley Page, Peggy Shannon, William Edmunds and Virginia Weidler in Fixer Dugan from 1939.
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Virginia Weidler in Fixer Dugan.
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Bobby Jordan and Mathew Stymie Beard in Kid Millions?
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Fixer Dugan 1939
Mon – Bob Burns (I think)
Tues – Rita La Roy
Weds – William Edmunds (I think)
Thurs – news cap kid on the left is Virginia Weidler. news cap kid on the right, I’m still working on
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Fri – Lee Tracy and Peggy Shannon
Hope you have an update on Thurs’ 2nd ‘kid in a newsboy cap’ – he looks very serious.
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Fixer Dugan (1939) w/Lee Tracy, William Edmunds, Virginia Weidler (“newsboy”), Peggy Shannon, Rita La Roy, …
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Lee Tracy and Peggy Shannon.
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Lee Tracy and Peggy Shannon today.
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Lee Tracy and Peggy Shannon.
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Fixer Dugan starring Lee Tracy
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A guess: “Carnival” (1935)?
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Movie: Fixer Dugan, Monday: Bob Burns, Tuesday: Rita La Roy, Weds: William Edmunds, Thurs: Virginia Weidler, I don’t know who the boy is, Friday: Lee Tracy and Peggy Shannon
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