This week’s mystery movie was the 1945 Twentieth Century-Fox film “Molly and Me,” with Gracie Fields, Monty Woolley, Roddy McDowall, Reginald Gardiner, Natalie Schafer, Edith Barrett, Clifford Brooke, Aminta Dyne, Queenie Leonard, Doris Lloyd, Patrick O’Moore and Lewis L. Russell.
Screenplay by Leonard Praskins, adaptation by Roger Burford. From a novel by Frances Marion.
Music by Cyril J. Mockridge, musical direction by Emil Newman, arrangements by Maurice DePachk. Photography by Charles Clarke. Art direction by Lyle Wheeler and Albert Hogsett. Set decorations by Thomas Little and Al Orenbach. Edited by John McCafferty. Costumes by Yvonne Wood. Makeup by Ben Nye. Photographic effects by Fred Sersen. Sound by Bernard Freericks and Roger Heman.
Produced by Robert Bassler. Directed by Lewis Seiler.
“Molly and Me” is available on DVD from TCM and available via streaming from Amazon. The film was shown once on TCM in the last 20 years, in a 2015 tribute to Monty Woolley.
After my comment last week about “Holiday in Mexico” helping Roddy McDowall make the transition from juvenile roles, I decided to rummage around in the vault for some of his earlier pictures and came up with the delightful comedy “Molly and Me.” Gracie Fields stars in the story of unemployed actors passing themselves off as household staff to a fussy former member of Parliament. Monty Woolley growls and blusters his way through the movie and Reginald Gardiner as the out of work actor playing a butler (with a fondness for drink) is quite amusing.
The AFI catalog (nuts to you, IMDB) says “Molly and Me” was shot in late 1944, when McDowall was 16; he was 17 when he made “Holiday in Mexico.” The AFI catalog has much more information on the production of the film.
And let’s see which New York Times critic hated it.
That would be Bosley Crowther (May 26, 1945), who doesn’t exactly hate the movie but wants you to know he didn’t enjoy it all that much.
Gracie Fields and Monty Woolley have teamed up to give Twentieth Century-Fox, and anyone who visits the Gotham these days, another enjoyable comedy…. Miss Fields and Mr. Woolley are an ideal match and they communicate a spirit of friendliness which goes far towards glossing over a basically banal script.
For Monday, we have a mystery lad. His companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear Friday.
Update: This is Walter Tetley (the voice of Sherman in the Mr. Peabody cartoons) and Gracie Fields.
Update: For Friday, I have revealed our mysterious leading lady, previously cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness.
For Tuesday, we have these mystery fellows. They do not (and trust me on this) approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is David Clyde and Jean Del Val.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery lad and cropped-out companion lacking sufficient mysteriousness), Skretvedt (Monday’s mystery lad), Suzanne A. Stone (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery lad and mystery cast), Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery lad), Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery lad), L.C. (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery lad and mystery cast) and Bob Hansen (Monday’s mystery lad).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Doris Lloyd.
We also have this mystery gent.
Update: This is Gordon Richards.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery chef and mysterious gardener), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery companion cropped out for insufficient mysteriousness and Tuesday’s mystery guests) and Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this elegant mystery gent ready for an elegant dinner.
This is Monty Woolley, the man who came to dinner.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests) and Floyd Thursby (mystery movie, and Monday’s and Tuesday’s mystery guests and Wednesday’s mystery gent).
For Friday, we have an elegant mystery woman.
Update: This is Natalie Schafer.
We also have this mysterious pair. Perfectly matched and very funny.
Update: This is Reginald Gardiner and Gracie Fields.
And look who else we have. A mystery youth.
Update: And Roddy McDowall.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery gent), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gent), Jenny M. (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gent), David Inman (Thursday’s mystery gent), Charles Kjelland (Thursday’s mystery gent), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery gent), Beach Gal (mystery movie and all mystery guests, predicting Friday’s mystery guests), Gary (Thursday’s mystery guest), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests, predicting Friday’s mystery guests), Blackwing Jenny (Thursday’s mystery guest), Allie Francis (Thursday’s mystery guest), Sue Slutzky (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery gent), Thom and Megan (mystery movie, Monday’s, Tuesday’s mystery guests, Wednesday’s mystery gent and Thursday’s mystery gent) and Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery gent).
ladailymirror.com 
Walter Tetley in MOLLY AND ME (1945), with Gracie Fields unseen.
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Looks like Walter Tetley, who was “Leroy” on radio’s “The Great Gildersleeve” and “Sherman” on the TV cartoon “Peabody’s Improbable History.”
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Walter Tetley in “Molly and Me” with Monty Woolley, Gracie Fields and Roddy McDowell. and
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Walter Tetley.
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Kendall McComas?
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An excellent guess! But, alas, Kendall had retired from films by the time our mystery movie was made.
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Walter Tetley, in “Molly and Me”.
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This is Walter Tetley in Molly and Me (1945) talking to Gracie Fields. Also, Monty Wooley, Roddy McDowall, Reginald Gardner…
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I think this is Walter Tetley, but I have no idea what movie it’s from.
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Jack Egger?
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An excellent guess! But, alas, Jack had retired from films by the time our mystery movie was made.
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Henry Blair?
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A good guess, but alas, I’m afraid not.
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David Clyde, Jean Del Val
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Gracie Fields from Monday and today David Clyde and Jean Del Val in MOLLY AND ME.
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Let’s not be Coy.
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MOLLY AND ME. Walter Tetley Monday, and David Clyde and Jean de Val today.
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Doris Lloyd and Lewis L. Russell.
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Doris Lloyd; Gordon Richards.
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Doris Lloyd and Gordon Richards.
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For Monday we have Walter Tetley. For Tuesday David Clyde and Jean Del Val. For Wednesday Gordon Richards. The movie is the delightful “Molly and Me.”
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Matthew Boulton yesterday and Monty Woolley today.
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Monty Woolley. Perhaps “Molly and Me.”
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Monty Woolley in Molly and Me.
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Monty Woolley today — is this “Holy Matrimony”?
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Monty Woolley today?
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Monty Woolley.
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Molly & Me
Mon Walter Tetley
Tues David Clyde and Jean Del Val
Wed Gordon Richards
Thurs Monte Wooley
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Tomorrow we should see a visit from Gracie Field and Master Roddy McDowell.
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I think Wed newspaper woman might be a younger version of “Mrs Graham” played by Doris Lloyd
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Monty Wooley
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I’m guessing that young Mr. McDowell being in the cast has influenced your choice for the week.
“Molly and Me” 1945 (thanks to Monty)
Monday – Walter Tetley (maybe Ms. Fields is the ‘cropped for lack of mysteriousness’ person??)
Tuesday – David Clyde and Jean Del Val
Wednesday – Doris Lloyd in the newspaper. Still working on the guy in image 2
Thursday – Monty Woolley
Future forecast for Friday’s cast list: Gracie Fields, Roddy McDowell, Reginald Gardiner and maybe Natalie Schafer.
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Hello Monty Woolley!
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Hello Monty Woolley!
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Monty Woolley
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“Molly and Me”
Monday: Walter Tetley
Tuesday: David Clyde and Jean Del Val
Wednesday: Woman on newspaper – Doris Lloyd?, Man – Gordon Richards
Thursday: Monty Woolley
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Aha! Monty Woolley in “Molly and Me.”
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Our mystery movie is Molly and Me. Our guests are Walter Tetley, David Clyde, Jean Del Val, Ottola Nesmith, Gordon Richards, and Monty Woolley.
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Monty Wooley.
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Gordon Richards Wednesday, then Natalie Schafer, Reginald Gardiner, Gracie Fields, and our friend from last week without his goggles, Roddy McDowell.
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Fri Natalie Schafer, Reginald Gardiner, Gracie Fields, Roddy McDowell
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Natalie Schafer; Reginald Gardiner, Gracie Fields; Master Roddy.
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Molly and Me. When I was at the Coconut Grove Playhose in Miami, lo these many years ago, Reg Gardiner appeared in Visit to a Small Planet, directed by the author Mr. Vidal. After the performance he would sit in the bar out front and hold forth with tales of Betty and Monte and Zanuck and I, his rapt audience, hung on his every word. While I remember none of the tales I can still see him just lifting his glass…and talking and talking and talking…he apparently only ever needed an audience of one.
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Gracie Fields, Natalie Schafer, Reginald Gardiner, and Roddy McDowell.
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Friday: Natalie Schafer, Reginald Gardiner, Gracie Fields, and Roddy McDowall.
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Lovey, Reggie, Gracie, and Roddy
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I guess you grew up with Gilligan’s Island as you seem to use this lady at every opportunity.
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