Pardon My Past or Think Mink

     Pardon My Past is an odd little movie from 1945 that stars Fred MacMurray, William Demarest and Marguerite Chapman.  It is a postwar movie that takes a decidedly lighthearted view of GIs return to civilian life.  No ‘Best Years of Our Lives’ here.  The plot, for those out of the loop is roughly as follows: 
        Newly released GIs

        Chuck Gibson and Eddie York

Movie star status Proof # 1:
Glamorous studio portrait.

        Are in for a surprise

        When pulled off the streets of New York.            

        Plot propellant number one

        Mistaken identities

        Eddie looks like F. Pemberton

        Who owes a lot of monies.

        Claims that he’s York don’t work

        Mr. Arnold demands payment

        Takes Chuck and Eddie’s three Gs

        Then throws them out on the pavement.

        Mink farm funds now depleted

        New scheme must be needed.

        Plot propellant number two

        From rich look alike Francis

        Acquire cash or IOU

        At the Pemberton manse-es.

        Mr. P's been out of town for two years

        And is a grade-A heel, so it appears.

        They spend the night, but then comes the dawn

        Open the safe and the moneys all gone

        Uncle Wills is up to something rotten

        Hoping to increase his gains, ill gotten.

        Plot propellant number three

        Though deception makes him feel jerky

        While staying at the Pemberton home

        Eddie falls for cousin Joan.

        But Mr. Arnold won’t be put off

        And at Eddie’s protests continues to scoff

        Finally they wheedle a check from Uncle Wills

        Enough to cover unpaid bills.

        Ah but plot propellant number four

        The real Francis arrives at front door

        And grandpa reveals with maniacal grin

        Eddie is Francis’ long lost twin!

        Finally settle all the bills

        And true identities revealed

        It’s out on his back for Uncle Wills

        And all the other problems healed.

        Chuck, Eddie and Joan rush to catch their train

        And meet up with Mr. Arnold again.

        They start to run, from force of habits

        But he comes bearing gifts

        And who would’ve guessed

        That minks breed just like rabbits.

Movie star status Proof # 2:
Fans demanding autographs.

Like many moviegoers I was originally familiar with Fred MacMurray through a series of fluffy Disney movies.  Among others, he was both the Absent Minded Professor and the Happiest Millionaire (though being married to Greer Garson who could blame him?).  It was therefore rather surprising to find at one point he had been a prominent and popular romantic leading man.  What?  The man who invented flubber?  Surely not.  There are numerous movies from the 30s and 40s that will cement him in viewers’ minds as a bona fide movie star.  This movie might not be one of them.

Pardon My Past has an absolutely goofy, ridiculous plot, with highly soap-operatic moments (why it must be his twin!), but its pretty good fun in spite of that.  Or maybe because of it.  I personally tend to enjoy ridiculous, goofy, minimal plot movies.  My biggest disappointment in this movie was that it did not actually take place on a mink farm as I was anticipating.  The pacing is fairly quick and never really lags.  The only times it drags is when it tries to get semi-serious.  The billowing musical score during the “dramatic” scenes, ie the ones with abandoned wife and child, was unnecessary and distracting.  No such cues needed in a comedy.  But that is a minor complaint.

      One final thing to note, this was one of several movies costarring MacMurray and Demarest, long before ‘My Three Sons’ aired.