You Never Can Tell
Brief Synopsis
Poisoned after inheriting its master's estate, a dog comes back to Earth to find its killer.
Cast & Crew
Read More
Lou Breslow
Director
Dick Powell
Rex Shepard
Peggy Dow
Ellen Hathaway
Joyce Holden
Goldie Harvest
Charles Drake
Perry Collins
Albert Sharpe
Grandpa Hathaway
Film Details
Also Known As
One Never Knows
Genre
Comedy
Fantasy
Release Date
Sep
1951
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Universal-International Pictures Co., Inc.
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures Co., Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
9 reels
Synopsis
When tycoon Andrew Lindsay dies, he shocks his community by leaving his six million dollar fortune to King, his faithful dog. Lindsay's secretary, the sweet and lovely Ellen Hathaway, is the trustee of the estate and next in line to inherit. Ellen is besieged by fortune hunters, and when Corporal Perry Collins comes by to visit King and King seems to dislike him, she suspects that he is just another fortune hunter. Perry soon wins her over, however, by regaling her with stories of his days with King in the Army K-9 Corps. Weeks later, Ellen is falling in love with Perry, but King remains wary. Perry leaves for a business meeting, promising that if he secures backing for his project, he will return to ask Ellen "an important question." Later that day, King is found dead from poisoning, and the police immediately name Ellen as their top suspect. King's ghost rises that night to Bestiatory, or animal purgatory, where each spirit is judged and either allowed into heaven or sentenced to return to earth as a "hum-animal." Hum-animals are humans who retain their animal tendencies, and they must remain as such until they have paid for their former sins. King asks for, and is granted special permission to go back as a conscious hum-animal in order to clear Ellen of the false charges against her. With a guide, a female racehorse named Golden Harvest, King returns to earth as Rex Shepard, a private investigator with a taste for kibble. He informs Goldie that Perry is a sadistic animal abuser and killed King in order to marry Ellen and swindle her out of her inheritance. Rex's first order of business is to visit his old home, but Ellen at first refuses his offer to help her clear her name. She relaxes, however, when Lindsay's other dog, Tillie, who has not eaten since King died, joyfully eats out of Rex's hand. The next day, Perry informs Rex that he has persuaded Ellen to drop his investigation of the case, after which Rex sneaks back to the house to reconstruct the night of the murder from memory. He soon digs up the bottle of poison Perry used, and when Ellen sees it, she re-hires him. As soon as Rex asks her to postpone her upcoming wedding to Perry, however, she assumes he is only after her money and turns him in to the police as a possible murder suspect. The police bug his office, but as soon as they hear Rex reminiscing with Goldie about his days as a dog, they decide he is merely insane. Now unable to procure the police's help, Rex tracks down his old K-9 Corps friend, a bulldog named Max. He steals Max from his kennel and brings him to Ellen's, where he informs her that Perry beat the Army dogs, and proves his claim by setting Max loose to attack his old corporal. When Max's owner, Perry's old commander Major Smith, arrives, he confirms that Perry was transferred because he was cruel to the animals. With Perry safely in police custody, Ellen asks a smitten Rex to visit her again, but Goldie reminds him that they must return to Bestiatory that night or be forced to remain on earth as humans with no memory of their animal days. Rex at first leaves with Goldie, but when she mentions that Ellen is actually a part-shepherd hum-animal, Rex decides to stay on earth with Ellen for at least one more lifetime.
Director
Lou Breslow
Director
Cast
Dick Powell
Rex Shepard
Peggy Dow
Ellen Hathaway
Joyce Holden
Goldie Harvest
Charles Drake
Perry Collins
Albert Sharpe
Grandpa Hathaway
Lou Polan
Lt. Gilpin
Frank Nelson
Lt. Tesrow
Will Vedder
Nicholas
Frank Gerstle
Det. Hyatt
Ott George
Det. Luisetti
Flame, A German Shepherd
King
Steven Darrell
Major Smith
Watson Downs
Slott
Sara Taft
Mrs. Bowers
Olan Soule
Salesman
Freeman Lusk
Mr. Smith
Tom Dugan
Bus driver
Russ Conway
Policeman
Clarence Straight
Policeman
Mack Gary
Inmate
Charles Sullivan
Inmate
Tony Barr
Inmate
Paul Bryar
Inmate
Henry Kulky
Gorilla
Roy Engel
Jailer
Steve Pendleton
Motor policeman
Ted Stanhope
Headwaiter
Richard Bartell
Waiter
Jack Gargan
Smitty
Kit Guard
Squint Eye
Jack Reynolds
Cab driver
Genevieve Bell
Dowager
Larry Johns
Jack Daly
Margaret Bert
Elsie Baker
Joy Hallward
Juanita Close
Alan Marston
Leslie Raymaster
Crew
Frank Barnes
Trainer for Flame
Lou Breslow
Story
Lou Breslow
Screenwriter
Leslie I. Carey
Sound
David Chandler
Screenwriter
Richard Deweese
Sound
Russell A. Gausman
Set Decoration
Maury Gertsman
Director of Photography
Leonard Goldstein
Producer
Alexander Golitzen
Art Director
Bert Granville
Acting coach
Frank Gross
Film Editor
Bernard Herzbrun
Art Director
David S. Horsley
Special Photographer
Ruby R. Levitt
Set Decoration
Gene Lewis
Dialogue Director
Jack Rixey
Sound
Hans J. Salter
Music
John Sherwood
Assistant Director
Joan St. Oegger
Hairstylist
Dewey Starkey
Unit Manager
Bill Thomas
Gowns
Bud Westmore
Makeup
Film Details
Also Known As
One Never Knows
Genre
Comedy
Fantasy
Release Date
Sep
1951
Premiere Information
not available
Production Company
Universal-International Pictures Co., Inc.
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures Co., Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 18m
Sound
Mono
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
9 reels
Articles
You Never Can Tell
Poisoned after inheriting its master's estate, a dog comes back to Earth to find its killer.
You Never Can Tell
Poisoned after inheriting its master's estate, a dog comes back to Earth to find its killer.
Quotes
Oh Goldie, these are humans we're dealing with. You can't tell them the truth and expect them to believe it.- Rex Shepherd
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was One Never Knows. Film Daily Year Book erroneously lists the working title as You Can Never Tell. Although Leslie I. Carey and Richard DeWeese are credited onscreen with sound direction, a Hollywood Reporter news item lists Jack Rixie and DeWeese as sound men. You Never Can Tell marked Lou Breslow's directorial debut and actress Sara Taft's feature film debut. "King" was portrayed by "Flame," a German Shepherd who had appeared in the "Rusty" series of films released by Columbia in the 1940s. For additional information on the series, please consult the entry for Adventures of Rusty in AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1941-50.
According to a April 6, 1951 Variety news item, Bert Granville, an actor who portrayed animals for twenty-five years in vaudeville and on the radio, coached Dick Powell on how to act like a dog. Hollywood Citizen-News reported on June 30, 1951 that Breslow previewed the film before ten married couples, culled from lists given to him by ministers, a rabbi and a priest, apparently to test their reactions to the afterlife subplot. Hollywood Reporter news items add Everett Glass, Ted Strange and Joe Ploski to the cast, but their appearance in the final film has not been confirmed.
