More Mantan

 

 (imdb)

YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK-1941-Frankie O'Reilly (Frankie Darro), an elevator operator and Jeff Jefferson (Mantan Moreland), a porter, are witnesses to the murder of Mr. Dayton, a pro gambler. Darro's policeman brother Tom (Richard Bond) investigates. Dayton's roommate Whitney (Tristram Coffin) seems a likely suspect. Tom enlists his brother and Jeff to aid him. This doesn't work out so well. The duo trail Whitney to a nightclub where he forces owner gangster Johnny (Willy Castello) to give him 60 thousand dollars. When Whitney realizes if he leaves the club he'll be killed he gives the money to Frankie to give to his late partner's sister Joyce (Janet Shore). Whitney is killed and Frankie almost gets his brother thrown off the force but everything works out in the end. Moreland has some good lines but should have been used better. Director Howard Bretherton had directed Darro & Moreland in UP IN THE AIR the year before.

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Darro & Moreland

CHASING TROUBLE-1940-Jimmy (Frankie Darro) and Jefferson (Mantan Moreland) deliver flowers for an obviously shady florist. When Jimmy finds out his friend Susie (Marjorie Reynolds; later in THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES with Abbott and Costello) has lost her boyfriend (and job) he decides to find her a new one. He thinks someone named Bill Jones would be perfect. Among other things, Jimmy considers himself a handwriting expert. Saboteur Morgan (Alex Callam) convinces Jimmy he's a G-man and makes Jimmy one too so Jimmy can keep an eye on reporter Pat Callahan (Milburn Stone) who's investigating a murder which Morgan committed. Morgan's assistant is Phillips (Tristram Coffin). Naively Jimmy tries to set Susie up with Morgan. Later Jimmy figures out he's a spy and he and his gang have set a bomb at an airplane factory. Callahan winds up in the hospital but a traffic cop (Joe Devlin) helps him get out. Despite the racial subservient role Jeff is a lot wiser than Jimmy, suspecting trouble and questioning his partner's misguided motives. Director Howard Bretherton made UP IN THE AIR with the Darro-Moreland team (they made 8 together for Monogram Pictures).

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Up There

UP IN THE AIR-1940-Comedy drama/murder mystery set in a radio studio. When the vain, pain in the ass Rita Wilson (Lorna Gray), star of a popular radio show is killed, Frankie, a page (Frankie Darro) and Jeff, a janitor (Mantan Moreland) team up to solve the murder. Some suspects include the show’s producer (Tris Coffin), cowboy Tex (Gordon Jones) and the radio company's boss RJ (Dick Elliot). At one point Frankie and Jeff perform a routine based on one that Moreland did with his real comedy team partner FE Miller, with Darro in black face. When their boss makes Darro clean his face, Moreland says “Don't touch me. I don't rub off.'' Rita's replacement is newcomer Anne (Marjorie Reynolds). When the killer is found out Moreland foils his plan of escape (though accidentally). 

This was one of several short movies Darro and Moreland starred in together. Director Howard Bretheton directed mostly westerns and the Charlie Chan mystery THE TRAP.

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