A professor, a con man, and a fake stock scheme—what could possibly go right?
Acting
Hugh Herbert's 'woo-woo' chaos energy carries the whole scam.
Writing
Dialogue so rapid you'll miss three jokes blinking.
Director
Lew Landers
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Hugh Herbert's signature 'woo-woo' catchphrase was so popular it became a Looney Tunes sound effect. Director Lew Landers shot this in roughly two weeks for Columbia's B-picture unit.
Released months before the 1940 election, its stock fraud plot echoed real Ponzi schemes that devastated Depression-era investors—making the comedy oddly cathartic. The 'screwball con artist as hero' template influenced everything from The Sting to Wolf of Wall Street.
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