MartinHafer I've seen most of Red Skelton's films, so I can safely say that this is one of his better films. It's not his best, mostly because his character was goofy but not as sweet as likable as he was in some of his other pictures...plus the end seem to go on a bit long. Still, it's enjoyable and you could do a lot worse!When the film begins, Red (Red Skelton) is a total loser who wants to marry his sweetie (Janet Blair). However, she is a realist and knows that Red can't hold a job...and their marriage would be doomed. When he fired from yet another job, he decides he wants to become a Fuller Brush man...selling brushes door to door. Oddly, about a third of the way into the movie, the plot changes dramatically---and Red is pulled into a murder mystery. And, to make it worse, the cops think he's the most likely suspect. Can he, with the help of his girl, manage to find out what really happened and prove his innocence?This film is pleasant and fun. As I mentioned above, the ending was a bit of a disappointment as Red's fight with the baddies took very long--too long. It was full of stunts and folks getting bonked on the head. I would have preferred one or two less bonks! Still, it is a lot better than many of his films with MGM where the studio insisted on placing this comic in musicals--which wasted his many talents.

mark.waltz You like films that make you laugh so much that your stomach hurts? Then, this is your film. Red Skelton, on loan to Columbia from MGM, strikes gold. As the title suggests, he's a salesman selling brushes, but it is not all sugar and cream for him. His girlfriend Janet Blair's supposed male friend (Don McGuire) gives Skelton the opportunity to sell brushes, setting him up to fail so he can move in on Blair. Skelton and Blair get involved in murder with hysterical results.The movie is overabundant with hysterically funny gags straight out of vaudeville, and it is amazing how many of them work. The initial selling sequences are filled with gags straight out of the classic shorts that influenced the first wave of television sitcoms. Skelton hysterically deals with a rascally kid with a speech impediment, a temperamental actress out to vamp him (Adele Jergens), and finally, the gardeners of the man who had him fired from his job who ends up becoming the unfortunate murder victim. A hysterical sequence in Skelton's kitchen (straight out of the state room sequence from "A Night at the Opera") follows with a group of suspects and of course, a riotously funny finale in a warehouse.Like its even more outrageous follow-up, "The Fuller Brush Girl", the film was headway for a funny redhead to move into greater success on television.

CCsito The movies has Red Skelton playing an accident prone person who tries to succeed as a Fuller Brush Man. His girlfriend is at the breaking point from his employment failures and gives him another chance. There is another Fuller Brush man salesman who is Red's rival for the girl's affections. The movie has many sight gags and funny events happening to Red as he attempts to sell the brushes to potential customers. Red has a run in with the local sanitation director and damages his car. He is later unknowingly sent to the sanitation director's home where a murder later occurs and Red becomes the prime murder suspect. Red is trailed by the police and the other people who were present at the murder scene. A slapstick chase ensues as Red and his girlfriend are pursued by thugs who are attempting to retrieve the murder weapon. After a rather frenzied chase inside a warehouse area, the authorities are called in and arrest the actual murderer (who Red actually pointed out at the initial murder scene). There are quite a few laughs in the movie, although I thought the final chase scene had some redundant and somewhat lame action sequences. There is also a funny sequence when Red is at his home and then keeps getting guests arriving who were at the murder scene and he has to keep juggling the arrivals around. I thought that the storyline ended without the other cast of characters a bit too early and didn't include the other suspects at the end of the film.

John T. Ryan With the making of THE FULLER BRUSH MAN, Edward Small/Columbia Pictures,(1948) the period of the global hostilities of World War II is officially put to rest by Hollywood.The situations, the humor, the settings are all pointing to the theme of making a living and getting on with the newly won PEACE. There are no references to hostilities,rationing, the draft, nor any 'New Deal' Federal programs.The only connection to the previous wartime situation is the plot line involving the war surplus industry and the crooked individuals (in the story) fraudulently manipulating it.This was probably thought to be a 'Small' picture in more ways than one by MGM, the big studio that lent out young star under contract, Red Skelton, for the lead;perhaps much in the same way that they had lent Clark Gable to Columbia & Frank Capra for 1934's IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. While it's true that Red did not come back to his home studio with the Oscar as did Gable (Best Actor),Capra(Best Director),Claudette Colbert (Best Actress), Robert Riskin (Best Writing Adaptation) and the Movie(Best Picture) did, but he did give a comic performance that, in this writer's opinion topped his previous outings at MGM.Mr.Skelton had starred in the 3 comedies, WHISTLING IN THE DARK, WHISTLING IN DIXIE and WHISTLING IN BROOKLYN, all with the same Director (S.Sylvan Simon), but was never used better or was not funnier on the screen.The film, like the previously mentioned Skelton vehicles, has no pretensions about it.It's there to make us laugh. And it succeeds in a most thorough manner,bringing in post war elements such as having to wait for automobiles and home appliances to be made, but placing orders first.The coming on the scene of Television is included. The highlight of the film is a cartoon-like chase toward the end of the picture.(As silly as it may be, my wife and myself were in stitches over it!) Otherwise the story is bright, cheerful,hopeful and looks toward much happier, more prosperous days following the great World War II.