NO HANDS ON THE CLOCK (1941) Chester Morris, Jean Parker & Rose Hobart | Crime, Mystery | B&W

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No Hands on the Clock is a 1941 American comedy mystery film directed by Frank McDonald starring Chester Morris as detective Humphrey Campbell. The cast also included Jean Parker and Rose Hobart. It was produced by Pine-Thomas Productions and released by Paramount Pictures.

SYNOPSIS
A wise-cracking private eye is sent to celebrate his honeymoon in the divorce capital of the world, Reno, Nevada, to find a missing man. Along the way, he encounters suspicious characters and a trail of dead bodies.

The first of three Pine-Thomas productions for Chester Morris finds him as wise-cracking private detective Humphrey Campbell who impresses his boss, Oscar Flack, no end by not only finding a missing girl but also marrying her in the process. So Flack sends him to celebrate his honeymoon in the Divorce Capital of the world, Reno, Nevada, to find a missing man. Along the way, in a mixture of big city crime and old-west settings, Humphrey encounters a large assortment of suspicious characters, all of whom are also suspicious of the others. A comedy that also includes some killings along the way.

Eventually, Gypsy lures Humphrey into an abduction; it turns out that Red Harris wants revenge on Stafford, Humphrey's crooked lookalike. Red has to be convinced that Humphrey is not the one he wants. Humphrey determines that Red does not know any of the murder suspects, at least under their real names, so Humphrey suggests that Red stand outside a window to try to identify the person who knows him well enough to know his trademark. Red does not trust him, but Louise, who was caught snooping outside, offers to be Red's hostage.

Humphrey gathers everybody in Copley's office. Red does not spot anyone he knows and is killed in a shootout with the FBI agents, tipped off by an anonymous phone call. Humphrey finally realizes the killer must be Copley.

CAST & CREW
Chester Morris as Detective Humphrey Campbell
Jean Parker as Mrs. Louise Campbell
Rose Hobart as Mrs. Marion West
Dick Purcell as Red Harris
Astrid Allwyn as Gypsy Toland
Rod Cameron as Tom Reed
Lorin Raker as Clyde Copley
Billie Seward as Rose Madden
George Watts as Oscar Flack
James Kirkwood as Warren Benedict
Robert Middlemass as Police Chief Bates
Ralph Sanford as Officer Gimble
Grant Withers as Harry Belding
George J. Lewis as Dave Paulson

Directed by Frank McDonald
Written by Maxwell Shane
Based on No Hands on the Clock by Geoffrey Homes
Produced by William H. Pine William C. Thomas
Cinematography Fred Jackman Jr.
Edited by William H. Ziegler
Music by Paul Sawtell
Production Company Pine-Thomas Productions
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release Date 22 December 1941 (New York)
Running time 76 minutes
Country United States
Language English