There is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Blistering performances.

Second up in the Michael Shayne, Private Detective series, this is the one most people pick as the best: "Sleepers West" (1941). While the action is not half as colorful as in the 1952 re-make, "The Narrow Margin", the Shayne movie does devote a large amount of running time to an intriguing sub-plot involving Louis-Jean Heydt (of all people) with noir icon, Mary Beth Hughes. Railroad buffs will also appreciate all the express train footage and allusions which, alas, are disappointingly sidetracked when the train is delayed. Beautifully photographed by Peverell Marley (who seems at pains to show us how small in stature and long in nose Mr. Nolan actually is), this picture is also a must for Lynn Bari fans. She has never looked more attractive.

****SPOILERS****Michael Shayne, Lloyd Nolan, got his hands full in delivering a very important witness to exonerate someone, Joe Callahan, that Shayne when he was a cop sent up the river for four years for robbery. The witness Helen Carlson, Mary Beth Hughes, is whisked literally under cover on the Denver to San Francisco train to get her to the court, not church, on time to testify in Callahan's defense. It's there where the trouble begins in that in exonerating Callahan would implicate the Governor of the state of California Clebe Wentworth in framing Calllahan for the murder that the Gov's son Larry committed! The trouble in all this is that the star witness Helen Carlson is not that dependable in testifying in that she's a cold stone drunk and on top of all that the Governor's goons are out to whack her before she makes it to SF to testify! And it's poor Michael Shayne's job to make sure that she get there alive!We also have Shayne's pesky ex-girlfriend reporter Kay Bently, Lynn Bari, who's not only engaged-do you notice that back in those days in the movies that more women are engaged then married- to the Gov's right hand man Tom Linscott, Donald Douglas, whom Shayne takes an immediate dislike of! What comes from right out of the blue is Everette Jason, Louis Jean Heydt,who's escaping from his boring and secure life as a dry goods salesman with his life savings, $10,000,00, for a much better life of thrills and excitement as a big game hunter in South America. It's later that Jason hooks up with Helen Carlson and plans to check out of the country and elope to South America! Thus leaving both Michael Shayne and the person she's to testify for both out in the cold and strapped into the San Quentin gas chamber.***SPOILERS***Llyod Nolan looking as if he suffering from a severe case of sleep deprivation sleepwalks through the entire movie in trying to get Helen to testify as well as keeping her from getting drunk as well as killed at the same time. Kay Bently does her best to screw things up for Shayne in being angry at him for keeping the big story of Helen testifying from her not realizing that a man's-Callahan- life is at stake and may well end up losing it because of her foolish actions. Much like the far better movie "The Narrow Margin" released ten years later the film is saved by the comedy relief of Pullman Porter Ben Carter who discovers Jason's $10,000.00 and thinks he embezzled it and keeps upping the amount in how much it is, from $10,000.00 to a half a million, that throws everything else in the movie completely out of whack!

Private eye Michael Shayne must escort a special witness by train. It turns out to be more trouble than he bargained for. Fun entry in the Michael Shayne series. Lloyd Nolan's great, as usual. Lynn Bari is Shayne's ex, a lady reporter trying to snoop out a story. Clichéd character, sure, but Bari makes it work. Nice support from Edward Brophy, Don Costello, and Mary Beth Hughes. Ben Carter and Mantan Moreland provide comic relief. Lots of snappy patter in this one and a nice pace. I'm a sucker for trains so having most of this movie take place on one was a plus for me. All in all, it's one of the better Michael Shayne movies I've seen. Nothing extraordinary but a good B detective flick.

In terms of suspense and action, this is one of the weaker entries in the Shayne series. Most of the storyline is confined to a train ride carrying a secret witness to a west coast trial, who Shayne is supposed to protect from those who don't want her to appear. Unfortunately, not much use is made of the confined conditions to build suspense. Then too, we know early on the identity of the witness and who's on board to silence her, so there's not much mystery, either.Fortunately, there is a sparkling cast, led by the breezy Nolan, along with a brassy Hughes and a bumptious Bari. In fact, Bari and Hughes are natural personality rivals, setting off some delicious undercurrents. Then there's an unheralded threesome of black porters, who contribute humorously to the overall lightweight mood. Look also for Louis Jean Heydt, a familiar face from that era, who does well with a larger than usual role. All in all, it's an entertaining 70-minutes, but not up to the series' trademark mix of suspense plus humor.