You Never Can Tell (1951 film)

You Never Can Tell is 1951 American comedy film directed by Lou Breslow and starring Dick Powell, Peggy Dow and Joyce Holden. The film was loosely remade as Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980) starring Chevy Chase.^[1]

You Never Can Tell
Directed by	Lou Breslow
Screenplay by	Lou Breslow David Chandler
Story by	Lou Breslow
Produced by	Leonard Goldstein
Starring	Dick Powell Peggy Dow Joyce Holden
Cinematography	Maury Gertsman
Edited by	Frank Gross
Music by	Hans J. Salter
Production company	Universal Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	September 23, 1951 (1951-09-23) (United States)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

An ex-army German Shepherd named King inherits a fortune from his eccentric millionaire owner. Should King die, the fortune will pass to the late millionaire's secretary, Ellen (Peggy Dow). Perry Collins (Charles Drake) calls to visit King, ingratiating himself with the story that he remembers King from his army days and that he rescued King from a jeep accident. But Collins has designs on both Ellen and the fortune she will inherit on King's death and when King is found poisoned, King's spirit asks Lion (the leader in the heaven for animals) to send him back to earth to solve his own murder. He returns as Rex Shepard, a private investigator (Dick Powell). Lion also sends Golden Harvest, a racehorse, back to earth as Goldie Harvey (Joyce Holden) to help Rex. Goldie and Rex must solve the case before the full moon or they will have to remain on earth as humans.

Cast

• Dick Powell as Rex Shepard
• Peggy Dow as Ellen Hathaway
• Joyce Holden as Golden Harvest / Goldie Harvey
• Charles Drake as Perry Collins
• Albert Sharpe as Grandpa Hathaway
• Lou Polan as Police Sergeant Novak
• Frank Nelson as Police Lieutenant Gilpin
• Will Vedder as Nicholas
• Frank Gerstle as Detective
• Ott George as Detective Lieutenant Louie Luisetti

Critical response

Writing in AllMovie, critic Hal Erickson reported that the "most delightful aspect of You Never Can Tell is the film's ability to successfully sustain its single joke for 78 minutes," and that it is a "captivating piece of whimsy."^[2]