Amusing, often funny black comedy, "Murder, He Says" pits a pollster in search of his missing co-worker against a family of "tetched" hillbillies, who will let nothing stop them from finding a hidden stash of cash. Gifted in both drama and comedy, Fred MacMurray gives a fine comedic performance as Pete Marshall, the pollster who follows his missing comrade into the boonies both to locate the man and finish the poll. The ramshackle Fleagle House was the last known destination of his co-worker, and there Marshall encounters Marjorie Main as Mamie Fleagle and her murderous brood. Mamie and her twin boys are paying a visit to their dying Grandma Fleagle. Because Grandma knows the whereabouts of money stolen by another family member, Bonnie Fleagle, who is supposed to be in jail, Mamie and the boys are eager to send Grandma to her final reward, once she coughs up the clues.
Marjorie Main matches MacMurray in the comedy department with an over-the-top turn as a murderous matriarch. Peter Whitney is amusing in a dual role as the identical twins Mert and Bert, and Porter Hall is also quite funny as Mr. Johnson, Mamie's latest husband. The clever screenplay and director George Marshall keep the action fast, and even throw in an off hand plug for Paramount's earlier black comedy "The Ghost Breakers" with Bob Hope. A hysterical sequence with a revolving dining table, secret passages and glowing dogs, a nonsense rhyme and a needlepoint sampler, and a climactic scene with a baling machine add up to 90 minutes of solid fun and entertainment.
Marjorie Main matches MacMurray in the comedy department with an over-the-top turn as a murderous matriarch. Peter Whitney is amusing in a dual role as the identical twins Mert and Bert, and Porter Hall is also quite funny as Mr. Johnson, Mamie's latest husband. The clever screenplay and director George Marshall keep the action fast, and even throw in an off hand plug for Paramount's earlier black comedy "The Ghost Breakers" with Bob Hope. A hysterical sequence with a revolving dining table, secret passages and glowing dogs, a nonsense rhyme and a needlepoint sampler, and a climactic scene with a baling machine add up to 90 minutes of solid fun and entertainment.