I'd meant Brass Monkey to be a kind of double-bill to Broadway Melody of 1929 - They are both backstage musicals. It turned out to be a different animal: a backstage radioshow musical mystery comedy, featuring some of the most famous Englishmen you've never heard of.
It stars Carroll Levis as Carroll Levis, the "Most Famous Canadian in England". Unknown now, it seems that he was a comedian with a popular radio variety show in England in the 40s. He is coming to England with a discovery, played by Carole Landis. Landis has an evil husband who is involved in smuggling the titular monkey, along with a gang that includes Ernest Thesiger (Bride of Frankenstein) and Herbert Lom as a French thug. The suspense is not the strongest part of this movie.
The humor is a little better. Levis' office is overrun with "talent", mostly obscure with the exception of Terry-Thomas, appearing under his own name. He does several lovely bits; I don't think I've ever seen him so unrestrained and out there. Another standout was Avril Anger, as Levis' secretary, a double-talking ditz in the Gracie Allen mode. But I also enjoyed the old geezer who played "Endearing Young Charms" on the musical saw.
Carole Landis committed suicide shortly after this movie was released, which dampened its reception. She was known for her tireless work entertaining the troops during the war. I remember her for I Wake Up Screaming, although I remember Betty Grable better. She could have done better than Brass Monkey, but I guess people don't always get to choose their last film.
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