Fri 26 Sep 2025
Archived Movie Review: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? (1945).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , Science Fiction & Fantasy[8] Comments
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Twentieth Century Fox, 1945. Fred MacMurray, Joan Leslie, June Haver, Gene Sheldon, Anthony Quinn. Director; Gregory Ratoff.
A young man classified 4-F finds a magic lamp and wishes himself into uniform – in George Washington’s army at Valley Forge. He also ends up saving Christopher Columbus from mutineers and is suckered into buying Manhattan from the Indians.
Fred MacMurray’s clumsy mannerisms are engaging but wear thin surprisingly quickly. As a singer, though, well, he makes a fine comedian. This ditsy approach to history is good for a laugh or two, but it’s also terminally silly.
— Reprinted from Movie.File.1, March 1988.
September 27th, 2025 at 3:01 am
Gene Sheldon was and is the main appeal of this one. McMurray was far better in other comedies with better comedic directors like George Marshall (MURDER HE SAID comes to mind) and in the comedic murder mystery THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS teamed with Carol Lombard.
September 27th, 2025 at 5:48 am
For me, MacMurray’s comic chops were almost non-existent. Case in point: MY THREE SONS.
September 27th, 2025 at 10:43 am
How many years did My Three Sons stay on the air? Not liking or relating to the talent is one thing; despising it, something else. On the other hand, that is the way I felt about Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean. Know what I mean?
September 27th, 2025 at 11:22 am
My own view of Fred MacMurray and his onscreen work was definitely colored by his role in MY THREE SONS, which is when I first saw him in action. In spite of his popularity with others — note as Barry says, the long time the series was on the air — I watched it when it was on (what was the competition?) but then afterward I found difficult to see him in anything else… the westerns he did so many of, as a good example. I also have found myself unable to watch DOUBLE INDEMNITY. I’ve never seen it.
September 28th, 2025 at 3:23 pm
Fred MacMurray wasn’t really a comedian; he did much better playing a cad (see THE APARTMENT). Give DOUBLE INDEMNITY a chance, though; he’s perfect for the part.
September 28th, 2025 at 9:42 pm
Now that’s a word that’s getting close. “Cad.” I’m going to have to think about that for a while.
September 29th, 2025 at 12:44 am
I’m not arguing with anyone’s assessment of MacMurray, what you like or don’t is personal, but Fred MacMurray was one of the most successful comic leads in Hollywood for thirty years playing opposite Stanwyck, Lombard, Colbert, Dunne, Wyman, and many others for some of the best directors in Hollywood.
I didn’t care for MY THREE SONS either, but it’s not putting me off DOUBLE INDEMNITY, BORDERLINE, TEXAS RANGERS, THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS, THE APARTMENT, THE EGG AND I, THE CAINE MUTINY, BON VOYAGE, THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE, REMEMBER THE NIGHT, or some of his other good and great films.
September 29th, 2025 at 10:50 am
That’s quite a list of films, David. Thanks for the reminder!